Unfound

11

After about two hours and 145 pages, I heard the slam of a car door outside. I knew Seth had come back from work, whatever that may be. I reviewed what I had done during the day silently in my head, content that I had done nothing, or at least would tell him nothing that could possibly upset him. I let out a loose breath as I slumped back against the wall. I glanced at the tiny window, noting the light left outside, giving me a slight indicator of time. It was between 5 and 5:30, giving me a large amount of time in the day to try and wriggle that book shelf free of the wall.

When I hear the all too familiar click of the lock, I locked eyes with the full plate that still rested on the table, the lone strawberry that had fallen to the table almost gleaming at me. Shit. It was too late to do anything about now as he had started his descent down the stairs. I locked my eyes onto the words on the pages trying to come up with a possible excuse as to why and how I had forgotten to eat the meal he had provided. I scrambled to my feet, hoping my height would discourage him from hurting me in anyway. So far, he had only attacked me while I was laying down. 

Seth jumped off the last step onto the concrete floor exclaiming, "Honey, I'm ho..." He had noticed the now soggy waffles that were still sitting on the syrup soaked paper plate. He slowly walked over to it and nudged it with his finger, two more berries falling from it and dropping onto the wood. I cringed at the near silent sound.

I tried my best to smile at him, "Hi, Seth. How was work?" My distraction hadn't worked. He turned to face me slowly, steam rushing from his ears as his face grew red. My own face fell. I had messed up, slipped, become too preoccupied with reading and fictional worlds.

"Kara, dear," he spit out the word dear like a curse, making him look even more devilish than usual, "why do you insist on refusing my amenities." He made his way over to me, still swaying on the mattress. His steps slow and calculated. He was a beast, and I was his new prey. I scrambled up the wall, trying to make myself appear taller and less skittish. I was hoping it would make him stop or at least halt his approach, but it only seemed to make him angrier.

Before I was able to spit out an excuse he had me by the neck. "Every time you refuse something from me, it's like a slap in the face," He was nearly screaming now, his spit showering my face as I struggled to breath. He squeezed my neck harder lifting me into the air. My back sliding against the wall leaving bruises and burns that I would surely feel for weeks, my toes barely touching the floor, but just enough to keep some of the pressure off my neck. "Do you want to disrespect me?" My voice made a squeak I couldn't control, weakness. He fed off of it like a full course meal. He took in a deep breath before his face changed entirely. I almost didn't recognize him, "Do you?" He lifted me higher, my toes struggling to scrape the ground.

I grasped at his wrists, trying to claw my way from his hold. No longer thinking about my actions, just trying to breath. He smiled at my obvious pain, flashing his white teeth as if he were a wolf or a vampire, slowly shaking his head at me. "Oh, my dear Kara. So lost in this world, you don't even know common sense regarding table manners." He threw me aside onto the ground as if he were tossing trash into a bin. I gasped for air, my hands scraping my chest trying to open my lungs from outside of my body, all the breath that I did have being knocked out of my when I collided with the concrete.

Seth stood still for a second, admiring his work. His tall and lanky figure seemed to stretch miles above my height from where I lay crumpled, defeated, small. The smile on his face widened as he saw the fear and pain in my eyes. He was a predator. He was no longer looking at a human, but a weak and wounded animal. He stalked over to me and crouched to my level, his black hair covering his eyes from my view. I sat up against the wall, still breathing heavy. I refused to let him see me as weak, I was going to be the one strong enough to beat him. My eyes narrowed as they met his, the most rebellion I could muster. He shook his hair to the sides of his face, revealing the deep brown eyes from underneath. I stared him in the eyes, almost daring him to try again. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, his head tilting slightly to the side as he studied me. Making up his mind for the proper attack, he grasped my face, squishing my cheeks as if I were a toddler. "You eat what I provide when I provide it or you don't eat at all, capeesh?" I nodded slightly, never dropping his gaze.

Overtly satisfied with himself, he stood up in one swift motion and made his way back to the table. His hips swayed behind him as if he were a feline flaunting its tail. He fingered the rim of the soggy plate, his touch light and meticulous. He examined his finger before licking the syrup from it, managing a glance in my direction. "Still edible, so you will eat. It's been a busy day for you," he motioned to the book that now rested open on the floor beside the bed, feeling miles away from where I still sat, "After you eat, clean up and go straight to bed. I'll take care of the dishes, and will be back for you hopefully after you're asleep. Think you can manage that?" a smile as wide as the Cheshire Cat as he studied me out of the corner of his eye. I nodded, still unsure of my ability to form words. "Good girl." With a wink he climbed those horrendous stairs and entered the abyss that hid behind the green door. The lock safely clicking into place as he left.

I let out a sigh of relief, then on shaky knees, proceeded to cough for minutes. When the fit ended, my throat was scratchier than before, and I knew that my voice wouldn't fully work for a few days. I tried to speak out loud to test it, nothing but silence and the occasional squeak escaped from my body. I glared at the plate on the table. At least now I knew just how careful I had to be about my things, which I fortunately didn't have too many to worry about.

I somehow managed to stand, my legs so weak I thought I would surely crumble at any given step. I made my way over to the sink, cupping my hands and greedily intaking any water I could. Dripping most of it down my shirt, I had finally had enough to sooth my throat even the tiniest bit. I sighed, facing myself in the cracked mirror. I already had bruises on my neckline and I didn't even want to think about what that wall had done to my back. I rinsed my face to regather my complexion and nerves. I stood there until my knees stopped shaking and I felt like I was no longer going to throw up.

I meekly made my way back to the table and slowly ingested the food in front of me. The berries were warm and the waffles were cold and stiff, but anything was better than Seth's hands on my body.

When I had finished eating, I cleaned up the syrup from the table, my face, and my hands, and made my way back to the mattress. I picked up the book and marked the page I had left off on, in case I got tired of trying to tear off the shelf the next day. I made my way back under the stairs to turn off the little light he had provided me with and crawled under the covers. Now, I just had to wait for the monster to join me in bed.