Jessica slowly raised her eyelids and squinted away from the glaring sun. Her whole body felt like lead and the throbbing headache pounded against her temples. With a groan she threw off her covers and slowly stood, examining herself to ensure she was not going to vomit or fall over.

Satisfied with her ability to stand, she dragged herself to the shower to wash away the past two days' worth of grime, fever sweat and aches. As the water trickled over her skin – currently taken on a more ashen shade compared to her normal sun kissed tan colouring- she looked down at her wrists which were marked with brutish coils of purple and black. The bruises were tender, and she could make out the shape of her Aunts pinky finger angling out further at the top of the coiled bruise. Similar bruises could be found on her ankles as well.

Sometimes Agatha's potions and experiments had negative effects on Jessicas body –maybe most of the time is more accurate. Normally she was violently sick, or had a severe flu for days. The action of her magic being sucked from her felt like her physical health was being stripped with it, and it took a massive toll on her body.

On the worse sessions, she would be left unconscious for a few days and sometimes had seizures. When she had these severe episodes, Agatha would hold her down to the table, her vice-like grip almost too strong for someone who is sickly enough to need Jessicas’ healing magic in this way. But then again, the experiments always left her drained; and in the moment, she would have no energy what-so-ever to even fight a babe.

Once out of the shower Jessica got changed into a pale cream button-down shirt that was slightly too big for her. The collar and cuffs were embossed with a metallic silver and green lace detailing, and the silver buttons glittered in the light. She tucked the shirt into tapered brown leather trousers to emphasise her waist, and slipped on matching silver and green shoes.

This outfit was slightly masculine for her normal tastes, but they hid the bruises without the material being too tight around the swollen skin. She frowned at her reflection in the floor length mirror in her room, smoothing down invisible creases in her shirt. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t feel pretty in this, no one's ever going to see it anyway, other than Agatha. She thought to herself as she turned to head for the doorway with a sway of her hourglass hips.

She cared a lot that no one would ever see her beautiful gowns, or artistically embossed tunics. Or wear any of the magnificent ocean themed ethereal dresses or matching jewelry she owned in front of others. Agatha would give her these treasures whenever she returned from exploring the world. Jessica assumed her Aunt must think these things make her happy, which at first glance they do. But then she remembered that only Agatha will ever see her wear them. And though it’s never happened in the past twenty years of her life, Jessica always aimed to dress to impress in case a miracle might occur, and her Aunt decided to take her outside.

But today, and for the next few days she will need to cover up. Because the sight of her bruises puts a sour taste in her mouth; and a stone ball sat heavy in her gut, gnawing away at a small part of her. It’s to help Agatha she chants it's worth it if these experiments can help. But the small part in her gut wonders why it felt so wrong.

Plodding down into the kitchen, Jessica rolled her shoulders, trying to dispel the ache of lying down for two days straight. She noticed a small piece of parchment with her Aunts neat scrawl laying on the dining table, it read:

Dear Jessica,

I’m writing this the day after our session in the clinic, as I’m not sure when you might recover from the last treatment. I have urgent business in the capital I must attend, and I will be away for at least two weeks during this journey.

Keep out of trouble, remember the rules.

A.

Ah the capital, how Jessica longed to visit Harrowoon, to see the bustling streets and vendors. To hear the famous musical performers and taste the local cuisine. She’s only read about the capital in her books, but many show fantastical drawings of the beautiful royal gardens and the annual light festival done in honor of the missing princess Leanncia Whiteleigh’s birthday every winter solstice. They place paper lanterns into the ocean with small candles, illuminating the water for miles. Apparently, it’s both a breathtaking and sorrowful sight to-be-hold, considering it’s in hopes the princess will one day find her way back to the royal family to save the land.

Shrugging off the jealousy and longing to visit the capital, Jessica prepared and ate her breakfast –late lunch more like, considering the low afternoon sun. She wondered back to her room, heading to her large floor length window to pull back the sheets.

Stepping out, she sat on her balcony. This was Jessicas’ saving grace, her only form of outside space she had ever known. The stone wall was rough against her palms as she looked out towards the horizon, the green forest spread out as far as the eye can see like a blanket of lush moss towards the skyline. Close by, an Oak tree loomed over the tower, acorns had scattered around the balcony before her. To the wall to her right, vines and a spider like bush crept over the walls, giving the stone a splash of colour against the grey brickwork.

She touched the branches and hummed to herself as her blood danced to life. She felt the spark of wood magic tingle from the tips of her fingers as she poured it into the branches and vines, willing them to grow in a particular shape. A Y shape to be exact. When she was younger, she’d seen a sling shot contraption in a book and became fascinated in the mechanics. Ever since, one of her most wild activities to keep herself sane and entertained when her Aunt was gone was to make a slingshot with her magic, and to fling acorns at nearby trees.

It may not be the most exciting or imaginative game, but Jessica did not have much to go on; being stuck in a tower your whole life was not the wildest of experiences after all. But due to the long periods where her Aunt leaves, Jessica has become an excellent shot, and can easily hit a small leaf she had her eye on from 25 meters away.

Some might wonder why Jessica never leaves, other than the fact the forest contains fearful monsters and people that prowl within. But her Aunt had set up a special magical enchantment surrounding their tower. It creates a force that kept anyone but Agatha in or out. It amused Jessica to know that acorns are allowed to come and go as well; it seemed a small seed had more freedom than she.

Eventually Jessica decided to go to the lounge room to curl up on the plush red sofa with her current book; a saucy number titled Breathless Wind. A steamy romance her Aunt accidently purchased her, and being a young woman who had never spoken with a man, let alone touched one; she’ll take any form of sexual stimulation she can get to spice things up – with herself.