His Desire

Had it been days? Tina didn't know. She'd woken up with her wrists in chains, but instead of being back on the bed she was dangling from her wrists, her toes scarcely touching the floor. Her captor hadn't been in since she'd woken up but she wasn't sure just how long she'd been hanging by her wrists. The room was pitch black and the only noise she'd heard was her own breathing that was sometimes disturbed by her desperate cries.

Her arms and shoulders were now numb, with the pain she'd woken up to having dulled away the longer she spent hanging from the chains. The material of her dress was stretched taut across her shoulders and no amount of shifting would help relieve her. On top of the pain, she felt weak. The lack of food was taking a severe toll on her energy and the fact that she hadn't had any fluids since waking up was making it worse. Was this her punishment for escaping? Or was he prepared to let her hang until she died? She didn't want to die, not now, but if he didn't kill her then she was going to remain his prisoner. He'd made it perfectly clear that he wasn't going to be letting her go anytime soon, if ever. What if they were the only two options she was given? Would she honestly choose to remain his captive, with a slim possibility of escape in the future, just so she didn't die?

Tina shifted her weight, pulling at her right arm. She had never been afraid of the dark before, not even when she was a child, but having no light whatsoever really unnerved her. Was she being watched? Was he just sitting in the dark, waiting until she finally cracked? Or was she dreaming? Could this have all been one elaborate, but realistic dream? Would she wake up on the floor of the derelict building, cold but free? She could only hope.

Letting her head drop, Tina shut her eyes. Maybe if I think I'm asleep here I'll wake up in reality, she reasoned, and despite the ache in her neck, she managed to slowly drift to sleep. Not even half an hour had passed before she was doused in freezing cold water, making her gasp as she struggled in her chains. Even though the room was awfully bright, there was no mistaking who was standing before her. It was him.

"For a while I was angry. I was so angry at you for trying to escape, furious even. But then, I started to think. And do you know what I thought about, Tina?" he said, looking at her intently. "I thought about what made you try to escape. That sole thought has consumed me since I brought you back, and I realised the only way I would get the answer I was looking for was by asking you."

Was this just a ploy or did he honestly not know why she would try to escape? Not only had he kept her against her will, but he'd also kept her tied up, beaten and violated her, and starved her for the days she had been locked in that room. Who would ever be crazy enough to want to stay with someone like that?

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her expectantly. "Well, Tina? Tell me why you tried to escape. And please do tell the truth. I absolutely hate when you lie to me."

Tina squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that when she opened them she'd be anywhere but here. How could she answer a question like that? She had tried to escape because she didn't want to be there and she didn't want to have to be forced to endure his touch or company. But most of all, she had tried to escape because she didn't ask to be there. Slowly, she opened her eyes and felt dread surge through her body when she realised she was still hanging by her wrists. "I...I just want to go home," she replied meekly, casting her eyes away from him.

Fingers gripped her chin harshly, forcing her to look at him. "What did I tell you about lying to me?" he asked, his tone reminding her of how he had spoken to her at the police station. "Now, I'll ask you one more time and I swear, if you lie to me, I will leave you to die right now."

She didn't know what he wanted her to say. She did want to go home but clearly that wasn't a decent enough answer for him. What did he want her to say? "Please don't kill me," she pleaded.

His grip tightened. "Tell me."

"I was scared." She fumbled with her words, anxious about whether he would accept her answer. She didn't know what he was expecting her to say but how could he think she was lying about being scared? Every since she had woken up cuffed to that bed she'd been engulfed with fear for every waking moment. He was unpredictable and terrified her, especially after that chess game he'd coerced her into playing and the punishment he'd dealt out afterwards. She might have hated the beatings but having her head forced underwater was utterly terrifying.

Her captor seemed to study her for a moment before he let go of her chin and turned his back to her, heading over to the door. Panic filled her at the thought of him leaving her to die. "No, please, don't leave me! It's the truth, please!" she pleaded, jerking around in her chains, tears gathering in her eyes. What was the name the policewoman had called him? She remembered Shrell and that the name begun with a H. Was it Harry? Hugo? No, it was Henry, she was sure of it. "Please don't kill me. Please, Henry!"

The name made him stop just as he reached the doorway. Tina held her breath for a moment, unsure of what he was going to do next. Was he going to be mad that she used that name? Had she just sealed her fate? Slowly he turned around and stepped away from the door, his expression unreadable. "You promise it was the truth?" he said, though Tina was sure he wasn't actually speaking to her.

