Woman of desire

Daniel ceased writing and gazed out the window. She stood there in the street, watching him intently. Snow descended from the sky, blanketing the city streets while people hurried to escape the cold. But not her. For the third consecutive week, she appeared in the same spot, clad in an elegant coat, her face unaffected by the chill. The quill in Daniel's hand dropped ink on paper without the writer noticing or caring. His fascination with this woman rendered him immobile and thoughtless. Temptation quickened his heart as if it sought escape through his chest, leaping out the window onto the frozen street. His sole wish was to kneel before her and make her his. Daniel didn't know her name, fearing what might transpire if he dared to speak with her. In his mind, she deserved a title worthy of her magnificence; the only one he could think of was Renira.

“Did you sleep badly again, or today you have a new excuse for slacking off?”

Daniel flinched. Unaware of how long he had fixated on her, Mr. Ashcroft took notice. He approached him in annoyance and took the contract from the table. After dissatisfied scrutiny, the paper was crumpled and tossed onto the floor.

“What happened to you, Daniel? When you came here, I cared for you and taught you about all this staff. You were passionate about work. But in the last few days, you seem distracted. Can I help you with something?” asked Mr. Ashcroft calmly while his expression radiated contempt mingled with disappointment.

Daniel shook his head. He wanted to tell him about Renira, how he could think only about her and daydream about conversations he could have with her. But his supervisor was his wife’s good friend, who would not appreciate these unchristian thoughts.

Mr. Ashcroft sighed in resignation. “Please, Daniel, make something with yourself so there will be no need for this conversation again.” Daniel nodded as his supervisor left the room.

 He immediately looked out the window, finding that Renira had already disappeared. The cool air passed through the room as he clenched his fists and thought about the situation she had managed to get him into without having to do anything but watch him. This clerical job was his dream. A good salary and the comfort of his position gave him the security of not worrying about providing for his family. He cherished the memory of when his beloved wife told him she had found him a job in the office, and he would no longer have to help in the factory with his bare hands in the winter. It was the moment when he realized that life could be good.

From his desk, he always saw ordinary streets full of people but never paid any attention to them. His work was a mixture of enthusiasm and precision, and when the day ended, he always came home to kiss his wife and hug his daughters. He was happy with his life. But this feeling faded away when he saw her. 

But the morning she appeared in the middle of the alley was a moment of change. Renira always stayed in the same spot, and everyone on the street looked at her as they passed around. The aura of temptation radiated from her look, from the motionless gestures she made. Her angelic appearance sowed doubt and longing into Daniel's mind, drowning out all the memories of his life and making his heart beat hard. Work was no longer his joy but had become a distraction from observing her. Every night he arrived home, he found his wife dull and talking to her boring. Even when his daughters came to the living room, he did not feel joy but contempt, for if they had not been there, he might have followed Renira without care. Nightmares of nights were coming to every sleep, and Renira conquered his dreams when she taught him about temptation and lust. His mind was crowded with her, but it did not feel enough. 

In the following days, his work slowed, and flawless precision vanished. He heard rumors that his wife had started seeing another man while his daughters had stopped showing joy for the world. He could not care less. The sole reason for him to come to work was to hope to see Renira from the window; the only reason to come home was to meet her in the dream realm. 

It was the day of Thanksgiving. The remainder of this holiday completely slipped from his mind. He was working late hours because Mr Ashcroft told him to do so. It was his last chance to keep his job and repair the damage caused by his sloppy paperwork. Renira was standing in the snow the whole day without any trace of cold or shivering. Daniel watched her intensely and dreamed about what life could be like with her by his side.

In the evening, Mr Ashcroft came to the room and started to review Daniels’s work. After a few minutes, he started talking, but Daniel heard only a murmur as he was still looking out the window. Mr Ashcroft started yelling; foul words were hurled at his employee, unwilling to look away from the mesmerizing view. Daniel then stood up, grabbed his coat, and walked outside without a word. Thanksgiving was a night when he could no longer handle the paleness of his life. Temptation finally overcame his mind and commanded him to talk to her.

