Fight to the Death

“Told you, I'd be back to get you...” the (new) Director guy said smirking at me; looking me up and down and giving me chills. I bit my lip and looked down at my lap. “I'm sorry but the party is over...” he sneered as I blinked. “Baker! Leave. You shouldn't be in here anyways.” The man seemed calm at least from the outside, still he never took his eyes away from my body.

Briefly, I glanced hopefully over to an annoyed Zacky. Zacky glared at the Director but got up and slowly walked towards the door nonetheless. I watched his retreating form until he was out of the dorm completely, shoving past the “Director” in the process. I cringed when I could no longer see his back.

The Director came the rest of the way into my room and shut the door behind him before leaning on the wall. Still watching me.

“Where did you get the jewelry?” I looked up at him wide-eyed. He simply shrugged the fact off. “You're damn lucky they look decent on you or I would punish you for it...” he trailed off as I looked intently at a bruise on my knee. “Get up, and get dressed.” His tone was plain without the slightest hint of emotion.

Maybe he was in a good mood today? I could only hope. However I still quickly stood up and made my way over to the small dresser that contained my things. Suddenly stopping mid stride. What do I wear? Uniform or regular clothes? I froze further upon feeling a cold hand come in contact with my body. My eyes drifted shut as his hands ran down my back and around my waist, holding onto my hips for a split second. After that, his arms were pushed past my body, around me, and into the drawer opening in front of me. A plain purple t-shirt and a pair of jeans were forced towards my chest and arms... apparently what he wanted me to wear, clothes for the day?

Great, now I'm gonna know this is what he wants me to wear. Apparently there has to be a reason too. He wants to see me in them. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I started hyperventilating slightly as his chest brushed against my luckily clothed back.

I pushed away his hands as well as his arms and ran out of the room into the bathroom, locking it behind me and sinking to the floor; tears came down my face steadily in a flood. My breathing and heart beat picked up rapidly and my lungs seemed to be closing up. I brought my knees up to my chest ignoring the sharp increasing pain and buried my head in my knees.

When I eventually calmed down I put on the shirt and jeans quickly and threw the other clothes in the bathroom's corner. I was not under any circumstances, going in the bedroom alone with him in order to put the dirty clothed back. No chance in hell. Waiting is perfectly fine with me.

I would go insane thinking about the possibilities. Him and me alone... STOP!! I shook my head in an attempt to clear it and reached for the door knob, unlocking it and opening the door widely. I stepped out and immediately jumped, startled. The devil himself was standing right outside the door. Just... waiting.

“Took long enough.” I heard him mumble before he grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him, out of the dorm and hallway (where the other dorms were able to be entered through) to another door. He unlocked in and pushed me inside, almost sending me down the fucking steps! Luckily I just barely caught myself quick enough to not end up stumbling down them; thank god for good reflexes right now. He slammed the door and dragged me down the steps after him. We went down maybe 30 or so steps until there was another door. He let go to open it, then shoved me in so that I landed flat on my face with a very audible groan.
I looked around quickly from my perch on the floor before taking in the musty, salty and dead animal smelling sweat...

GROSS!!!

He pulled my body up and then pushed me into a room only a few feet away, that connected to the dark basement type floor.

There were washing machines and dryers lining all the walls.

Oh no way in HELL.

“You. Will be doing all of the laundry, then after you wash and dry it all, you will fold or hang it up, then personally deliver it to whomever the items belong too.” WHAT! I cant do laundry. Like seriously... I hate it with a passion. Heck I'll clean bathrooms (as long as they're mostly clean that is) before I'd do lauuunnndrrryyy. 'Do NOT tell him THAT!' I scolded myself in my mind. “You will start with mine, then the teachers, finally the students...”

'That's gonna take months!' I groaned out load.

“You have 12 hours...then I'll get you for your next “assignment.”” I bit my tongue from screaming at him even though I wanted to soooo badly to do so. I blinked as he smacked my butt and then walked away, leaving me alone with everyone else's shitty clothes. I was fuming. 12 fucking hours worth of washing drying folding hanging...shit.

I finally decided to start after about a half hour of pacing, slapping the block wall, and looking over just about every inch of the place...

The 4 baskets stacked in front of me were first “to do”. I wondered what would happen if I didn't sort anything and all of the Devil man's clothes would come out pink or some weird puke color. I'm assuming I would be in a load of shit, or he'd really kill me if they were to turn that color or any other color than what they are supposed to be originally. So, I started sorting.

I threw white clothes in as I sorted the first 4 baskets of clothes into heaping piles. I did the same for all of the stacks of baskets... doing load after load of clothes until about 15 baskets were full of clean clothes. I remembered the folding part around that point in time and groaned out loud. Wiping the thin layer of sweat away from my forehead and pulling my hair into a messy pony tail, I sunk to the cold, dirty floor. I dumped the clothes in the closest basket onto a mostly clean rug and started folding...just so you know I'm not a very, “neat” folder. I could care less if things were symmetrical or lined up, whatever you consider it as, as I fold. The clothes pretty much looked terrible. Plus they were the Directors clothes... I screamed in frustration and started all over again. I was in no way or how going to get hit for this shit.