Even so, she decided to answer just to be safe. "I promise! It was the truth, Henry," she replied, adding the name as a second thought. It seemed to be doing something, as if her saying the name affected him.

A moment passed before he approached her, making her flinch. His fingers gently brushed against her cheek and she braced herself for the hit that was going to come, except it never did. Instead he dropped his hand and she watched as he pulled a key out from his pocket before reaching up to her hands. She tried to prepare herself to hold up her full weight, but as soon as both her wrists were freed, her legs buckled and she collapsed to the ground. Her shoulders screamed in pain as she finally brought her arms below her head and there was an aching taking over both arms. She barely even felt the impact of hitting the floor, too relieved at being released from the chains.

Before she could compose herself, her captor crouched in front of her and she begrudgingly looked at him. "I forgive you for trying to run away," he said, making her heart thud rapidly. Run away? Was that what he was calling her escape attempt now? "However, you still need to be punished."

With that, he rose to his feet and strode back over to the door. Panic bubbled up inside her at the thought of being left alone in the room. "Please don't leave me!" she begged, but he paid no attention. She watched as he opened the door and left the room, shutting her into this bare, windowless room. Not even a moment after he'd shut the door did the lights go out, engulfing her with darkness.

Tina couldn't stop herself from becoming hysterical. "Come back! Please, you can't leave me here," she cried, dragging herself over in the direction of the door. Once there, she began banging on it hard. "I promise I'll be good, just don't leave me in here. Please don't leave me!"

Her screaming didn't do anything other than make her throat hoarse, and after a few moments of desperately hoping to hear him coming back, she resigned herself to lying with her back against the door.

This room was definitely worse than being locked in that bedroom, and if given the choice, she would choose that bedroom in a heartbeat. It had a bed, a bathroom, a window even though it was boarded up, and the best thing was, it never grew pitch black dark. This room that she was currently in had no window, no bed and its light source was controlled from the outside. It was so dark and though she definitely did not want to be with her captor, she didn't want to be alone in the room, and with him being the only person she could seek out, it made her want to be with him. Just so she wasn't alone.

"Please don't leave me here," she whispered, hugging her torso. The longer she spent lying on the floor, the more desperate she was for her captor to return. She thought that she must be losing her mind to actually want the man who had forced this situation onto her to return, but there was only him. All she could see was his face, hear his voice, feel his touch. Even back in the other room, before he'd violated her, she had found herself itching for the company because the isolation was making her feel as if she were going insane. Only once he'd entered the room did she find herself wishing that he'd leave her alone, and she would feel relief whenever he'd leave, but that would dissipate slowly and she'd lie in the bed wishing that someone could be there with her.

She tried to remind herself that it was probably what he wanted, that he would probably derive pleasure from hearing her plead for him, but it didn't work. And now here she was, cowered by the door and calling for him. It was pitiful that she'd been reduced to this. She didn't know how long she'd been his prisoner for but it was more than enough for her. It felt as if he'd done everything possible to break her down without actually killing her, and she was afraid he was succeeding. She wanted to be strong, to be able to think clearly and plan ahead, but that just didn't seem possible.

Tina eventually moved away from the door, curling up in the corner furthest away and burying her face in her arms. It's okay, she thought, he's not here. It became a mantra in her head, repeating over and over as she tried to calm down. It's okay, he's not here. She didn't want his company, not after what he'd done to her. She could deal with the isolation - that was nothing compared to the pain he'd put her through. It's okay, he's not here.

She continued mouthing the words, successfully managing to calm herself. It was dark but that was okay. She didn't need light. There was nothing to worry about, no reason for her to call out for her captor. Being alone meant that she was safe, away from his brutality. It meant that she could feel at ease because she wasn't holding her breath and flinching at any sudden movement. Being alone in this dark room was good for her, she told herself. She didn't need his company; she would never need his company. He was the one who forced her into this situation, and he was the one who was keeping her against her will.

After a while she managed to calm down enough to try and get some more rest, but like before, she was disturbed only a little while later. It was the light coming on that woke her, irritating her eyes at the sudden brightness. She barely had enough time to compose herself before the door was opened and the man appeared. She noticed that he was wearing the same clothes as he had been when she'd been released from her chains, making her wonder just how long it had been since he'd let her loose. It felt like it had been hours but now she wasn't so sure.