Daniel approached her with determination, fueled by desire, yet remained timid and scared. Renira awaited him in the cold night, her body shivering, but the power of desire granted him strength.

“I want to spend a night with you,” he declared, resolute in finally embracing what he had denied himself for so long.

Renira looked into his eyes, her gaze cold yet powerful. "Obviously," she replied, then walked away. 

Daniel stood there, unable to move. Her look was cruel, yet within her eyes, he glimpsed an angelic love he had never seen before. Feeling rejected and paralyzed, his thoughts sank into the darkest void as he watched her distance herself.

"Do you dare to expect me to go alone?"

Daniel ceased thinking and followed her. She impatiently waited at the end of the alley, devoid of emotion. Daniel caught up with her, and they began to walk.

“My name is Daniel and…”

“What a common name. At the end of the night, we will find you a name that will suit you better,” she cut him off without a single sign of interest.

“And what is your…”

“When I was young, names did not exist. If you wish to call me Renira, I won't spoil the only joy you've ever had.”

Daniel disregarded her tone, enamored with her voice. He attempted to initiate a conversation, but she showed no interest. Obediently following her without knowing their destination, he yearned for her to speak again. She cared little for small talk, but Daniel sought to make her talk, craving the sound of her voice. Every reprimand she uttered was ecstasy for him, as despite the harshness of her words, he cherished the sweetness of her voice.

She finally stopped and pointed to the restaurant. “We will have a dinner here”.

Daniel looked at the restaurant, and his stomach clenched. He took his wife to this establishment every Thanksgiving as her family owned it; it was their favorite tradition. This year, he forgot.

“I am certain we could find a better place to eat.” He tried to change her mind.

“I did not ask for your opinion. In fact, I did not care about your opinion. We will dine here. Now, be useful and open the door”. Renira's words were harsh, but it was a heavenly choir for his ears.

Daniel obeyed her command almost too quickly. Her voice controlled his body, and he bowed when the door opened. 

She went in and went to the middle of the room. The guest there looked at her, and without finishing their meal, they stood up and left the restaurant. The servers took care of everything unusually fast, as if they knew she would come. Perhaps they wished to be close to her as her presence fascinated everyone. The sommelier looked at Daniel with jealousy and surprise. Cousins of his wife looked at him angrily, but they could not do anything. 

Renira sat and looked at Daniel. 

“You will sit, and you will listen. I will reveal the secrets of this world, and you will be grateful to have in your hands for the first time in your life the wisdom that will make you better than everyone else. There will be no interruptions or follow-up questions until I stop talking, “ she whispered with clarity, precision, and a chilling calmness. 

Like an obedient listener, Daniel hung on her words all through dinner. The evening commenced with catechism over soup and transitioned into discourse, punctuated only by her complaints about meal quality and critiques of staff shortcomings. More than once, she took a sip of wine and promptly spilled it on the floor. The server refrained from seeking explanations, promptly offering a replacement in hopes of satisfying her discerning palate.

As the meal concluded, Daniel found himself shaken by her revelations. Despite this, an insatiable curiosity drove him to seek more knowledge, indifferent to how she acquired it. Daniel realized he hadn't touched his food when she finally set down her cutlery.

“Let's go,” she commanded. And he followed.

Their stroll continued in the same spirit. Renira preached about the beginning of time and place beyond our world. At the same time, Daniel devoured her every word. Her stories were unbelievable, each new sentence destroying Daniel's view of the reality of existence, yet there was conviction in her cold voice. Snow and cold dug into his skin, but each snowflake eluded her. 

She stopped talking. Daniel looked around and found a place that was kept in his memories. They stood in the park under the tree where he proposed to his wife. Surprisedly, he looked at Renira and began to feel like he was a victim of her whim.

“Now it's your turn to speak, and I'll be the one listening. Tell me about your wife and your daughters. Don't bother trying to impress me, as we both know you won't succeed. You're not to talk about anything else, and you're not to stop until I let you.”

