My sleep was disturbed with the cracking sound of the door swinging open reached my ear. I struggled to open my eyes because the light that came from the door penetrated through my closed eyelids.
The cold floor on which I was lying was rock hard and every inch of my body was hurting badly. I groaned softly, my senses slowly awakening to the harsh reality around me. I am not sure whether hours or days had passed by while I reminded unconscious on this floor.
The last thing that I remember happening to me was Ansell attempting to almost kill me in the name of punishment. I lost consciousness and since then I have been locked in the same room.
At the moment I cannot feel anything else than pain and hunger. Both were equally consuming, gnawing at my insides like a relentless beast.
With effort, I managed to blink open my eyes, a low groan escaping my parched lips as I forced my heavy eyelids open and struggled with the strong sunlight but soon the door closed allowing my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the room. It was a hazy blur, and the air held a musty, oppressive stillness. My vision finally cleared enough to take in my surroundings, it seemed as lifeless as me.
Soon a beastly figure entered the room which appeared evil and larger as I was on the ground. I succumbed as now I could feel chills running down my spine. Suddenly it was so cold here that I needed a blanket.
As the figure approached me, the shoes came into my view and immediately recognised the person as it was none other than my nightmare, Ansell.
I closed my eyes once again and released all my weight on the ground, my heart hammering wildly in my chest. I am not sure what else he wants from me now, don’t know which punishment he would give me. Who knows if he is still satisfied or not?
“Finally you are awake” he spoke breaking the silence but I didn’t have enough energy to speak or even move my lips.
My body ached with a hunger that went beyond food. I wanted water. My lips were dry and chapped, my throat parched and even the luck of the tongue was not helping.
My eyes flutter open once again when I felt him sitting in front of me. One of his shoes was just in front of my eyes, his elbow resting on his knee while the other leg was folded under him. His intense gaze settled on me, inspecting Mr. He was looking down at me as if I was an insect.
As I couldn’t let myself down in front of him like this, I decided to sit up. But my body, drained of its strength, betrayed me, and I struggled in vain. When he saw me struggling, his hand came forward and he helped me sit with the support of the wall. I was so drained of energy that I couldn’t even sit on my own.
“How are you feeling?” He asked it seemed like he was making fun of me by asking that. I could actually see a smile tugging at the corner of his lips which I wanted to scratch off.
“Heavenly” I shot back, my retort feeble and barely audible.
My voice was reduced to a frail whisper, shattered by the assault and torment my body had endured. The word barely managed to escape my lips, lacking the strength to assert itself with the vigor it deserved.
A chuckle, dark and chilling, resonated in the room, and I observed him as his head dipped momentarily. I am sure he was trying to hide his anger behind that chuckle.
“It seems like your little spirit hasn’t died yet”
Instead of replying to him, I prefer looking away. My vision was still blurry and my head was spinning. The way my condition was deteriorating it doesn’t seems like I would able to make it last.
“Anyway, I have brought something for you ” his words again caught my attention and my eyes moved where he was seeing.
In the darkness, I couldn’t see that he had brought a glass of water and a plate full of food. My stomach churned at its mere sight.
“You want it?” He asked reading my eyes and at that time I realised I was staring at the food without blinking.
My mother used to scold me for not having meals on time, but now I understand its importance when I am drying of hunger. The food has never looked so tempting to me before.
He was still waiting for me answer him but my lips were closed. Even in this situation, my heart was not ready to submit and show him any kind of weakness.
“Here” he gave me a glass of water but the food was still out of my reach.
My eyes flicked between the water and his face and when I was sure that he wasn’t doing any favor on me by providing it, the gnawing hunger and thirst pushed me to accept the glass. I need the energy to fight him. I was sure that I would again pass out if I didn’t get it.
I quickly reached out, my trembling fingers wrapping around the cold glass, before he changed his decision and took his hand back. I lifted it to my lips. My drinking was eager, almost desperate. I drank just like a baby drinks milk after hours of hunger.
His eyes were on me the whole time, while mine were on the water. I don’t know what he found so amusing that he was smiling softly all the time. He was looking at me as if I were the most adorable possession when I must have appeared more like a ghost than anything endearing.
Right now if someone is in this face then no one would believe he is the same monster who was ready to cut one of my body parts to give me punishment.
I ignored his stares and continued gulping down the water. The water wasn’t enough to quench my thirst but it still gave me enough energy to fight him, at least for a few hours.
When I was done drinking the water I was about to wipe my upper lip with the back of my palm when his hand lifted up. His thumb caressed my cheek. I felt the dust and grime being wiped away by his touch. His touch was gentle a sharp contrast to the cruelty he has shown on me. I was still afraid that something would change in him and he would squeezed my cheeks like lemon.
When he was satisfied that there was no dust left on my cheek,, his fingers reached out to my lips and he gently wiped the mustache of water from my upper lip.
I was staring at him without blinking, while his gaze was fixed on my face all the time. His finger then took one of the loose hair strands and tucked it behind my ear.
No amount of caring is going to fix my appearance at the moment neither I care.
“Why do you make me hurt you so much?” He grabbed my chin in between his fingers, “Huh?” I could feel his eyes piercing into mine, searching for something that I couldn’t exactly tell.
I don’t.
You are the sadistic one here who derives pleasure in my pain.
“It is as painful for me as it is for you” he spoke softly, “I want to end all this, I want to keep you with me, the way I always desired” he paused for a second and drew a deep breath “…. But all I want from you is submission” he said in a soft tone.
Submission?
That word held no place in my vocabulary, no room in my shattered psyche. I know really well what he means by submission. He will reduce me to nothing more than an object to his pleasure, moving me around on his whim which I won’t let happen.
“That you will never get” I looked away.
He let out a frustrated sigh. I expected him to shout or show violence but rather he held good control over his composure.
“Submit to me Tereso” his voice laced with hidden warning, “Or it will become even more difficult for you than it already is”
“I will never submit to you” I could feel tears pricking my eyes but that didn’t stop me, “If you want you can have me in this condition. I don’t have the energy to even fight ” I gulped down the emotions building in my throat, “But I will never willingly surrender to you, even if it means starving the death”
I was pretty sure that maybe he had given me the water to keep me alive but he wasn’t going to give me the food so easily. He likely hoped to use my hunger as leverage to break my will and force me into submission. As much as I wanted food, my willpower not to give in to him was stronger than anything.
“I will sure have you” his words held promise.
He placed a kiss on my forehead and I could feel it same as the one I got before I lost consciousness.
“But the day I will break you completely” he pulled back and stared deep into my eyes. “And that day is no far” his thumb again brushed my cheek. “You will be begging in my feet” his gaze lowered to my lips, his desire evident. “Soon”
This is the nth time he is saying the same thing.
“I won’t”
He opened his mouth the say something but was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.
“Sir, your father has come to meet you” the man said.
“Tell him that I am busy ” he snapped irritably.
Suddenly I heard a heavy voice, which sent a shiver down my spine.
“Let me see where my soon is so busy”