Caged Animal

Chapter Two - Permanent Arrangements

You didn't remember falling asleep when you woke up at an unknown hour, the next day. You uncurled from the ball you were in, your muscles so sore that as you started to move, you loudly cringed and moaned. It took everything you had to pull yourself up and lean against the side of the cage. Your nose was swollen and your face was crusted up with dry blood. You winced from feeling of it.

You slowly stretched your legs out straight, trying reduce the soreness of your muscles. His fingerprints were bruised into the skin, on your thighs, arms and neck. You shook the memory of him touching you and being on top of you out of your mind. Move on. It hurt to swallow. Whether it was from the lack of water or that you had been strangled, was anybody's guess. The Joker had truly left his mark on you, literally from top to bottom.

You looked around, seeing the world through these bars was going to drive you insane, you feared. You felt a breaking point starting to grow inside you. Telling yourself let it out, don't let it build until it's uncontrollable. Scream, cry, yell if you needed. Just never let him see it. There would be only one why out of this and what scared you was that you had no idea what it was yet. The only thing that was clear to you was that no matter what you'd never give in: The Joker wouldn't win.

As the days turned into weeks, the only visitor was Rocko. He was the taller of the two men whom worked for The Joker. He would bring enough water and food to last a few days. He had also started to bring you a bucket of water every other week and allow you to clean yourself up. Rocko never spoke to you, he would always divert his eyes from your naked body too. There was kindness somewhere in him. You were sure of it.You felt that he may be your key to escaping. For the first time, you tried speaking to him. He never answered or acknowledged any thing you ever said. After trying to befriend him over the next month you got discouraged. You went back to keeping to yourself when he showed up, only ever saying thank you to him. You figured it couldn't help.

By your count it had been nearly three months and the infamous Joker hadn't showed back up after that night. Or if he had he didn't make his presence known. This puzzled you. Why keep you here if not to mess with your mind or abuse you. The possibilities of what he was planning drove you sick with worry.

Over time you started to notice a change in the weather. The nights were becoming unbearably cold. You had to start sleeping in the warmest place of the day and keep yourself up and moving at night. You knew this was only mid autumn and with it being this cold, you'd never survive the winter being naked in an unheated building as drafty as this one. You watched and waited for two days, after coming to this revelation, knowing Rocko was due any day now. The moment you heard him you jumped to your feet.

"I need clothes. Warm clothes. Or a blanket. Something." You demanded.

He ignored you.

"Did you hear me?" You spoke louder and with more force. "I'm going to freeze without something."

He barely gave you a glance.

"You tell him..." You grabbed and squeezed the bars out of anger.

"You tell him that I want to see him. I demand it!" Rocko never spoke. He only left food and water, then went about his normal business.

Another visit came and went. The Joker never showed up nor did Rocko bring any type of clothing. You yelled and cuss; demanded to speak to him as Rocko did his job of being caretaker. Suddenly, it dawned on you, perhaps you needed to be more clever about things. Another three weeks went by and Rocko came, then he went like clockwork. You made no effort of any kind to get up, move, talk, demand, yell, scream or fight when he was around. You laid there staring at those goddamn lights and acting like all your hope was finally gone. You even made a point to eat and drink as little as possible. Leaving 2/3 of it untouched. Trying to make your fake depression seem real.