June

Falling Into The Abyss

Two days. One day was already over. The next morning June didn't get out of bed. He had not had a wink of sleep all night, with that hideous man being in the same room with him. But for whatever reason, Ezra hadn't come to the bed after leaving June half-naked earlier last night. All night June could hear him tapping away on his laptop and the rustling of papers, the click-clack of the pen and the occasional clink of a glass being put down on the glass-top of the coffee table. June was too alert to relax and sleep. Near dawn, the man finally left the room.

Knock-knock.

June didn't answer. Then came the sound of the door being opened.

"Young master, I brought breakfast. Please have some."

The sound was warm. June recalled the kind-faced woman who'd fed him breakfast the day before. She put down the tray on the coffee-table and said gently,

"Young master, you can go back to sleep after you've taken breakfast. Please don't skip your meals. You haven't eaten since yesterday morning. It'd be bad for your health."

"...Leave me alone, please," June didn't turn and stared dully into space.

"Master has already called to ask about you. If you don't eat, he will be angry on us."

When he said nothing to that, she said in her soft, light voice, "Then I'll leave it here. Call me if you need something. Excuse me now, young mast-"

"Don't call me that. I'm not a young master."

She left, closing the door softly. June let out a sigh. His eyes felt heavy. Even though his stomach was burning, June was glad when sleep finally took him. It was peaceful.

When he woke up, it was too bright inside. It must be noon, June guessed. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. His head felt heavy, as if it was too much to carry it around on his shoulders.

Knock knock.

June glanced at the door. It was the housemaid again. She put down a tray loaded with food and picked up the previous one.

"Young master, master will be back before six. Please take a bath when you wish for it."

"A bath?" June stared at her.

"Yes, will you be needing my assistance?" she smiled at him warmly.

"No..." June murmured, "Leave me alone, please."

She gave a nod and closed the door. It's barely four in the afternoon. He had slept for too long. June glanced around. There were three doors in this room. A main door, the door to the bathroom and another one which opened on the large, open terrace. He climbed out of the bed and went out to the terrace. It was sunny outside. He stared down and saw two black-suited men standing guard. The driveway could be seen from here, too. But the huge black gate or the large garden was out of sight. If he jumped from here, he would probably break his arms or legs, at most. June grasped the steel-railing of the terrace. He wished the house was a tall apartment. Or a penthouse. He could easily die if he jumped down from a penthouse.

I wonder why I'm feeling so apathetic. I should be worried. More anxious. I'm going to lose my virginity to a man like him. And I'll be forced to submit to his demands when I don't like men. I don't want that. I don't want to sleep with him.

June curled up in a ball and buried himself under the blanket, blocking all the sunlight that filtered through the tall glass doors that open to the large terrace. Sleep wouldn't come. He hadn't slept last night, and after the long nap in the morning, instead of feeling refreshed, he had been feeling quite heavy-headed. It was when the hour hand reached halfway between five and six that June finally came out of the blanket. He stared at the clock, dispirited. He didn't want to take a bath.