The next time I woke up I realized that I was no longer in the basement. Hope filled my mind when I found myself in an unfamiliar room. Around me were various devices and there were four chains on the wall, two near the top and two near the bottom.
I didn't really recognize anything else, save for an 'X' propped on the wall, and the various whips hanging on the walls. Everything was foreign, but I couldn't sit and be curious right now.
I tried to push my hands onto the bed to prop myself up, and my stomach fell when I felt the familiar metal dig into my raw skin and cut it further.
I pulled again and I winced as the metal dug into my skin, breaking it open and making it bleed even more. I felt my breathing quicken as the door opened, but because it was behind me I couldn't see who entered, but deep down, I already knew. I heard shuffling around me as he grabbed something, although right as I was turning around to see what it was, my head was shoved down into the pillows.
"Don't be a bad Kitten. You don't do anything unless I tell you to, understand?" He said sternly, keeping his hand firmly pressed to the back of my head. I quickly nodded, afraid of what would happen if I didn't. "Good." He said, before he tightly gripped my hair and forced my neck back at an uncomfortable angle, causing me to yelp as I struggled to swallow.
Just then something was forced into my mouth, and it sat heavy on my tongue, not far back enough to choke me, but far enough so that it was uncomfortable.
It took me a few moments to realize it was a ball gag, as I had only seen one in movies, and sometimes in the porn I caught Emmett watching all too often. It was quickly strapped to the back of my head before my head was forced back down into the pillows. It was humiliating as the drool dripped down my chin, but I had no control over it.
Something was tracing down my back and to the soles of my feet. They felt strange, and the ends of them were sharp... I went stiff as I realized what it was, and I managed to force out a 'no' despite the ball gag. I sharply pulled at the handcuffs, but I stopped and screamed as he hit me with the whip, and I could feel my skin ripping. What were on the ends of it?!
The pain was unreal, and I could feel hot tears leaking down my cheeks and mixing with my drool on the fabric of the pillow. But I didn't care. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted him to stop. He didn't though, he hit me again, and again, and again. I tried to think of something else, anything else really.
My mind traveled to Darius, whose whereabouts I didn't know. They then traveled to Emmett, Alesia, and mom. I wondered what they were doing. Did they miss me? Or perhaps they never gave me a second thought and moved on with their lives, without a burden like me in it.
That thought sent a pang in my chest, and I was forced back into reality, a reality where Ezra chuckled as he destroyed my back. I didn't try to stop the whimpers that fell from my lips. What use would it be?
Finally, after what seemed like forever he slowed down to a stop. He was breathing heavily, as he threw the whip down to a corner of the room. I didn't want to look at it, to see the red that was most likely covering the tips of it. My blood. This was the first time I had ever seen so much of it in such a short period of time.
"Come on Kitten, it can't have been that bad." He said as he leaned over me and pressed a kiss to one of the gashes before pressing his tongue onto the wound and pushing down with the intent of making the wound wider. I tried to recoil, although with the handcuffs I wasn't able to do much.
My breathing was ragged and my vision blurred with tears, and I tried to focus on that instead of the pain that continually pulsed, making me feel nauseous. I didn't want to see the damage that had been done, but I couldn't stop my brain from imagining, and I felt myself gag. He seemed amused by the whole situation, he probably was amused by the whole situation.
Then, he left the room, slamming the door loudly behind him. I kept my face buried in the pillow, finding comfort in its softness. I didn't dare look around the room again, and didn't try to get out the handcuffs anymore. I was exhausted, but I wouldn't go to sleep. I couldn't go to sleep. Not with this burning pain in my back.
I simply lay like that for hours. I wasn't sure what I did and didn't think of, but I could feel myself slowly breaking. I was sure it hadn't been long and I was already beginning to break. How pathetic.
I felt myself go rigid at the door opened what felt like days later. My lips were dry and chapped, and it felt like I had swallowed sandpaper. My stomach begged for food, louder than usual, and all my energy was spent trying to heal my back.
I had long since run out of tears to cry, and the ball gag was still in my mouth, no matter how much I tried to push it out and take it off. It made me want to scream in anger and frustration.
I expected to see Ezra walk through the door, and I tried to mentally prepare myself. Instead, I was met with a stranger. He was tall, and had a lot of defined muscles, as though he went to the gym every day. His piercing blue eyes made me shake, and I quickly looked away.
"Ezra, babe, who is this?" The stranger called out as he popped his head back out the door, most likely looking at Ezra. I heard footsteps drawing nearer, and I buried my face back into the pillow, wishing to disappear.
"Oh, this Kitten, is my newest toy. He's a cutie isn't he?" Ezra said, and his voice was closer. His hands ruffled my hair before gripping my hair and sharply pulling my head up, and he looked down at my face with a scowl. "He still needs to be taught some manners though." He said, and the stranger walked over and seemed to be examining his face before nodding his head, and I hoped that was a good thing.
