Burnt Lies

A Red Dress

Alara

I had started to count each crack in the wall out of boredom or to distract myself I couldn't even discern the difference. I wanted my watch back, it had taken me an hour to realise it was gone, the imprints of the band still clear against my skin. I always did wear it too tight. 

Hours passed and my hope of escape started to dwindle. 

That was then the guy with the sullen and pinched face return. I couldn't see him as anything other than a ghost, a walking skeleton that faded between walls and appeared from no where. 

He still had a sneer permanently etched on his face, making already sharp features appear even more defined. He  walked close to me and then I saw it a tiny silver glint in the darkness of the room. A sliver of hope in the shape of a key. 

Seeing my eyes dart towards the key he snarled, "Don't get any smart ideas,"

He crouched just low enough so that his hands were in line with the cuffs attaching me to the wall. 

Before he slid the key into the lock, he glared at me, "Try anything and I won't hesitate to shoot you dead," he tilted his head a little, "Understand?"

I nodded mutely just waiting for for him to take the cuffs off. The moment he did I let my hands fall in front of me twisting them around to recirculate the blood. 

My eyes snapped towards the open cell door and he saw, "Remember what I said,"

I wanted to run, I did but I knew I wouldn't stand a chance, running now with no weapon and no idea where I was would be pure suicide. 

So I didn't I stayed put, waiting for my next instructions, playing the ever obedient prisoner as best as I could. He tugged me up by the length of my arm where there was already a bruise forming but not from him, from the previous attempt at kidnapping me. 

I hissed in pain as he dug his fingers into the sensitive flesh that was just trying to heal, he paused at my gasp of pain and stared down at my arm for a long moment. I could see that he was considering ignoring my pain but something made him let go. 

He pulled his gun out from hits holster and pressed it against my back, "I'm guess you can walk by yourself, one wrong move and I shoot."

I gulped slowly and nodded once more. He prodded me to move forward and I did finally in the span of two days leaving the cramped cell. The air outside the cell was much cooler and I welcomed the more refreshing smell. It was much better than the stench of mould and rot. 

We walked passed corridors that all looked the same, the same drab grey floors and off white walls. The monotony was starting to hurt my eyes, I needed a splash of colour but I suspected the only other colour that was ever here was red and I definitely didn't want to see that.

"What's your name?" I asked randomly hating the ticking silence.

"You don't need to know," was his only response. 

I decided to leave the attempts at conversation with my captor at that.

We finally reached where he was leading me too, it was another room, bare of anything but a bed and a dresser. Again everything was either white or an unappealing grey. 

"Wow, thanks for the upgrade," I couldn't hide the sarcasm from my voice and regretted speaking when he shoved me forcefully into the room. I almost tripped from the action but managed to regain my balance wobbling a little on my feet before I steadied myself once more. 

"Rude," I mumbled under my breath and I knew I was really pushing my luck but part of me just wanted to be insufferable, they were making my life hell why couldn't I irritate them a little. 

Yes, it wasn't the best strategy but if they were planning to kill me I would've been dead already.

Once in the room, he turned and locked the door behind him, so I was stuck within the room with just him. 

He reached into the dresser and threw me a bag, "Shower and get dressed."

He pointed to the other side of the room where I had missed a second door presumably leading to a bathroom. It was hard to identify as it blended completely into the room, the handle of the door barely visible in the artificial lighting of the room.

I pulled out the shower gel and shampoo, which looked pretty generic and then I pulled out the outfit. 

It was a strapless red dress with a huge slit in the side of it, I gawked at the article of clothing, "I'm not wearing this,"

He glared at me once more, "You will wear whatever the boss tells you to,"

"And if I don't?" I snapped back.

He merely tapped his gun. I got the message loud and clear. 

I grumbled but made my way over to the bathroom. 

"You have ten minutes, if your not out by then I will bust the door down whatever state you're in,"

I felt a chill imagining being walked in on like that. 

"Got it," I responded before slamming the door shut. 

The moment I was in the bathroom, I immediately began to look for windows anything that would let me escape but to my dismay every wall was just that a wall. No windows. I looked up at the ceiling praying that there would be some sort of vent big enough for me to crawl through but it seemed my kidnappers had thought ahead. 

I cursed under my breath as I climbed into the shower and thoroughly washed my hair happy to wash the grease and grime out of it. I then gave the rest of my body a quick wash and dried myself. 

For a while I stared at the dress wondering what to do, I had never been one to want to show too much skin and the dress was completely out of my comfort zone. Part of me wanted to tear it up, I had no idea why he wanted me in this dress. Maybe it was his way of solidifying that he owned me. 

It made me uncomfortable even looking at it but I knew if I didn't wear it there would be consequences. It was then it hit me, he had told me I had to wear it but he didn't specify that I couldn't wear anything else with them. 

Finding it better to pull on my leggings again underneath the dress despite some tears and scuffs, I then pulled the dress on over top. I couldn't do much about it being strapless but the high slit showed no skin just the black material of my leggings, once I was happy with it that none of my lower half was showing I walked out the room. 

The man who had brought me to the room was waiting for me. 

"What the fuck are you wearing?" he all but growled. 

I gave the fakest smile I could, "The dress you told me to?"

His eyes bored into my skull, a lethal look that yearned for blood, "Take the leggings off,"

"You never said I wasn't allowed to wear them, you just said put the dress on, maybe next time be more specific."

"Take them off," he asserted once more. 

I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "No."

I half expected him to reach for his gun, "Whatever," he murmured, "I'll just let the Boss deal with you," and then ever so quietly he added, "It should be fun to watch."

Another chill spread down my spine and a felt a little sick but I kept my head held high and walked after him. 

Whether to my death or not I didn't know but I knew that I sure as hell was not going to be taking these leggings off.