L'Amour Fou (bxb)

Chapter 3

As I began to regain consciousness, my eyes darted across the room nervously. It was pitch black. I noticed that I was tied up to a wooden chair. My hands and legs were trapped by a tight rope as I knew that I couldn't escape it. Breathing rapidly, I was sweating profusely with my head starting to feel hot. The large room began to shrink, as I inevitably screamed from the top of my voice. My heart was beating vigorously, as I felt an uncomfortable rush circulating my body. My eyes were covered with tears, I didn't want to die. Not yet.

I heard a sudden, loud bang from the other side of the room. The door creaked slowly, and I heard footsteps approach me. I recognized the footsteps; it was the exact same ones as the one I heard from the streets, so there might just be one kidnapper. Without knowing, the person was standing in front of me. I didn't even look up. I didn't know whether it was due to fear or fatigue or both. Silently, the person extending their hand to present to me a glass of water. Helplessly, I took it and drank all of it - I was thirsty and water always helps me whenever I have a panic attack, so I had to take the water out of compulsion. Starting to feel relieved, I gave the empty glass back.

The footsteps then faded away from the room, but then I realized that the person came back. They stood silently in front of me. This was it. They were gonna grab a knife and thrust it inside my chest, leaving no mercy.

But to my surprise, the person finally spoke.
"Feeling better?"
It was confirmed that this person was a man from the deep voice and I gathered the courage to look up at him. There stood a tall figure in a sharp suit, and since there was not much light in the room, I couldn't really make out his face. I knew he wasn't wearing a mask or using a fake voice; it just seemed too natural to be fake.

"Yes." I muttered slightly incoherently.  As soon as he turned around, I spoke.
"Why did you kidnap me?" I asked inquisitively, in a solemn tone without any fear in my voice. He turned around towards my direction.
"I just, wanted to know. Is it for money? Or are you-are you gonna murder me?" I added to ease the situation slightly.
"No. I think you need to know, that I will never kill you. Ok? And it's certainly not for money, that's just dumb," he replied nonchalantly. Although I couldn't see his face, I was certain that he had a broad, sinister smile on his face.

"Then why?" I said. "Why me?"
"I have my reasons," he chuckled slightly to himself. Why wouldn't he just tell me?
"Now, do you feel uncomfortable?"
I nodded immediately, then stopped. Oh shit. What did I just do? He's now gonna kill me to satisfy my discomfort.

"I will untie you. But I have a few conditions." He leant into my ear and whispered harshly. "There's some rules you've gotta follow if you want to live here. Firstly, do not leave the house. Secondly, if you need anything, ask me. Thirdly, you won't get your phone back in case you call the police. And most importantly, do NOT try to enter the room with the lock on the door. You will suffer consequences if so. You can enter every room in the house, but NOT that one. Is that clear?"

I nodded in response to him. What was in that room? His murder weapons? A room full of dead bodies? Maybe if he didn't mention that room, I wouldn't have been so intrigued to find out what was in it.

He began to undo the firm knot of the rope which strangled my hands and legs. I tried to stand up, but the pain in my legs made me collapse back into the chair. After the pain disappeared, I finally stood up. I managed to see his height properly, and although it seemed like he was 6ft tall, he was only a few inches taller than me so he didn't look that intimidating to me as I expected.

Escorting me to the room I was staying in, I noticed the room that he was talking about with the lock.
"I left the suitcase here which you left back. I checked it and nothing seems damaged."

It didn't feel like he was kidnapping me at all, but instead as if I was a guest in his house. But I was far from knowing the difference between a guest and a victim, the difference between a friend and a stranger. The difference between knowledge and secrets.