Unfound

7

I hate him, I really do. Seth is an absolute monster, but he doesn't express himself like one outright. He's meticulous about it, the timing is everything. He's a hunter, and I'm his prime catch. He's stalking me, a game of cat and mouse and he's cocky enough to believe that he's the only cat in this basement. He has me in his possession, but he's not done with me yet. I can't seem to figure out what he wants me for, but he's not finished with his little game. 

That first night I was having trouble sleeping, understandably. I was tossing and turning on the mattress, the blankets not keeping me warm enough amongst the concrete. I clamped down my teeth to keep them from clattering, but nothing was working. I shut my eyes as tight as they could go, hoping that would drag me into sleep faster. He hadn't spent too much more time with me that night except for showing my the hidden half bath in the basement so that I would have a place to do my business and brush my teeth. He seemed to want me to take care of my personal hygiene even though he didn't seem to care for me as a person. He didn't mention anything about a shower and I knew that within a day or two I was going to be unbearable to be around unless I had a place to bathe. He would either have to take me to one himself or I was going to have to beg for it. 

After his little 'tour' of my new home, he then kissed me on the forehead again, making my dinner rise in my throat and excused himself to go to bed. Once he ascended the stairs and I heard the already too familiar door click, I emptied the contents of my stomach in the half bath. After that, I really knew that I wouldn't be able to survive more than a week with him. Seth's face was already ingrained in my mind, and I knew if I didn't get out to see my family, his face was the last one I would ever see. He was pretty enough, nice facial features that were pleasing to the eye, but I could never find myself to care for him. He's too much of a monster. It doesn't matter how nice you look if you're ugly underneath.

After he left I decided to go straight to bed, hoping it would replenish my mind and body so I could start plotting my escape and possibly my revenge if I ever got the chance. The bed was unwelcoming. I sank in too deep, barely off the floor, similar to an air mattress. My back ached already after only an hour of trying to let sleep claim me as it's own. 

I didn't struggle for too long until I heard the click of the lock. Shit. He was coming back in. No footsteps thundered from the stairs, and the door made no sound. Was he just standing there watching me? My eyes were still squeezed shut and I refused to open them for anything. I needed him to think I was asleep, willing him to leave and go back to where he came from, hell. After what felt like a life time, I heard the door shut, but no click. Thank fucking Jesus. He was already slipping up. I knew I couldn't check it right away, but in a few hours I made a mental note to check the door and try to leave. Until then, I had to get at least some sleep.

I was desperately missing Liam. I missed the warmth of his skin on mine and the heat of his breath was calming on my neck. Liam always had some sort of spell on me at night, easing me to sleep faster than I've ever been able to sleep before. I imagined him laying down behind me, his soft skin caressing my back. I felt his heat on me, under the blanket in this dark basement, my imagination creating something real out of nothing. I let out a sigh of relief as I pictured Liam's strong arms wrapping around me to pull me closer to him. An arm draped over me and my eyes shot open. It was real. Someone was actually behind me, but it wasn't Liam. How had I missed his footsteps? There weren't any or I surely would have hear them, but he was really, truly behind me in this dusty mattress in a basement, I couldn't have dreamt up something this real. That's why he didn't lock the door, because he was here. I unknowingly held my breath as my heart picked up it's pace. Seth felt it.

"Kara," he whispered in my ear, his breath disgustingly hot on my neck, "Are you awake?" I shut my eyes, desperately trying to get him to leave me alone, I let out my breath and tried to slow my heart. He clicked his tongue three times, "I already told you, Kara, you can't fool me. I've been watching you for far too long." I felt his lips on my neck and cringed. "Kara." His voice was demanding, louder than before. All sweetness in his voice had vanished. "You certainly can't be afraid of me still, can you?" His arm moved in an attempt to flip my to face him, which I did on my own, trying to keep his hands off of me as much as humanly possible as I snuggled into the mattress as far away form him as I could.

I tried to keep my voice quiet and calm, using the voice I use to sooth my dog back at home, "I'm sorry, Seth. I didn't mean to jump. I was sleeping, that's all and you startled me. It's a new place, so it's going to take me a while to get used to this basement and home." That sentence was absolute poison on my lips, the lies making bile rise in my throat, but I had to force it down. I was hoping it might be so I would perish right there, before this got too out of hand. I tried to smile at him, but I know it came out slanted and wrong. He did not return the smile.

He came closer and I did what I could to keep the scowl off of my face, biting deep into my lip, pulling a drop of blood, "You're thinking of that Liam guy, aren't you." I didn't know what to do or say, so I just laid there on my side, hoping he would vanish into thin air, "I said aren't you?" He grabbed my neck and squeezed. Instinctively I reached out to grabs his hand and tried to peel it away, but he was surprisingly strong for his small stature. He got on top of me, pinning me down with his legs and body as I struggled underneath him. He was so close to my face I could feel the spit when he talked, stinging like daggers, "I can't have you thinking of another man while I'm in your bed! It's practically cheating on me, Kara, after I have been so nice to you. I provided you with a free place to live and food to eat and I ask for nothing but respect in return. I love you, Kara, and you will soon love me too or so help me." He raised his other hand in the air above my face, I turned to the side as much as I could in his grip and closed my eyes, waiting for the punch, expecting it across my cheek, but it never came. The grip on my neck released slightly. I gasped for air. He let me cough and struggle for a breath, but did not move as I pushed myself to the side. He stayed on top of me, pinning me to the sheets until I looked back at him. 

He studied me, closely, as if I were a specimen in a tank or an animal in a zoo. I didn't like the gaze his eyes were pressing into me. He then grabbed each of my arms and pinned them above my head. I knew what was coming next, but couldn't stop it in fear that he would do something worse. He leaned down close to me and shoved his tongue in my mouth. It was the sloppiest and most disgusting kiss I had ever had, but I took it. I didn't kiss back, but I let him in just enough to satisfy him. He moved my wrists closer together so he could grab them with one hand. His other hand held the side of my face to keep me still, nails digging slightly into the side of my neck. As it started traveling down towards my chest I knew I had to stop him. 

"Seth," I gasped. I was enough to make him stop. "I'm feeling tired, is it okay if I go back to bed?" he smiled at me, playing with the hair that fell loosely at the sides of my face. He traced the lines of the side of my face, running past my cheek bone, my jaw, then finally over my lips. He just nodded and got up off of me, releasing my hands and letting the blankets fall from him back onto me. He got up and started towards the stairs leading back to the real world. 

Once he reached the door he stopped and looked back at me, "Good night, my sweet Kara. I'll be back in the morning. Maybe tomorrow night we can try sleeping in the same bed. If you're still jumpy, we may have to start restraining those pretty little arms of yours." He blew me a kiss and I heard the sweet sound of the lock clicking behind him.

I rolled over on my side, most definitely in shock of what had happened. I felt along my neck, still raw from his hold. Suddenly the cool release of the basement was just what I needed as I tossed the blankets to the floor. I would rather freeze to death than remember the heat of him against me, burning into my side as his hands had pushed on my throat. I shivered. 

I now knew what he wanted from me, and I wouldn't be able to give it to him. He needed love, craved it, and would try and milk it from me until I surely ended up dead. I had to pretend in order to survive, fake a fondness that would never happen, but there was no way I could do it well enough. The scowl on my face would surely give me away instantly. He had tried to get far enough tonight, how could I hold him off tomorrow, or the night after that. He had a power over me and I couldn't take it from him. There was nothing I could do. I began to think. Laying there in the dark my brain started spinning. I would have tried to stop it, but I knew that I wasn't going to sleep a wink anyway.