The night I stumbled into that police station, a team of investigators questioned me about my kidnapping.
I told them that Kim Taehyung, a classmate of mine, had drugged me then brought me to a cabin so that he could keep me like some pet. I informed them that he had killed a man, thinking he was protecting me in some way. I also told them all the punishments he inflected upon me and that I knew what his mental state was like; that he was seriously dangerous.
After that, I was taken to the town's hospital where my injuries were cleaned and stitched. Before I was able to shower, a nurse suggested I take a pregnancy test just in case. I took the test and as I waited for one or two lines to appear on the stick, I took the longest shower of my life. I scrubbed every inch of my body with the awful scent of hospital soap; the cut on my thigh had only been stitched a few hours ago, so a piece of clear wrap protected any soap or water from touching it.
I sat on the showers floor, the hot water pouring on to my back. I was exhausted; completely drained of any emotion. I guess I expected some sort of relief in this moment, I mean, I had policemen guarding my door, detectives prowling the grounds, and I was inside a hospital. I'm suppose to feel safe in a hospital, right?
The only thing I kept thinking was that he was still out there, still looking for me, still thinking of punishments to teach me a lesson for running away.
I turned the nozzle off and stepped out of the shower. As I looked in the mirror, my reflection was that of a broken woman. I could hardly recognize myself; I swear I could still see Charlie's blood stained on my arms. I glanced over at the pregnancy test: negative. You'd think I'd be jumping with joy; that I was thankful that I wouldn't be giving birth to a psychopath's kid. But, to be honest, I wouldn't care, I don't think I'd ever care about anything ever again.
There was a knock at my door.
My eyes grew wide. Wh-what if it was him? What if he found me? I had only just tasted the outside world and he was already pulling me back into his cold, dark, shell-
"Miss Yung? It's me, Jace Lee."
I let out a heavy sigh then wrapped a towel around myself. I opened the door slowly.
"Yes?"
He noticed my attire and quickly looked away, his cheeks flushed pink.
"I um- can wait if you want." He coughed.
A smile creeped to the corner of my mouth. After I had put sweats on, I welcomed Jace into my hospital room.
"So, officer, how can I help you?"
"Oh um I just wanted to see how you were doing, is all. And uh I brought you some soup! Doc said to grab something that would be easy on your tummy."
Before I could respond, I felt tears tickle my cheek. I had begun crying in front of him. I didn't know why I was crying, but I assumed it was because he was the first real human contact I've had since escaping from Taehyung. All the detectives and doctors were only concerned about the whereabouts of Taehyung, none of them wondered if I was okay, until Jace.
Jace POV
"Oh I- don't cry- I can get you a different flavor of soup-" It was then that I finally took the time to look at her, like, really look at her; passed her cuts and bruises, and her delicate frame.
She was shattered on the inside. Clueless as to what to do next. Without hesitation, I placed the tray of food on the table and pulled her into a hug. To my surprise, she flinched and her body stiffened against mine. She was terrified; what did that guy do to her? But, after a few seconds, her body relaxed and she wrapped her arms around me tightly; sobbing into my chest.
In that moment, I felt nothing was more important than protecting her; that she needed someone to trust and to depend on after what she's been through. I don't know what it was, but, I knew she felt safe in my arms.
"Please don't leave." She murmured.
"O-okay. What ever you need, I'm here."
*******
ONE YEAR LATER
Jace and I had started dating a few months after that night. He completed me, and I him. He ranked up from a desk job to actually working in the field, which, made me nervous about his safety. We lived in a small apartment complex in the city, we even got a cat together.
There was still no further news on Taehyung. He still had not been found. Although his property was searched thoroughly and a corpse bagged and tagged, there was no sign of him. The thought of him finding me was still stored in the back of my head and I'd have the same occasional dream of him dragging me by my hair to a dungeon full of torture devices.
"I think I'm going to go grocery shopping today, the market down the street has oranges for $1 a pound!" I said, kissing Jace on the cheek.
"But, babe, are you sure you want to go without me? You know, in case of him." Jace asked worriedly, his hands holding a police report he had to analyze by morning.