Daniel tried to say something, but his voice betrayed him. As he pondered, he struggled to find words. Contemplating his family, it felt as though memories of them had faded, blending into the dull hues of the world, losing their appeal since his conversation with Renira. He knew he loved his wife and looked forward to returning to his children, but he couldn't remember why. How could he have such feelings for ordinary people who didn't deserve to exist in the same world as the angel he was with?

Renira silently waited for his answer, so Daniel started to talk. He felt terrible talking about his wife in such a wrong way, but he could not stop. Every word was exhausting, and Renira's face didn’t change for the whole time. Daniel, for reasons he couldn't understand, began to describe all his marital problems and every flaw of his wife without being able to remember a single positive quality or moment when she made him truly happy. The sight of Renira made him reveal every secret and dissatisfaction he had ever experienced, and he felt himself desecrating the place where he had once confessed all his love to his wife.

Exhausted and with a cracked voice, he fell to his knees. Looking up, concern filled him, fearing Renira's anger. However, she seemed to relish the view. Hatred mingled with desire for reprimand within him. She came to him and slapped him across the face.

“I did not tell you you can stop,” uttered a cold voice.

Daniel felt a burning pain on his frozen face, but the feeling that he had failed Renira was more painful. He stood up and wanted to talk, but she came to him and kissed him on the cheek.

“But you should stop. I do not want to be bored to death,” she whispered to his ear while her hand brushed his chest. The touch was warm and oddly delightful. Daniel felt weak and tried to hug her, but Renira flinched away. She gestured with her hand for him to follow her, indicating that he should remain silent. He cast one final glance at the tree, feeling the anguish inflicted upon his soul. Yet, his body, defying his inner turmoil, obediently followed Renira.

During the remainder of their walk, Daniel came to the realization that Renira cared very little about him. Questions began to swirl in his mind—Who is she, and how does she possess the knowledge she wields? What gives her the power to make him feel diminished and insignificant? Did he fall in love with her merely because it was her whim?

Renira finally stopped in front of Daniel's house. She turned to him and smiled. Her smile was twisted and terrifying, marking the evil it hid.

Daniel felt weak. He was terrified of what she could do to his family, but at the same time, he wanted to see her taking all her cruelty into action.

She came to him, put one hand on his neck, and whispered in a poisonously sweet voice.

“I will take you to my bed tonight. You will not touch me, but I will devour your soul in order to be reborn again. I will burn your life and freeze all your memories, but do not worry; I will make you better ones. All I'll ask in return is that you beg me, kneel, and beg like an obedient dog. “

Excitement overcame Daniel's body. The desire to revel all night filled him with joy, grateful she had finally given him this opportunity. Life and soul were no longer his concern; he just wanted to be with her. Before saying anything, he saw a candle in the window of his house, and the hand that held it strengthened his will for a moment, allowing him to express the most courageous thing in his life.

“No”.

Renira stood there in shock. Her face was colored with a complete inability to comprehend the situation. The coldness disappeared from her eyes, and only confusion remained as she stared at Daniel in disbelief. Her body began to shake as she shook her head in surprise. Tears began to cover her face as she experienced something as cruel, painful, and unforgettable as rejection for the first time in her life.

Daniel seized the chance and ran to his house. He locked the door, praying she wouldn't harm him or his family. His wife, downstairs and worried, started asking questions. Daniel hugged her and apologized for the past weeks. Unable to disclose precise details, he determined to make things right. His wife hugged him back, and they both cried the whole night.

In the subsequent weeks, Daniel began to experience a renewed sense of vitality. He even approached Mr. Ashcroft, engaging in conversation and seeking another opportunity. It felt like he had emerged from a nightmarish slumber; his former self had resurfaced. While his family life bore scars, a collective decision was made to feign normalcy and act as though nothing had transpired. Renira ceased her appearances, and gradually, her memory faded from his consciousness until she vanished entirely from his thoughts. It was the best life he could have. And he would never have realized it if he hadn't refused an offer he longed for but wasn't willing to pay the price for.