I laid the clothes flat onto another rug and folded like that. Although the rug visually looked dirty, I wasn't caring at all. However, on the plus side at least it looked better!

I needed a clock, or count down clock or something. Seriously. Anything to keep my mind entertained. I day dreamed (sort of) for a while but I ended up screwing up a load of clothes and put too much soap so while in the process of washing, soap was still seeping out of the machine, thus requiring me to rush around trying to stop it as well as get rid of the bubbles. I ended up hand rinsing that whole load for a while before being able to put them in the dryer.

I was just setting up against the wall with closed eyes, waiting for the washer or dryer beep signaling either being done doing their jobs. Honestly by the 35th load of washing, drying, folding and stacking in piles within the baskets I was getting rather good at it; but meanwhile I was also coming to the conclusion I am NEVER doing clothes again in the future, ever! I'll be one of those people who wear an outfit once or twice then give it to goodwill before I do this again! Okay maybe I'm a tad bit over reacting but you go ahead and do laundry for hours all day long!!!

It was around that time that I heard something but of course, I ignored it.

“Umm...Hey. What are you doing down here?” I opened my eyes the bare minimum, only enough to peak out and shrugged at the man whom stood in front of me. It was Shadows.

I opened my eyes the whole way, whenever that fact registered into my mind, and looked at him and his expectant, serious looking straight face....

“Its punishment?” I said in question form. Unsure of myself. He looked at me confused before dropping baskets of clothes down in the room at his feet. “AHHHHH” I groaned. More fucking clothes. I actually started crying. All out bawling. I couldn't take it anymore, I was moody, tired and in pain, physical and emotional.

“Don't cry...” He almost...cooed? Setting down next to me against the wall, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to him, into his lap. I shocked myself by burying my head to his chest and soaked his shirt with my tears. I was cracking. God DAMMMIT! “shhh its okay...” He whispered into my ear as he began rocking me back and forth slightly.

“I can't do this anymore!” I was hysterical, looking at his face.

“How long have you been down here?” I moved my body away from being flush up against his then.

“I don't knnooowww.” I whined. “He said I had 12 fucking hours to do all of THIS...” I motioned to everything in front of me “And because you're a teacher, that means I still have some teachers and then the students left... I've already been here forever. And-” He wiped the tears away from my cheeks with his calloused thumbs and my little rant came to a sudden halt.

I looked directly into his hazel eyes for a moment before he brought my face closer to his own. I closed my eyes exactly in the moment his soft lips met my own, gently moving against them, slightly. It was as if it was a dream. Almost. But the shivers that went down my spine from his fiery touch and the butterflies in my tummy told me it was true.

He pulled away after that one, simple, passionate but gentle, drawn out and loving kiss. Then he finished by putting his forehead to my own. At the same time his hands were still on my face and neck. I didn't open my eyes but I knew he was closer and most likely looking directly at me. My lips were tingling and with every breath he breathed out, more shivers soared throughout my body.

“I'll help you.” He muttered, in a sort of raspy voice while dragging his rough fingertips across the soft yet bruised skin on my neck. My only respond was smiling some and opening my eyes; finally looking at his giddy smile and the dimples creased in his cheeks.

The next moment his lips were on my own once again. The kiss was a bit more forceful but still like the last... simple enough to make me nervous and oddly enough, loving. That is until he suddenly pushed me off of his lap and jumping up from his sitting spot, now pacing in front of me. All the while mumbling words incoherently underneath his breath.

I sat dejectedly on the floor. Feeling worthless and used like so many times before- except this all happened in a completely different way. I knew this was a mistake, he didn't want to kiss me and now he's regretting it. I bet he has a girlfriend and I just screwed up his life... great.

I cowered against the wall as he punched random things... including the wall, kicked things and cursed randomly yelling them loud enough to understand. I bit down on my lip and willed myself not to cry again, I was NOT going to let him see me cry over...well, him. I gulped down the dull ache in my stomach and tried to rid myself of the hole now present in and around my heart. My body burned and ached worse than it ever has before, and I don't understand why. Why would his rejection make me like this? Its not his fault, it just shouldn't have happened plain and simple.

I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood as he turned and looked at me. As the washer beeped, I pushed all of the thoughts aside and got up to change the load of clothes that were now done.

“You can go, you don't have to help me you know...” I mentioned plainly, on the verge of tears.

I took out the clothes from the now also finished dryer and threw them into a basket; putting the ones from the washer into it afterward and turned it so that that it rumbled on. I proceeded by starting to put new, dirty clothes into the washer. Yet as a pair of arms wrap around my stomach I stopped, dropped the clothes and tensed up all in one motion. One split second. He instantly let go. Everything changed then.

Motionless, there I was, hearing his footsteps running out of the room behind my turned body. From sheer unexpectedness, I jumped as he slammed the door behind him. I let out a few random tears before sinking to the floor in desperation.

I screw everything up.

Always.