"What have you done so far?" The stranger asked quizzically as he looked down at my back with a slightly disgusted look.
"Hm... I've taken out his both of his second premolars on the bottom row," Ezra stopped and took out the ball gag, causing me to cough a bit. He gave me no other time to recover as he grabbed my jaw and forced me to face the two, forcing my mouth open as well. My gums were still sensitive since my adult teeth hadn't started growing in yet, and the stranger chuckled as he saw it. "I stabbed him in the side with an ice pick, made him dance for a little while, and whipped him... I should've done more, but I've decided to go easy on him, he's been here for almost five weeks now." Ezra explained, as though he were talking about the weather.
I held back a gasp. Five weeks?! It had felt so much shorter, yet so much longer at the same time.
"Let's catch up, I've been gone on this stupid business trip for three weeks." The stranger said as he wrapped an arm around Ezra, and the two left the room. "Oh yeah, Baby boy come clean up our Kitten." The stranger called before they vanished, and I heard their footsteps retreating before I could no longer head them at all.
A brief minute later softer, faster footsteps came rushing towards the room, and I turned my head to see Darius popping in. He quickly looked over and when his eyes met mine he muttered out multiple apologies, and quickly rushed over to me. He looked around for a moment, before he saw what he was looking for on the nightstand.
Grabbing it he quickly placed them in the lock of the handcuffs, and I realized they were keys. I winced as I sat up and rubbed my sore, cut wrists, and more apologies fell from his lips.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry-- I should've done more I--" His sobs cut him off, and I wasn't sure exactly what to do, so I just put my hand on top of his. "You shouldn't have had to go through this." He whispered, and I wasn't sure whether it was to me or himself.
For some reason, I didn't feel angry, towards Darius or Ezra. I just felt sadness, and I wasn't sure why, perhaps it was because Darius was such a kind person, kind enough to cry for me, even when I probably didn't deserve it.
We hadn't known each other long, and we hadn't held many conversations. Still, I wrapped my arms around him after a few moments and pulled him into my chest, glad he didn't wrap his arms around me and accidentally touch one of the wounds on my back. I wasn't sure how long I held him, but he finally managed to calm down and leaned into my touch, as though he were savoring it.
"Let's get you cleaned up." He said with a small, trembling smile, and I nodded my head. Suddenly, I remembered his ankle, and quickly looked down at it. He seemed puzzled by it, and he looked down too, but he soon understood. "It's almost completely healed now, don't worry about it." He said, but still, it was hard not to when I had watched as it had been so painfully broken.
He then helped me stand up, and I bit my lip at the pain. I wasn't sure how long I had been laying in the bed unmoving, but it proved to be longer than I thought because my legs felt like jelly and it was hard to walk. Darius tried to give me as much support as he could, and I the ashamed because he was the one with the broken ankle, not me.
It was a rather slow process, but we made our way over to the bathroom and as he turned on the light as I sat down on the toilet seat. He bent down and plugged the tub before turning on the water, making sure it was the right temperature before turning his attention back to me. It was silent as we both held gazes, and I was the first to look away.
"W-what are you gonna do?" I stuttered out rather pathetically, and when I spoke it felt like I had swallowed glass, and I immediately regretted speaking. I held my sore throat and planned to get some water afterwards.
"We're going to bathe."
"Together?"
"Yeah, it'll be easier to clean off your back that way." He said as he peeled off his underwear, the only thing he had been wearing. Rather hesitantly I slipped my fingers underneath the waistband of my boxers, if I could even call them mine. I didn't really have any reason not to trust Darius, he had been nothing but kind to me, and he had even saved my life.
With these thoughts in mind I lowered myself into the tub, hissing a bit as the hot water burned some of the open wounds. I sat down in front of him, with my back facing towards him, and for some reason I could almost feel the soft smile that he was giving me. It reassured me a little, and I could feel some of the tension leaving my body as I slowly began to relax, the hot water soothing my still slightly sore muscles.
"I'm just going to pour some water on your back to get the blood off, okay?" Darius asked, and I heard the swishing of water soon after. Still, nothing happened, and I realized that he was waiting for my approval. I quickly nodded my head, and dug my softening finger nails into the palms of my hands.
"This might hurt a little," He said before he dumped the almost hot water down my back. I yelped and arched my back away from him, but he simply wrapped his free hand around my waist and gently pulled him closer to me. "Don't move too much, I'll try to do it fast." He mumbled as he grabbed another cupful, and I simply nodded my head.
He worked quickly and gently, rinsing off my back. Next, his hands found their way in my hair as he washed it gently, then he washed his. He then washed my body, and I swallowed down my embarrassment as he did so, and he washed his body next. I felt bad, because by the time he had finished with me, the water was a light crimson color, and I cringed at it, wanting to get out quickly.
"There we're done. Let's go get you some fresh water now." Darius said, and I looked towards him. It seemed as though he had seen right through me, and I was worried since that was surely a bad thing. He seemed to notice my distress because a few moments later he gave me another soft smile.
