Bernard x Oc

Torture

Bernard opened his eyes slowly. Feeling the drowsiness of the chloroform wear off, he blinks a few times, and his eyes adjust in the darkness. The elf shifted slightly, and the sound of something metallic caught his attention.

CLINK!

Bernard lifts his head and notices his arms shackled above him and that he is sitting on his legs. The elf gazed around the room, trying to figure out where he was. The room smelled sour and dusty and made his nose wrinkle in disgust. Listening closely, Bernard could hear something dripping on the ground.

SPLAT!

SPLAT!

"Water." Bernard thought to himself, "Where am I?" He couldn't see much in the dark, sour room except for the chains on his wrists. He pressed his back to the wall, and with his hands, Bernard ran his fingers across, feeling the rugged, rocky surface. It felt damp and cold under his skin. He could also feel the exact texture under his shirt and legs. A gust of cold wind blew gently around him, causing the elf to shiver.

THUD!

THUD!

Bernard freezes at the sound of something or someone approaching him. The elf spots a pair of glowing, red eyes squinting at him. The figure lifts a lit-up lantern, revealing their face. Bernard's eyes widened, and his body was shaking uncontrollably. The frightened elf pressed his back against the cold wall as the figure inched closer with a disarming grin, "Hello there, slave."

"K-Krampus..." Bernard's voice shrilled. The Christmas Devil sneered at the trapped elf, "I'm pleased to see you awake."

"You're pleased to have me, prisoner!" Bernard growled, but his voice cracked, giving away the fear he displayed. Krampus chuckled darkly, "I see you're trying to be brave now. But you are a terrible actor." He steps closer to the elf and leans down to his face. Bernard knew that he couldn't pretend to be brave enough to face the Christmas Devil and demand to be released. Krampus wants him for something. "Probably to torment me or kill me." The elf thought to himself.

Bernard swallowed, his heart raced, and his face turned pallid. Krampus raised his bony, claw-like hand to Bernard's face and gripped his chin, forcing him to look up at the sunken red eyes. The chains rattled together as the head elf struggled under the Christmas Devil's grasp.

"Let me go, Krampus!" Bernard shouts. Krampus' eyes narrowed at the elf; his lips curled and bared his sharp, yellow teeth, "You dare speak to me that way?!" He then exploded, forcing the elf to bite his lip and keep silent. Images of what Krampus would do to him flashed through his mind-remembering what he did to the elf before meeting Alfina and Tom. Images of a punch in the face, kicking him in the ribs and stomach, even strangulation. Bernard held his breath, and his stomach dropped as Krampus glared at him.

The fear was there on his face. All he wanted to do was flee from the Christmas Devil, but the shackles kept him grounded. "Wh-where am I?" Bernard shuttered, moving his legs into a more comfortable position. Krampus flared his nostrils, and his claw-like nails dug into Bernard's cheeks, causing him to wince. The sharp claws dug deeper, drawing blood. The elf whimpered, feeling blood trail down his neck. Bernard glares through his bangs at Krampus, holding back a cry of pain.

The Christmas Devil snarled, "I'm going to enjoy hurting you, Evergreen. And no one will save you." He grips Bernard's wrists, takes the chains off, and hauls the scared elf into a room with a ripped armchair and lamp table with a snowglobe resting on it. Bernard studies the room and snaps his attention to the glass ball.

"There were claw marks on the icy walls, and a strange snowglobe sat on a table in the center of the room."

Alfina's twelve-year-old voice echoed in the head elf's mind. "A cave. This is Krampus's cave!" Bernard shivered as Krampus pushed him to the floor and shackled his wrists to the armchair. He even tied the elf's feet together as a precaution.