She didn't move from her position but she did keep her gaze on him as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Though it wasn't locked, she wasn't stupid enough to try and escape. She'd learnt her lesson and would only try if she knew he wouldn't be able to immediately chase her. "Your punishment was supposed to be for longer, but you have put me in a good mood," he said, coming over to where she was curled. It was then that she noticed a bowl was in his hand and there was a bottle in the crease of his elbow. She could only hope that the bottle was for her.

The man sat down in front of her and placed the bowl and bottle to the side. "I must confess to being partly to blame for you running away. My neglect at feeding you was unintentional but I must say that I have learnt from my mistake," he explained, though his words didn't make Tina feel much better. She watched as he picked up the bowl and looked back at her. "As it has been a while since you've had any form of food, I made some porridge for you. You probably won't eat it all but that's fine, although you will be eating as much as I deem substantial."

Tina didn't move from her spot. She just stared at him, terrified. The idea of food was so appealing to her after being deprived of it for so long, but having him so close to her made her feel nauseous. "Stop being silly and sit properly," he reprimanded, and she hesitantly obeyed, uncurling her legs and unwittingly moving close to him. "That's better. Now, open up." Those three words made Tina freeze and she watched as he picked up the spoon that sat in the bowl and brought it to her mouth, patiently waiting for her to open it. He was going to feed her?

When she didn't open her mouth, he put the spoon back in the bowl and placed it next to the bottle. "I really did hope there wasn't going to be any problem with this," he said, shaking his head before he slapped her. She cried out as he grabbed her by the back of the head, gripping her hair tightly as he brought her face close to his. "When you are difficult, I am difficult. It doesn't matter how you do it, but you will be eating. I am just trying to do something nice for you to make up for my mistake, so show some damn appreciation."

Tears were on her cheeks as she nodded, sitting back when he let go of her hair. She watched as he picked up the bowl again and offered the spoon to her. A sob racked her chest as she slowly opened her mouth, allowing him to insert the spoon and scrape the contents of it against the roof of her mouth, much like one would do with a baby. The porridge felt like a lump in her mouth and as he withdrew the spoon to allow her to close her mouth, she found herself struggling to swallow it. She didn't realise how difficult it'd be to eat after being deprived of it for so long, and with porridge being sticky, it felt like a harder task. Especially as she hadn't had any fluids since before she'd made her escape attempt.

As she tried to swallow the porridge bit by bit, some caught in the back of her throat and she hunched over, coughing heavily as the remaining porridge fell into her hands. She started to shake as she stared at the slimy food in her hands, terrified that she was going to get hit again for having trouble eating. But he didn't hit her, instead he just wiped the food off her hands before putting a smaller amount on the spoon, ensuring that it would be easier for her to swallow.

He fed her four more small spoonfuls, each one becoming easier to swallow. When he went to give her a fifth one, she shook her head and averted her eyes. "I can't," she protested, feeling as if she'd overeaten.

"Last one," he replied, and she knew better than to argue with him. Though there was still more porridge in the bowl, she watched the man place it down on the floor as she struggled to swallow her last spoonful. It almost caught in her throat but she managed to swallow it, burying her head in her arm at how it unsettled her stomach. She took a deep breath before she sat back, relief flooding her when the bottle of water was handed to her. It had been humiliating being fed by him so she was grateful that he wasn't going to be forcing water down her throat again.

As she let the cool liquid flow down her throat, he rose to his feet and scooped up the bowl. He seemed to be waiting for the bottle so she tried to drink as fast as she could, resulting in a small amount of water escaping down her chin. Not knowing how much she was allowed, she left about a quarter and offered it back to her captor with shaking hands. He took it from her but still stayed where he was, looking down at her expectantly. "What do you say?" he prompted.

"T-thank you," she said, dropping her eyes and bringing her legs back up to her chest.

"Much better," he praised, walking over to the door. She looked up as he opened the door, dread feeling her at the thought of being shut in the dark room again. "We'll have a clean start tomorrow, Tina. Learn from our mistakes and ensure not to mess up again. For now, I recommend that you get comfortable before you fall asleep. Goodnight." With that he left the room, closing the door behind him and encasing the room in darkness once again.

Horror filled her at his words. Before she could panic too much, her eyes grew heavy and she knew what was going to happen. Knowing that it was inevitably, Tina managed to curl into a comfortable position before the drug took effect and made her drift unconscious.