Against the clock

20.

When I woke up, I discovered myself still in the intimate closeness of Derek. Our legs were entwined, and I rested on his chest. The positions had shifted through the night, from facing each other to a configuration where Derek laid on the ground, offering support for me nestled upon him. His hand found a place on my hip, while mine gently rested on his stomach. Despite the persistent cold, it seemed no colder than before. In the subdued light and the hum of machinery, our makeshift arrangement spoke of a quiet resilience, finding warmth in the midst of our constrained reality.

'Good morning,' I heard Derek mumble, and I was about to reply when the voice interrupted, 'Good morning, pretty people.' The unexpected intrusion shattered the quietude of our intimate moment, and my gaze shifted toward the speakers, searching for any hint of the unseen captor. Feeling a mixture of frustration and curiosity, I sat up, my gaze still fixated on the speakers. Before I could utter a word, Derek's hand gently pressed against my shoulder, urging me back down. 'Ignore him,' he whispered, a subtle insistence in his voice.

With a hesitant nod, I settled back onto Derek's chest, resisting the impulse to engage with the disembodied voice. The voice continued, a sinister undercurrent coloring its seemingly innocent words, 'You two make such a cute couple.' The backhanded compliment hung in the air, weaving a thread of discomfort into the dimly lit enclosure. The captor's mocking laughter echoed through the speakers, accompanied by another jab, 'What a shame you have to share her.' Derek's grip on my shoulder tightened in silent frustration. The captor's voice rang through the speakers again, delivering a cryptic message, 'Well, pretty boy, today is your lucky day.' Derek's gaze met mine, a silent exchange of concern and determination passing between us, 'Stay calm' he said. As the captor's laughter faded into an eerie silence, Derek's hand moved from my shoulder to gently trace comforting circles on my back.

The captor's voice broke the silence once more, injecting a perverse curiosity into the cold atmosphere, 'Since you think you're a couple. You can act like it. Do you know what couples do in the morning?' Derek's gaze hardened, 'Whatever you have in mind, it's not happening.' The captor's voice persisted, now addressing me directly, 'How about it, Meredith? Do you know what couples do in the morning?'

I didn't know what to answers, 'uhm - I don't know,' I replied, uncertainty lacing my voice. The captor's amusement echoed through the speakers, reveling in our discomfort. Suddenly the door opened revealing the older man with a gun in his hands. The unexpected intrusion of the older man with a gun in hand sent a chill down our spines. The captor's twisted amusement took a darker turn as he declared, 'They fuck.' The air in the dimly lit enclosure seemed to thicken with tension as the reality of our vulnerability intensified.

Derek's grip on my shoulder tightened, a silent reassurance amidst the unsettling revelation. We exchanged a glance, our eyes reflecting a mixture of defiance and shared distress. As the older man leered at us with a gun in his hands, a sinister grin stretching across his face, Derek's voice cut through the eerie silence. 'We're not a couple,' he asserted, his tone firm and defiant. The older man with the gun maintained his menacing presence, but a subtle shift in his expression hinted at a moment of contemplation. The captor, undeterred, replied with a mocking tone, 'You're both so boring. I thought you wanted to get cozy. Maybe a little intimacy will spice up your time here.'

Despite the absurdity of the situation, a sense of dread crept over us. The captor's manipulation was evident, but the unpredictable nature of our captors left us uncertain about their next move. The captor, seemingly unsatisfied with our lack of compliance, issued a chilling ultimatum as he came over to us, the gun pointed at Derek's head, 'Do as I say, or face the consequences. The choice is yours.'

Derek's sudden movement startled me. He sat up, his hands covering his face as if trying to shield himself from the unbearable reality of our captivity. Concern etched across my face, I reached for his shoulder, my fingers lightly grazing his tense muscles. 'Derek,' I said softly, my voice a gentle plea for connection in the midst of our shared turmoil. 'One more minute to decide' the man said.