Chains of Obsession

15

♡Emilia♡

For the fuck sake, I haven't gotten far and they are already after me. They have fucking dogs too.

Right now, I am running in a forest, away from them, as fast as I could.

The sound of barking dogs and men shouting echoed behind me, growing louder with each passing moment.

Damn it, I thought, my heart pounding in my chest. They're gaining on me.

I pushed myself harder, my feet pounding the forest floor as I weaved through the trees. The forest was dense and dark, and I could hardly see where I was going.

The barking grows louder as the dogs get closer. I can almost feel their hot breath on the back of my neck. I dart between trees and weave through bushes, trying to throw them off my trail, but the dogs are persistent.

I can hear their handlers yelling commands in the distance, and I know I can't outrun them forever.

I need to find a place to hide, somewhere they can't find me. But where?

I run until I stumble and fall, my body crumpling against the hard ground. I can feel a sharp stab of pain in my leg, and my head throbs with a dull ache. I try to get up, but my leg buckles beneath me, and I fall back down.

Wincing in pain, I touch the side of my head, and my fingers come away sticky with blood. I'm disoriented and dizzy, and my vision is starting to swim.

I try to focus and figure out where I am. I'm lying at the bottom of a small cliff, surrounded by thick brush and tall trees. I can still hear the sound of the dogs barking in the distance, getting closer by the minute.

As I lay on the ground, barely conscious, I hear voices above me. Shadows appear over me as the men approach, their faces blurring in my hazy vision.

One of them crouches next to me, and I feel his hands on my body, checking my injuries.

"She's alive," I hear him say. "But she's hurt. Her leg's broken, and she's bleeding from the head."

Another man steps up, his voice gruff. "Wrap up her leg, and let's get her to the medic."

They begin to work on me, wrapping my leg in a makeshift splint and applying a temporary bandage to my head. I'm too weak to resist, and I feel myself slipping further into unconsciousness.

The last thing I remember is being lifted up and carried away, the sound of men's voices and rustling leaves fading into the background as I surrender to the pull of unconsciousness.

- 1 a.m. -

I blink my eyes open, disoriented, and groggy. I'm lying on a soft, uncomfortable bed and bright light filters through the room. I try to sit up, but a wave of nausea and pain washes over me, and I sink back down, groaning.

I take a moment to take stock of my surroundings. I'm in a small, sterile room, with plain white walls and medical supplies neatly placed on a table.

It's all familiar. Fuck. I am back in the mansion. I'm in the mansion' medical room.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut, and I curse under my breath. I was so close to escaping, so close to freedom, but they managed to catch me.

As I lay there, feeling the pain and disappointment wash over me, I hear footsteps approaching the door.

The door opens, and a bespectacled man in a lab coat enters the room. He's carrying a clipboard and a pen, and he looks at me with a neutral expression.

"You're awake," he says, stepping up to the bedside. "How do you feel?"

Everything is blurry, but I can make out whose voice it is. Max.

"Like shit." I mumbled.

Max chuckles softly and adjusts his glasses. "I guess that's to be expected, considering you managed to break your leg and give yourself a nasty concussion."

He gently probes my injured leg, and I hiss in pain.

"It's pretty bad," he says, studying my X-rays. "You'll need to stay off it for at least six weeks. And your head injury requires monitoring for any sign of infection. You're going to be here awhile."

I groan in frustration, wincing as the movement jostles my leg. "Please tell me you have some painkillers, at least."

"Of course," Max says, reaching for a bottle of pills on the table. "But you'll need to take it easy while you're healing. No more running away for a while, understood?"

I nodded as I started to take painkillers from him, but couldn’t move my hand. I looked down on my body, and both of my hands are cuffed to the bed, and my none-injured leg is cuffed to the bed, too.

"What the fuck." I mumbled.

Max smiles grimly as he follows my gaze.

"Sorry about the restraints," he says apologetically. "Boss' orders. He wants to make sure you don't try to escape again."

"So, I'm basically a prisoner now, huh?" I mutter bitterly, testing the cuffs' limits. They're secure, and there's no way I'm getting out of them without the keys.

Max shrugs, not looking sorry in the least.

"It's just a precaution," he says. "You're not going anywhere until you're healed. And trust me, you don't want to piss off the boss any more than you already have."

I roll my eyes before turning my head away and closing my eyes.