It Started with Slime - Part 1

Chapter 100 - R & R, Ami

He had tried to give and then force Ami to take her portion of the food. She had refused, adamantly insisting that they both eat their portions according to size, sixty-forty she had said. He had flatly refused, and they finally agreed on half each. Still, she would not take more even though her body needed it to recover. Stupid Ami, stupid, stupid. Why won't you let me take care of you? Don't you know you're the only thing in here that make life worth living! She was stubborn beyond belief, even on the brink of death, but there was nothing more he could do, and it killed him.

That glance was all Aarav could afford of his friend before they took him outside the roof for the first time. He couldn't believe it and twisted to call out to Ami. He needed her. Why were they leaving her behind? He...Ami! But the words died in his parched throat. He couldn't, only emitting a rasping croak. Someone hosed him down with cold water in a bathroom like a cow. No, in India, cows were treated more humanely than he had ever been. Some of the water entered his mouth, and he coughed as it hit his bone dry throat, then he opened his mouth again, trying to catch more.

The clothes were ripped from him and tossed aside, the rotting cloth quickly coming apart from the rough treatment. He stood naked and afraid in front of three men, the cold water having shocked his tired eyes open.

"Haha, look at him, Ek!" the large one with short curly hair said, pointing at Aarav. "Disgusting body, isn't it? I wouldn't be surprised if he had worms! And he stinks like human waste!"

"Shut up, Dho! Get the work done. We don't need to waste any time, and we have to get the other one done as well!" the second man, this one larger and with long black hair, said.

They only called themselves Ek and Dho, One and Two in Hindi. The one who had kidnapped Aarav in the first place was called Shoony, Zero. Aarav had not seen the woman again after that first night.

Then Aarav was roughly cleaned with what felt like sandpaper on his sensitive skin and bundled into clean clothes. That at least felt good, but he had a bad feeling about what was to come next.

Hosed down and semi-presentable in new clothes, Aarav was dragged to a hall and handcuffed to a pipe along the wall but his wrist. Jiggling his hand a little caused the metal of the rail to grate against the metal of the handcuff and earned him a backhand that would have had him sprawled across the floor if the handcuff had not stopped him short. He screamed at the pain in his wrist as it jerked him to a stop. The pain in his wrist was nothing compared to the rest of his body, but he thought he felt something give as he fell. The shock of it was what elicited the cry.

After that, he just sat down on the floor with his arm above his head, tied to the railing. He had learned that trying to reason with their captors was a waste of time, so their agreement to help Ami had come as a surprise. But he was too exhausted to stand, in too much pain to move, and too weak to speak.

Ten minutes later, he looked up at some commotion and found Ami being dragged into the room as well. "Wha...?" his throat was so dry.

"Please, let me go." Ami weakly protested at the rough treatment, but she was clean as well and already looking much better than when Aarav had seen her in their room.

Our prison.

"Shut up and stay quiet!" Shoony came in and hissed at Ami. Then, Ek and Dho handcuffed her next to Aarav. Ami whimpered at the restriction and pain, holding her stomach as if feeling it cramping. When was the last time they had eaten anything? Aarav couldn't remember.

Cleaned and presentable- relatively at least- they were made to wait there with arms stretched above them and sitting on the floor. Ami had also immediately sunk to her knees upon being handcuffed and left unsupported.