Beautiful Deception

E I G H T E E N

word count: 4, 074
pages (paging mode): 26
warnings: minor character death; kind of descriptive at times? you'll see what I mean but it's nothing horrible i promise. some fairly moderate language, a cute scene at the end, and oh yeah: plot twists. enjoy.

NOTE: happy two years of beautiful deception!!!! (04/27) check my message board for my book anniversary announcement :)
**

7:18 a.m, January 24th
location: unknown.
mae

"Has our little sewer rat finally woken up?"

I bare my teeth towards Hansol, wishing for a way to break my binds so I could break his face. What a great fucking wake-up call for me, right?
"I don't know, you tell me. How long have you been up?" I hiss. I'm tired, grumpy, and tied to a chair; so the venom in my tone should be nothing short of deadly. But to my annoyance, all he does is chuckle.

"My, my. You're certainly amusing, Seun-Mae." He says in a sickeningly sweet voice.
I tug at my ropes. It makes me squirm uncomfortably to hear him say my name so cordially, as if we were old buddies, and as if I wasn't, you know, tied to a chair.

"Oh, really?" I ask, sarcasm dripping from my words, "Would it be amusing to have your face beaten in, too?" I threaten angrily.
Hansol's eyes narrow, and some small bit of pride swells in me at not being cowardly in his presence.

He points a finger at me.

"You might wanna watch that attitude, rat." He warns. I smirk, not caring about hurting his feelings. If he had any, that is.
"You might wanna watch that finger, Hansol. Come any closer and I won't hesitate to rip it off." I taunt.

It's stupid of me to act like I have the advantage; but what can I say? I guess I get sassy when I'm being held hostage.

Come to think of it, I was, in all honesty, pretty talkative whenever I did my hostage simulations in training.

He shoves his hands in his pockets, glaring nastily. I raise one eyebrow. "You're quite bratty for a girl who's just been kidnapped." He spat.

I refused to back down- which was a very, very bad idea on my part.

Hindsight being 20/20, maybe I shouldn't have been threatening the guy who's keeping me all tied up like a prisoner.

"And you're quite sure of yourself for a boy who's asking to get shot in the head." I snap.

The second I say it, Hansol is at my side, the cold metal of his gun held against my temple.
I feel the first shivers of pure fear creep down my spine, and suddenly, everything feels much more real.

I gulp.

"Think about your next words very carefully, sweetheart," Hansol threatens, pressing the barrel painfully hard into my head at the pet name, and I let out a sharp whine. "Because if I don't like them, you're going to be sorry."

I hear the sound of him loading a bullet into the chamber, the click sending me into a panic.

"Do you understand?" He demands.
The realization that he could end my life at any moment settles within me, and every ounce of the confidence I had crumbles to nothingness.
The power he has over me right now, with that loaded pistol between my brows, has more than scared me into submission, and I nod like an obedient little hostage.

"Good."

I sigh in relief once he finally pulls the gun away from me.

"Stay put for a little while longer; we're still figuring out what to do with you." Hansol orders while he retreats out of the cold room.
If I had the courage to, I would tell him off for acting like I have any say in my movement, but all I can think is screw you.