Behind Your Walls

38 | sick love

Mommy will be home soon.
I'll be safe.
She will save me.
Someone will find me.

My mind roams around these thoughts as I hear Panther humming while he walks about. He thinks I am still unconscious and I am keeping the act up so that I don't have to face what is to come next.

My hands and legs are tied and I have no idea where we are. I tried to open my eyes a crack but am afraid he will notice that. The pain in my ribs has lessened surprisingly and I fear that he has given me something for it. It still hurts but I can sit without screaming in agony.

"I know you're up," his chilly voice suddenly speaks to me and I shiver at the deep, scary tone.

It is unusually sweet and it makes my feet cold.

I open my eyes slowly and find myself in the basement of the house. It is our basement; he hasn't taken me anywhere else. He brought me to the place I hate. The basement has always been nothing but Panther's man cave and it is filled with cartons and cardboard boxes.

The only piece of furniture here is the large round table at the center with four wooden chairs surrounding it; the place where Panther and his friends play cards. I don't like this place; it is filled with insects and rats who run around it. It smells like rotten vegetables.

"I know what you're thinking, darling," he says as he stalks towards me with a glass of water in his hand.

His 'darling' makes my blood boil but I try to keep a straight face. He scoots in front of me and touches the glass of water to my lips and I eagerly drink it. When I swallow, my chest hurts and I wince in pain.

"It isn't broken, just bruised," Panther informs me as he stands up, puts the glass to a side, and pulls a chair from the table.

He turns it around and swings his legs over it, straddling it as he looks at me.

"Wh..." My throat hurts when I attempt to speak. "Wh...why did you..."

I sigh defeatedly, failing to speak it all.

"Why did I do it?" He smirks. "Poor Amaya, you're so innocent. Take a look at me. Don't I look like the man of your dreams?"

I narrow my eyes at him, observing the changes in his looks since the last time I saw him. His hair is trimmed short, his beard is a light stubble and he is wearing a black leather jacket along with a pair of ripped jeans and combat boots. His get-up looks familiar yet my head is too heavy to figure out who he is reminding me of.

"Go on," he urges. "Tell me...don't I look familiar? This is what you like, right? Your dream boy."

I blink, instantly realizing who he is talking about.

Carter

He is dressed like Carter. The thought makes me let out a gasp and I feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Panther..." I cough, finding my voice back. I need to speak if I have to keep this monster from doing other things. "Why...are you doing this?"

"Because I want you," he utters shamelessly.

His eyes are dark and he looks extremely dangerous as he gets up from the chair, making it fall on the floor with a loud bang. He walks toward me and holds my chin to make me look at him.

"Don't you see it?" he coos, faking a look of being hurt. "You shouldn't have run away. It was all going well but you had to go and ruin everything!"

He drops my chin with a jerk which makes my jaw hurt. He turns around, pacing over the floor as he runs his hands through his hair.