Ruthless

17

You all better like I mean it .....

"Clothes," I uttered to the man who had subjected me to an unspeakable level of humiliation.

He arrived early in the room where I was confined to rouse me from slumber. The irony lies in the fact that typically, you awaken those who are asleep, yet in my situation, I hadn't slept a wink the entire night before.

"You don't need clothes," he casually remarked, shifting his attention to the phone in his hand, which had just beeped with a notification.

Two seconds later, his gaze returned to me. I anticipated a laugh, a grin, or any sign that would indicate it was merely a bad joke. Yet, his expression, a blank statue, revealed the seriousness of his statement.

I don't know why I even thought he was joking.

"Please," I pleaded, aware that screaming and shouting would only lead to more trouble.

In the heart of a desolate forest with no one around, he could inflict unimaginable suffering.

"I will do as you say, but please, just give me clothes," I added, playing along, hopeful for a reconsideration.

Also, what has my life become? I now need to take permission for basic human rights like covering my body from a man who I don't even know.

He only stared at me for the longest before walking out without saying a word, leaving me alone in the room.

My eyes welled up, my chin quivered, and my nose burned. Despite the overwhelming desire to break down, I resisted the tears by biting my lower lip.

Drawing my knees to my chest, I circled my arms around them before resting my head. To distract myself, I tried to focus on cherished memories with friends and family.

I lost track of time, immersed in memories, and suddenly, a gentle touch jolted me. My distraction made it catch me off guard, prompting a reflexive jump backward in surprise. As I looked up, there he was, staring at me.

*******

Looking downward, I noticed a navy blue shirt lying just beside my leg. Closing my eyes, I attempted to calm my erratic heartbeat, feeling somewhat foolish in the process. If this had happened any other day, I might have burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Glancing back at him, I extended my hand slowly towards the shirt. My heart skipped a beat as the slightly cool texture of the fabric brushed against my fingertips.

I couldn't fathom why I felt so guarded. After all, he was the one who had given me the shirt, yet I couldn't shake the sense that I might be punished for wearing it. I felt as if I were the prey, and with a mere shift of my eyes, I would become the food for the predator who was glaring at me.

"Thank you," I said, using my other hand to sweep my hair away from my face.

Without uttering a word, he exited the room once again. My eyes rolled, a long breath escaped my lips, and my body sagged in relief.

Without wasting any time, I seized the shirt and draped it over my nude body. Yes, he had insisted on providing undergarments after the events of the previous night. Reflecting on yesterday, I was certain that I was on the verge of losing my virginity, but fortunately, he hadn't gone all the way.

Before I could dwell further on the incident and torment myself mentally, I reluctantly got out of bed, regretting it immediately as dizziness set in.

Considering I hadn't slept, had cried all night, and had only consumed an apple and an avocado in the name of a meal, it's kind of surprising I'm still upright. I've got to hand it to myself for being pretty tough, especially since I can't even remember when I had a proper meal last. Maybe I'm the eighth of the wonder of the world that people have yet to discover.