"You've been in that room for three days, surely you must be hungry, right?" He said, and I quickly nodded my head. Hungry wasn't even describing what I was feeling right now. I had never gone so long without eating, not even when I was moping and stayed in my room. It had been so long since I ate.
"Alright then, let's go." He said and I got out the tub first, helping him out after. I wanted him to put as little pressure as possible on his ankle so that it would heal, hopefully without anymore problems. As gross as it was we placed back on the same underwear, and I tried to ignore the fact that it was stained with blood in a couple of places. He then lead me into the kitchen and sat me down on one of the stools at the counter, telling me not to move.
"W-where are you going?" I asked, my voice shaky as he walked away. I didn't want to be alone, especially since he was walking in the direction of Ezra and the other stranger. Who knew what would happen? I didn't, but I didn't want to find out either.
"Relax, I'm just going to ask for permission. We have to ask for permission if we're going to do anything." He said, and I nodded my head. That sounded tiring, asking for permission to do such simple tasks? I wanted to get out of here, and fast.
He came back a few minutes later, and his left cheek was red, and bruising quickly. I could feel the worry take over my features as I got up and walked over to him, putting one of my cold hands on it. Luckily, he leaned into the touch, and I tried to keep my touch gentle as he put his hand over mine.
I noticed he was around two or three inches taller than I was, but I didn't really care too much about being short right now. We stood like that for a few minutes, but it only felt like seconds. I wondered why he had gotten slapped. Was it because he had to ask for permission? Suddenly, guilt weighed down heavily on me, and I casted my glance to the ground.
"I'm sorry," I muttered out, and when I glanced up he looked confused, as though he didn't hear the words often, and I bet he didn't. "For causing you to get slapped." I further explained, and he simply tilted his head, locking eyes with me, as though searching for something.
He then shook his head and lead me back over to the stool, gently sitting me down before moving around the kitchen and getting various things. Once again, he began humming, and I rested my cheek on my palm as I watched him dance around the kitchen. It was almost mesmerizing, and I found myself watching him more than I was watching what he was cooking.
I didn't feel tired, as I had done nothing but sleep apparently for the last three days. I wasn't sure why I wasn't surprised that I had been handcuffed in that room for three days. Perhaps, it was because it had felt like so much longer.
The smell of eggs and bacon drifted up into my nose, and I felt my stomach growl loudly. I had hoped that Darius hadn't heard, but when he chuckled I felt my cheeks burn because he had. The food smelled delicious, and as I looked down at it, I saw that it looked delicious as well.
I bit my lip as he brought two steaming played full of eggs and bacon, and I had never wanted them as much as I had now. He set the plate in front of me, and I almost started eating without a utensil, but luckily, he placed it in my hand before I could get very far.
"Thank you," I said gratefully, and he didn't sit down, but simply leaned over the counter as he held his utensil, looking towards me with a small smile on his face.
"It's no problem, enjoy yourself." He said as he began eating, and I nodded my head before I dug in. The food tasted heavenly as I ate it, and for a few moments I forgot my manners, causing me to eat like a wild animal as my stomach took over and filled itself. When I realized I could feel my cheeks and ears burn as I glanced at Darius, who was watching me with an amused look. "I'm glad to see that it tastes good at least." He said softly, and I nodded my head.
"This is the best food I've had in years." I told truthfully, and I heard him chuckle as he ate another piece of bacon. We both finished in a rather peaceful silence, and I sat back, patting my now full stomach.
It felt like it had been years since I had been this full, and truthfully I was afraid that I was going to die of starvation for a little while. I still could, as long as I was in this house, I could die anytime.
Darius had been about to say something when I heard footsteps coming from the same place Ezra and the stranger went. I felt myself go rigid as I harshly bit my lip, and all of a sudden the wounds on my back hurt ten times more.
"Kitten, Baby boy, you two have finished, yes?" The stranger asked, and I immediately lowered my gaze to their shoes, not wanting to see their faces.
"Yes master," Darius said, and there was a little silence before Darius pinched my arm, and I realized that I was supposed to say something. I had to call him master? But earlier I was told to call him sir.
Personally, both names were humiliating, and I didn't want to say either. Not to these two at least. Still, I didn't want to know what would happen if I didn't, and I figured the more humiliating, the more they liked it.
"Yes master," I muttered out, and the two men chuckled lightly, and I resisted glaring. Suddenly the stranger was in front of Darius, his hands around the thin boy's neck. I watched in horror as Darius's face began turning red, and his hands weakly wrapped around the stranger's larger one, but other than that that he didn't do anything to stop him.
"Did you teach him the rules, Baby boy?" The stranger asked, and Darius quickly shook his head, looking desperate for air. It looked like his throat was going to be crushed, and I felt fear in the pit of my stomach. These men were monsters. Absolute monsters. "Teach him the rules."