This time I had cuffs hanging loosely, bound by my ankles, greatly limiting my movement in the room. I was still in the room, only now the light was impossibly bright, giving everything a tint of blue. My memory was not completely gone like the previous blackout, just hazy. I remembered the sharp sting of thread and metal digging into my skin, and the words written on the wall. The staples were gone, and the stitching no longer hurt, yet it seemed like the message had disappeared.
Akuma...what could that mean?
I attempted to search for the message on the wall again, only to find nothing but the blank walls of a soft cold grey staring back at me from all angles. It was only then had the reality of my situation settled within me.
How was I so calm during such a situation anyone would panic in? The stranger reality was the fact I had only felt like panicking when I knew that strange blond man was not near. Had I imprinted on this man before? Why did he feel like keeping me here? What exactly was going on with that man and his damned smile? These thoughts of him kept forcing themselves into my mind.
I don't even know this man.
In my rampant panic I hadn't noticed my hand reaching towards my lower back, almost like instinct. Running my fingers through the soft fur now attached to my body was calming, yet I could not remember why. Had something happened while I was out? I came to the conclusion it was entirely necessary to know why exactly I held these new instincts.
It was now like second nature to panic at the thought of losing that man as well as a coping mechanism I had never displayed before. Instinct or programming was the conclusion I had come to after about 20 minutes of thought. The semi-familiar creak of a person descending those wooden stairs were heard again. Maybe, just maybe I could get this man to let me go, or at least get to know him better. I just want to be near another living, breathing person, I longed for the warmth of another.
He grins upon seeing my face "Hello again, sweetheart. Are you feeling any better? I bet you up with quite a start..." He tilts his head, it was kind of..cute?
I hastily give a weak smile "I don't know why, but I kind of missed you? If that...If that makes sense.." I couldn't help but be as honest as possible to him...but,why was I so nervous?
His grin widened, a gleam in his eyes I had not seen before "Awe, how about I stay by your side. You won't be able to miss me if I'm right here with you...always" his grin slowly fell into a serious, grim expression as he spoke. He looked straight into my eyes with such intensity, it was impossible to look away.
I attempted to switch the conversation, I knew I had to play into whatever fantasy he had in his head. "So, do you think we could maybe go on a walk or get to know each other, I'm a little restless..."
He brightens immediately, clapping his hands together with a dazzling smirk "Of course! Just promise to stay close, okay?" He glanced down at the iron cuff clung onto my ankle with a shake of his head "It appears we shall have to do something about that first." He bent down producing a key from the pocket of his high waisted jeans, swiftly entering the key and unlocking my chains. My time of escape was fast approaching, or so I believed, at the very least. Lost in my thoughts, I had completely forgotten about the man standing directly in front of me. That is until he swept my smaller self off my feet, literally. Holding me in a bridal carry, he has me look directly into his eyes as he exits the room, ascends the stairs, leads me through several rooms, and eventually a garden materializes in front of my very eyes. That must have been my big mistake, his eyes were a poison I shouldn't have dared to taste.
An archway decorated with red roses was the first thing to interest me, along with rows upon rows of differently colored rose bushes, amaranthus, snakeheads, and yellow tulips. It was beautiful, but the moment of escape had arrived(Poe 18). If I could make it to the edge of the garden, I hoped there would be some kind of path I could escape to.
Little did I know, that was not the case
Had I known my own fate I would have been a little more careful with this man, but my guard was lowered quite a bit due to my confidence.
Steeling myself for my plan, I tentatively look up at Mauka, making myself seem weaker in the process. "Could I explore the garden? It's really lovely and I find roses to be relaxing..." I meekly queried.
He gives me a once over, narrowing his eyes before nodding "I'll meet up with you in a second, feel free to roam. Be sure not to stray too far." He still kept his smile.
I watched as he turned on his heel before walking back towards the Modern, navy walls of the house. I made sure he was out of sight before advancing towards the rose vine archway. I ventured deeper into the seemingly endless array of differing flowers, until I arrived at the rows of snake heads. It ended almost too abruptly, thick trees, a single path alongside a rushing stream, tinted a pale red. As I looked further into the thicket of trees, the darker the path seemed. It all seemed too easy, much to my pleasure.
Steeling my nerves, I began to quietly tread through the woods, avoiding any fallen leaves or branches laying about. The comfort of the warm sun was slipping, as I got deeper it got colder. I was a shivering mess of nerves as I neared the darkest area of forest, the sky itself darkening to a deep pale red. My surroundings felt much darker than before, instead of the warm brown tree bark it felt black, even the very dirt I stood on was a dark ash. It wasn't until I felt the lap of water on my ankles, and the feeling of sand beneath my bare feet had I realized I reached the end. The dark blue of the ocean stared right back at my quivering form.
Apparently the "woods" I travelled weren't as deep as I thought, the sun had already set by now. Lost and confused, I hadn't questioned the feeling of arms wrapped around my waist until I heard him speak.
"I know what you were trying to do, do you really think I'm that stupid, my sweet?"
I felt my body tense "It was definitely a stretch.." I dryly chuckled. "I'll have to go back, right?"
I felt him smile against my shoulder "At least you're smart. But you must also know I'll have to punish you for your disobedience." He made sure to cuff my wrist to his before the walk back to my prison. What happened next is something I prefer not to think about.
***
Here I am today, nestled between the arms of my captor, his hand lovingly threading through my hair. I whisper sweet nothings, burying my face into his chest, trying my best to fight the tears threatening to slip out from my eyes.
