Captive Obsession

Chapter 8: Shadows of Obsession

T H I R D P E R S O N

The night was thick with tension as the woman watched from the shadows. She had been trailing her target for days, observing her every move. It wasn't just the flirting with Lisa that had set her off; it was the woman's audacity to think she could get away with it.

Her obsession with Lisa had grown. What had started as a deep admiration had twisted into a dark, possessive love. She couldn't stand anyone getting close to Lisa, let alone flirting with her.

The target, whose name the woman had learned was Jessica, was walking alone through the dimly lit streets, unaware of the danger lurking just behind her. The woman moved like a wraith, silent and invisible, her heart pounding with anticipation.

Jessica turned down a secluded alleyway, and the woman knew this was her chance. Quickening her pace, she closed the distance between them. Without warning, she grabbed Jessica from behind, clamping a chloroform-soaked cloth over her mouth. Jessica struggled, but it was futile. Her eyes rolled back, and she went limp in the woman's arms.

She dragged Jessica to a nearby abandoned building. Inside, the air was musty, and the darkness was oppressive. She had prepared for this moment, setting up a small, grimy room with everything she needed. She tied Jessica to a chair, ensuring the bonds were tight enough to prevent any escape.

Jessica awoke to the dim glow of a single hanging bulb and the realization that she was trapped. Panic set in as she struggled against her restraints, her eyes darting around the room until they settled on her captor.

"Wh-what do you want?" Jessica stammered, her voice trembling with fear.

The woman stepped forward, her face a mask of cold determination. "It's not about what I want," she said quietly. "It's about what you've done."

Jessica's confusion was evident. "I don't understand. I haven't done anything to you!"

Her eyes flashed with anger. "You think you can just flirt with Lisa and get away with it?"

Jessica's eyes widened in realization and terror. "Please, I didn't mean anything by it! I didn't know she was taken!"

The woman laughed, a chilling sound that echoed in the empty room. "Taken? Reasons. You think Lisa belongs to someone else? She belongs to me, and only me."

Tears streamed down Jessica's face as she pleaded for her life. "I'm sorry! I won't go near her again, I swear!"

Her expression hardened. "It's too late for apologies." She moved to a table where a collection of sharp, gleaming instruments lay. Selecting a small, serrated knife, she approached Jessica, who screamed and thrashed in her chair.

"Please! Don't do this!" Jessica begged, but the woman was beyond reason.

The next few hours were a blur of agony and terror for Jessica. Her methods were precise and unrelenting, each cut and burn designed to elicit maximum pain. Jessica's screams echoed through the building, growing weaker with each passing minute.

Finally, with blood streaming down her body and her strength nearly gone, Jessica whimpered, "Why are you doing this? Who are you?"

The woman leaned in close, her face inches from Jessica's. "Who am I?" she whispered. "I'm your biggest nightmare, Ruby."

Jessica's eyes fluttered, her consciousness slipping away as she mouthed the name that would haunt her until her dying breath: "Ruby."

Satisfied, Ruby stepped back and watched as the life drained from Jessica's eyes. She felt no remorse, no guilt. In her mind, she had done what was necessary to protect what was hers. She left the building as silently as she had entered, disappearing into the night, her dark obsession driving her ever forward.