Try-Hard, Sin Harder

17. Trail

It couldn't have been more than ten hours since I'd woken up, and Jihun had already visited my cell eleven times. 

 Each time he came he would press against me, and softly begin fantasizing about "our" future. He saw it as an opportunity for us to grow closer. I saw it as a prison that would eventually end me. No matter how many times I denied him, and argued that I wanted him to let me go, he wouldn't even loosen the ropes. He would say that I hit my head too hard at the apartment, and wasn't thinking clearly. I was his, and BTS were simply monsters who never did anything but hurt me. It was all a bunch of lies he was trying to play off as the truth. Perhaps he was attempting to make me believe his words, or simply liked the sound of him claiming me as if I were some inanimate object. Each time he took his leave, he would tell me he loved me. But I knew this wasn't love. This was obsession. 

 The twelfth time he came, he left the cell door open. 

 Gripping the piece of shattered glass from my lunch plate between my hands, I held my untied wrists behind me in the darkened corner of the room, and pressed myself into the wall. He must have thought I was simply terrified, and walked past the remaining shards of glass I'd tucked in the opposite corner. "Hey, sweetheart. It's just me, calm down," he cooed softly, like he were calling a frightened animal. "I've got something for you, since you've been such a good girl." 

 He held a wrapped present out to me, and I glared up at him. "That's right," he said. "You can't open it like that, can you?" 

 I shook my head; not without revealing the glass between my fingers. 

 "Here, I'll do it." He began wripping through the paper, revealing a small, cardboard box. Producing a pocket knife from his pocket, he sliced the tape apart, and opened the box. He then reached inside with a massive hand, and pulled out a small, black collar. The words carved into the silver tag were difficult to see, and I had to squint my eyes to make them out.

 Keira

  I felt sick. "What is that?" 

 He smiled. "It's your necklace, I had one made especially for you. With this on, we can finally take off those ropes. Would you like that?" 

 I thought for a moment. If wearing that meant he would trust me enough to take the ropes off, there must have been some sort of tracker in it. The moment that I put it on would be the moment I completely lost what little freedom I had. I shook my head as he brought it closer to me. "No?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Do you not like it?" 

 "I'm not a dog, Jihun," I told him. "I don't need a collar." 

 He chuckled to himself. "No, you've misunderstood. This is just so I can keep you safe." 

 He leaned forward again, and I pressed my foot against his abdomen to keep him from coming closer. "Safe from what?" I snapped. "The only thing that's hurting me is you."

 Jihun stiffened. "I haven't done anything to hurt you, why would you say that?" 

 "Never hurt me?! Are you insane?" I cried. "You kidnapped me from my own home, tied me up in a dark cell, and I've lost track of how many times you've tried to touch me. Every vile thing you've said about BTS is wrong, and I don't know how much more I can take of you talking complete crap about the people I care about!" 

 A few tears slipped down my cheeks as I spat out my words. I wanted to wipe them away, but doing so would show him my hands. It didn't matter, let him see me cry; let him see what he was doing to me. I was furious, terrified, and wretched. My body would trembled at the sight of him, flinching away each time he reached out his hand. He knew it, and a dark shadow slipped over his eyes. "You can love them, but you can't love me?"