Untouched [minsung]

Chapter 26

I was kept awake pretty much the entire night. The rats squeaked below me as I huddled onto the concrete bench. The chains made it difficult to find a comfortable position and, when I did, they'd slide off and clank against the floor creating a bridge for the rats to climb up.

Whenever I did fall asleep, I'd have nightmares about the men in the alley or the exploding head I'd seen. I'd endured too much recently, and my ability to deal with them was apparently low thanks to my (as Lee Know had so eloquently put it) "emotional fragility".

I wanted to prove him wrong, to be strong and brave. I wanted to sleep and have the things I'd seen not affect me. I'd failed last night but promised myself that I'd try harder today. I didn't want him to be right.

The siren wailed and the walls lifted. The rats scurried away. I wished I could follow them, primarily to escape the sound of the siren which was atrocious.

"Stand on your bench," Jeongin demanded from the intercom.

I did as ordered and some sort of hose popped out of the walls and sprayed down the floor. When it finished, the bench began to move into the wall and I hopped off.

Then, the hose turned and sprayed at me forcefully. It wasn't like a sprinkler or shower head, it felt like one used by firemen. It was painful, and I held my hands out to cover my face.

The water stopped and Jeongin clicked back on his intercom, "I know you hate to be dirty. Consider it a peace offering."

"Thank you," I said, now drenched. I hoped that if I seemed appreciative he'd go easy on me today.

A tray slid across the floor from somewhere to the left of me. It was pitch black again, and I couldn't see.

"Eat. I'll be back later."

I carefully tapped around for the tray. Once identified, I felt a piece of bread in the center and took a bite. I didn't have the energy to wonder if anything had been done to the food. I hadn't eaten in nearly 36 hours.

I felt around and found a bottle as well. I opened it and discovered it to be filled with water.

While I ate, I tried to think up a reasonable enough lie I could tell that would save me.

Maybe I could say Changbin hired me to test Lee Know's loyalty. Or maybe his family. Maybe he'd believe that I'd caught on to Lee Know and decided to get proof of his following me.

I played around with the opinions while I waited for Jeongin to return. The siren wailed, and I was pulled up by the chains again.

My hands became secured tightly above my head. My stomach was exposed from how high my arms were. My hair and clothes were drenched and dripped around me.

"This isn't necessary," I yelled to Jeongin.

When it reached its max height where I could barely feel the ground, the siren stopped. Then, a door creaked open near me and closed with a loud thud.

It was still dark, but I could hear a single set of footsteps approaching me.

"Who are you," Jeongin asked from behind me.

"Han Jisung," I sighed.

"And why did you stalk Lee Know?"

"To get to know him," I answered.

"On behalf of who?" he asked.

"Myself," I stated. He couldn't see, but I'd rolled my eyes. How many times would I have to answer the same question?

"What was that?" he said menacingly.

"Myself. On behalf of myself," I spat.

And on the exposed skin of my waist, I felt a horrible burning sensation. He'd placed a hot metal object onto my skin and held it there.

I yelled out in pain. "Stop, please stop," I cried out.

"On behalf of who?" he asked as he pulled the object back.

I cried instead of answering him. None of the stories I'd made up were developed enough to pass as a solid lie yet, and the truth would get me hurt.

"I just wanted to learn about him," I cried out. "It's the truth. Please believe..." and he stuck me again. The pain was unimaginable. I nearly passed out.

"Please stop," I whined. "I can't do this."

"Then just tell me who you're working for."

"Nobody," I said, and it was met with more searing of my skin. I wanted to fall to the ground and curl up and hold myself. But my hands being above my head made any comfort impossible.

"Tell me."

I stayed silent. He wouldn't believe me no matter how many times I told him the truth.

But then I felt something new. He tugged on my sweatshirt bringing me closer to him and sliced it open exposing my back. He cut off my sleeves and sliced up the front, too, so that my entire crewneck was in pieces at my feet.

He'd expanded his canvas.

"Tell me."

"You aren't believing me. I don't know what to do," I cried. The burns stung, and I was glad it was so cold in here so that they at least felt a little relief.

"I'm not believing you because it isn't the truth."

I let out a full-on sob and dropped my head, shaking it from side to side. "It is the truth."

In the center of my spine, he placed the iron rod. My back arched forward, and I yelled out in a mixture of pain and frustration. I was defenseless. He could keep me here forever, and I'd have no way to get out.

Jeongin cleared his throat. "Tell me about Changbin."

"What?"

"Well you aren't sharing much about your bosses, so tell me about your friend."

Finally, something I could answer. "He's nice. He and I met at school, and he's my only friend."

"What about Felix," he snorted.

"Felix is a good person. He just wants to help his wife," I defended. Even when Felix had helped turn me over to Jeongin, he looked so guilty. He didn't want to be a part of this any more than I did.

"His poor wife. Horrible what Changbin's family did to her. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Forcing her to work and go no contact with her husband for months? Yea, it's kidnapping." I left out that what he was doing to me was also kidnapping.

"Not that. Don't you know?" Jeongin said, his voice indicated he was smiling.

"Know what?"

"She's dead."

Horrified. That was the only word to describe how I felt. Absolutely and utterly horrified. Felix would be devastated when he found out. The things he'd gone through to help her were all for nothing. "How? When?"

"Oh months ago. Her job was to act as entertainment for Changbin's family and their best clients at a gala. They put her in a ring to fight to the death. She lost."

"Months ago?" I snarled. "How could you let Felix work for you for months under the pretense of saving up to save her? Are you really so cruel?"

"Yes, yes I am," he said and poked me again in the chest. I yelped and he pushed deeper. "So you better tell me the truth the next time I come back in here, or you'll be next."