"I'll be fine. I can't stay cooped up in here my entire life, I already had enough of that when I was with him. Besides, it's been more than a year, if he hasn't found me by now he never will." I assured and grabbed my bag. "Love you!"
It was a work day, so not many people visited the market. Actually, it was kind of odd how there wasn't anyone out today. It made me feel nervous, so I reached for my phone in my back pocket to call Jace and see if he could come get me.
"Crap!" I forgot my phone on the table at home.
I decided I should leave and pass on the oranges.
As I began walking, I noticed an old white truck in the parking lot; it was the only car there except for the few that belonged to the owners of the market. Something about that car felt, off, like I had seen it somewhere before.
I picked up my pace, keeping the truck in my peripheral vision. But, I was completely baffled by what I saw next.
Taehyung had stepped out of the drivers seat, he had finally found me, his eyes the exact same as when I saw him last. It dawned on me that the truck was the same car that was parked behind the shed at his cabin. Suddenly he began sprinting toward me. I turned the other way and started running, I was too distraught that I couldn't force a scream. Before I knew it, my hair was yanked back, forcing me to fall backwards.
I tried to yell but a white cloth covered my mouth. The stench was familiar; memories of the first time this happened flooded my brain as I screamed into his palm.
"Shhhh, Mai, it's okay. We can finally be together again, baby."
My eyelids grew heavy, but before they closed completely, I saw a pair of hands grab Taehyung's shoulders and pull him off of me.
It was Jace. He had noticed I left my phone and was going to bring it to me at the market.
As Jace dragged Taehyung away by the collar of his shirt, I managed to crawl away from the soon to be brutal fight.
Taehyung stood to his feet, placing a hard punch across Jace's face. Jace stumbled back but Taehyung tackled him to the ground. He threw punch after punch at him. Jace tried to scratch and hit Taehyung back, but Taehyung was crazy, his eyes filled with a boiling rage.
Jace reached for the gun on his hip but Taehyung had knocked it from his hand, causing the gun to slide across the ground. My dreary eyes noticed the heavy weapon.
At this point, Taehyung had Jace pinned with his large hands wrapped around his throat.
"You pesky fuck! So you're the one who's been with my Mai this entire time! Do you even realize how hard it was to find her because of you?!" His hands tightened. "She belongs to me! If you seriously think you could possibly love her more than me, you're dead wrong! Your love is less than an ounce compared to mine you filthy shit!" Taehyung leaned in closer to Jace, his jaw clenched and his teeth gritted. "Before I kill your pathetic ass, I want you to imagine me fucking her brains out, her screaming my name, begging me for more, and I want you to know that no matter how much you thought you cared for her, she will always be mine."
Jace's face began to turn a mixture or red and blue as he gasped for air.
But, everything changed when a loud bang echoed through their ears. Taehyung loosened his grip on Jace when he noticed blood seeping from his shoulder. He stumbled to his feet, turning to see who pulled the trigger.
"Mai?" He whispered in confusion.
The gun felt cold and heavy in my hands. I could barely see straight from the drugs that I was surprised I even managed to hit him.
He began walking toward me, anger, confusion, and sorrow in his eyes. I pulled the trigger again, this time a bullet shot straight through his left side. He jerked backwards, but continued to walk toward me, not even fazed by the pain or blood.
"Just leave me alone!!" I screamed and shot him one last time.
Taehyung's eyes widened as he gripped his bleeding stomach.
"M-Mai?" He murmured as he spat up blood.
I watched as he began to lose his balance, then finally, he fell backwards, his blood creating a crimson pool around him.
I sobbed violently, still holding the weapon in my hands. Jace was finally able to stand and he made his way over to me, cautiously taking the gun from me and placing it back into his holster. Sirens echoed from every direction and that's when I knew it was over, it was finally over.
******
TTTTHHHEEEEEEE ENNNDDDD!!!
Oh? There's a twist you say? Since you guys love this story so much, I wanted to know if you'd be interested in a sequel! Or if you think the ending felt right as it is; be honest with me and remember that a sequel will take some time to write.
Anyways, thank you all so so much for reading and dealing with my like 5 month absence! I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this story because I know I enjoyed writing it.
Much love and thanks
Admin 💕
UPDATE: the first few chapters of the sequel have been posted!!