JAKE'S PUNISHMENT

Chapter 5 - THINKING

So Jake spent the next hours thinking, thinking, and thinking and thinking until he had a headache. Eventually, the man returned, Jake didn't hear him coming again and nearly jumped out of his skin when the silence was broken by the man speaking

''Worked it out yet?'' He asked

Jake thought maybe he had ''You are something to do with Mandy right? Maybe you are Mandy's dad? You are angry with me for getting your daughter pregnant and then not stepping up to my responsibilities. Well look I am sorry I swear it and from now on maybe I need to make more of an effort with them. Please just let me out of here and I will make a start right away I swear

''You stupid piece of trash, not only are you. worthless but you are pretty brainless too!'' The man was angry but spoke in a calm voice. He didn't need to shout, he had an air of menace about him without shouting.

''So it's not about Mandy then?''

''Well done boy, you catch on quick. Now think a bit harder!''

''Look please can I have some food and something to keep me warm?'' Jake pleaded

''You won't get anything until you give me the right answer. I know you can work it out boy, you just need to try a little harder''

Jake was close to tears now. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

Before he had a chance to say anything else the man was gone again. ''Ok,'' Jake said to himself sternly ''Think some more, try harder, give the man the right answer, and maybe things will start to improve!''

It's nothing to do with Mandy, he had found that out at least. Maybe it was something to do with Cindy? No, he doubted it. What else could I be? The only other thing he could think of was...

It suddenly hit Jake like a ton of bricks, yes of course. This is to do with the boy he killed. How could be so slow as to not work this out? It should have been the first thing he thought of. Jake felt like an idiot for being so thick about it. Now he would have to wait for the man to return again. Hopefully, it wouldn't be long, but what would he say to him when he did arrive?

This time the man meant business. He did not return for 12 hours, this felt like sheer torture to Jake. He tried to ignore his hunger and the cold. He tried to pass time and stay warm by pacing the room, doing sits ups and press-ups. He was proud of his six-pack after all. He drank lots of water from the tap to fill his stomach and needed to pee a lot. He took a shit and realized, to his horror, that there was no toilet paper to wipe with. He tried to wipe his ass on the concrete wall but found it difficult. When would the man return?

Finally, the tortuous 12 hours passed and the man came back, in his usual mask.

''Worked it out yet?'' he asked calmly but coldly ''I gave you 12 hours to think''

''I have worked it out'' Jake replied fearfully. You're the dad of the boy I killed right?''

''His name was Liam and I will not have him addressed as ''the boy'' in the future, understand?''

''Yes, I'm sorry''

''But yes, you are correct. Well done, I knew you would get there eventually''

The man finally removes his mask and reveals his face. Jake can't see him very well in the darkness, but he can just about make out the face. Yes he recognizes him as the man from the court on the day of sentencing

''Do you know why you are here?'' The man asks

''I guess because you are unhappy with the sentence I got?'' Jake replies

''Yes, you really are getting better at this'' the man said sardonically ''That sentence was a joke. You destroyed this family, all of us. Liam was our baby, we miss him terribly...and to see you walk out of there with a slap on the wrist, there was no way we could allow that''

''I am sorry, honestly, I am. It was an accident, I feel so bad about it''

''I doubt it, I doubt you care at all''

''But I do..''

''In any case, whether you are sorry or not, it changes nothing. My son is still dead thanks to you. Because you were an idiot''

''What can I do to make it up to you? Tell me what and I'll do it''

''There is nothing you can do'' the man said sadly ''absolutely nothing''

''Yes, well look you have to let me go now, you know that right?''

''Let you go? Oh no, oh no oh no!'' The man shook his head ''we will not be letting you go, we went to a lot of effort to turn this basement into a prison for you''

''But you have to let me go, please'' Jake pleaded ''you can't keep me here it's not right''

''You getting away with killing my son is not right. The law may have been happy to let you walk free but we were not. Now you are where you belong and you won't be leaving here anytime soon''

''Can I at least have a blanket and some food now please?'' Jake asked calmly. He did not feel calm inside but he wasn't about to show how scared he was.

''No, not until you have a think about how to talk to me, because that's the other thing you need to think about now. How to show me some respect. You killed my child, the least you can do now is show me some respect''

''I asked nicely, what more do you want?'' Jake said with an aggressive, angry tone in his voice

''Just think it over'' the man responded coldly ''you won't get anything until you ask me in the correct manner. You are a prisoner now and need to learn your place and learn it fast''

''FUCK YOU, YOU BASTARD!'' Snapped Jake

''Just keep looking at your watch, keep thinking. Remember all you have is time, time to think, time to work out how to show me some respect!

The man closes the door and is gone again