"Raiden, you're late."
Ace walked down the stairs with Raiden a few steps in front of her. "Well, my apologies." He said, taking a glance at the guys who waited around in the living room.
"Sorry, I was drying my hair." She said, frowning.
The guys perked up, staring at her in surprise.
"You're joining us for dinner?" Ryoma questioned, his gaze turning rock hard. "What if you try hurting yourself again?!"
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she gasped as Evan charged at her, pulling her into a tight hug upon contact. She stumbled, grasping onto the handrail to avoid falling. "What were you thinking..?" He uttered, his voice sounding strained and hurt.
She became acutely aware that she was receiving stares from everyone in the room. Looking down at the boy, a soft smile graced her lips as she gently stroked the top of his head. "I.. wasn't thinking straight. I'm ashamed that I even tried doing something like that."
The boy nuzzled his cheek against her. "Don't ever do anything like that again, okay?"
Surprising herself, she returned his embrace, nodding slightly. "I won't."
"That's a relief." Allian sighed, relaxing his tense muscles.
"Give her some space, Evan." Kai said, standing up from his seat. "The food's getting cold."
The boy reluctantly complied, releasing her and taking her hand, pulling her along to the dinner table.
Raiden rose an eyebrow at the boy, smirking in amusement.
She took a seat by the dinner table, staring at the food that sat in the middle of the table. Nearly four filled plates of various dishes, its steam beginning to subside.
The bowl in front of her was filled with rice. "That's.. A lot of food." She said, biting the inside of her lip. She wasn't hungry at all.
As the guys seated themselves, they shrugged as they began to eat, grabbing portions of the entrées into their own individual bowls with their chopsticks.
"Take whatever you want, Ace." Kai said, smiling.
She merely stared at her bowl, reluctantly taking hold of her chopsticks. She glanced to both sides of her. Evan and Ryoma were sitting beside her.
She frowned. "Yeah, I can't finish this. I'm not very hungry either."
Allian brought his up eyes to her. "You need to eat, Ace."
Ryoma grabbed a piece of meat with his chopsticks, dropping it into her bowl. "It's okay if you can't finish it, but you need to eat something."
She forced herself to pick up some rice and the piece of beef he'd just dropped into her bowl. Soon enough, she became painfully aware that everyone was watching her, waiting for her to take her first bite. She grimaced. "Do you guys need to watch me?"
"Of course." Raiden said, smirking. "We need to make sure you eat something."
Sighing, she brought the food to her lips, stuffing it into her mouth. It had a very pleasant flavor to it.
Satisfied, the guys resumed eating, occasionally taking glances at her as she ate slowly with small bites. Her thoughts gradually drifted along with the silence.
She thought about the life she was living, and how she would last if she were to continue. Would her mind break down into submission, stopping her from having thoughts of escape?
But have I really not broken down into submission yet? Am I just deceiving myself?
I already told Raiden.. I don't care about what happens to myself. The only thing I care about is my family. As long as nothing happens to them, I don't care about my own well-being.
A gentle nudge to her shoulder snapped her out of her daze.
The girl glanced to her side, where Evan shrugged, pointing at Allian.
The blonde gazed at her with a frown. "What's on your mind? You're barely eating."
Glancing down at her bowl, she realized that she barely scraped the surface of her rice. "Nothing, really. I'm just not hungry." She slowly rose from her seat, pushing the chair back a bit. "I'll excuse myself now."
She suddenly felt fingers tug at her shirt. "No."
Startled, glanced down to see Evan gazing at her expectantly.
"If you're not going to eat, then at least talk with us for a bit." Kai said, frowning.
"Yes." Raiden smirked, leaning back in his seat. "Share your thoughts."
Sighing, she reluctantly sat down again. Evan released his grip on her shirt. "What do you want to know?" She sighed.
"I honestly thought you would be having some emotional breakdown right now," Ryoma said, glancing over at her. "But you're not?"
The girl picked up her chopsticks again, examining the smooth pieces of wood before shrugging slightly. "Guess I've been through enough to not care anymore." She brought her eyes up to meet his crimson ones. "I don't mind what happens to me." Not anymore. She looked away from him, her gaze landing on every guy that sat around the dinner table. "As long as you don't hurt anyone else, I guess I'm okay with staying with you guys."
An aching, gnawing feeling settled within her chest. The pin in her pocket suddenly felt very heavy, dragging her down.
I'm a foolish weakling.
...I'm not strong. Not as strong as I thought I was.
That's the cold reality I've come to realize. I'm completely helpless in this situation. The only thing I can do is.. accept it.
"So selfless." Raiden smiled, resting his elbows on the table. "What a kind soul you are."
Ryoma glared at him, turning his attention back to her.
The other males watched her carefully, unsure of whether or not to believe her. Where did that fiery spirit run off to?
..Did they break her?
"I just wish things didn't turn out like this." She said, putting down her chopsticks and getting out of her seat."Now, if you'll excuse me.. I'll be in the living room."
This time, the guys simply watched her as she walked out of the kitchen, walking through the open door that led into the living room.
She took a glance around the room and took a seat on one of the couches. She picked up a book laying on the table, her eyes scanning over it briefly before putting it down.
What am I even doing? My life has gone down to sh*t.
Her eyes caught onto a familiar DVD. Pursing her lips, she walked over to the cabinet and allowed her fingers to wrap around the wooden handle, pulling it open. With steady hands, she picked the object out of the rows of films sitting on the shelves.
She stared at it.
The Silence of the Lambs
This brings back memories..
Putting it back into place, she shut the cabinet, walking back to the couch and taking a seat. The clock ticked silently, ever moving.
How long have I been here?
It was Friday. Four days.
It's amazing to think that in four days, I had several mental breakdowns. In four days, it feels as though my entire life has flipped upside down.
She shut her eyes, sighing.
Everything that I have strived for has all been nothing but in vain.
"You don't look too well."
Reopening her eyes, she glanced upwards and watched as Ryoma took a seat beside her. She looked away from him. "Emotional rollercoasters do tend to make you feel a little sick on the inside."
He frowned, taking in her mental stability. "Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"
A dry laugh escaped her lips. "Other than releasing me from captivity, then no. There's nothing you can do."
"Maybe giving her some time to get used to her new lifestyle would help." The two looked up, watching as Kai took a seat opposite from them.
She soon became aware that the rest of the males were heading out of the kitchen and into the living room, settling down.
She suddenly hesitated, slowly reaching into her pocket. She unveiled her palm, the safety pin in her hand glinting under the light.
"What's that?" Raiden questioned, peering at the small metallic item. "A safety pin?"
A sad smile crept onto her lips as she tossed it onto the table. It felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. In a sense, she felt.. free. "I used it as a key for the handcuffs." She said, glancing down. "Guess I don't need it anymore."
"You used a safety pin to unlock yourself?" Ryoma asked, surprised.
She chuckled slightly. "You'd be surprised at how efficient it is as a key." She slowly stood up. "Well anyways, do you guys want help washing the dishes?" She asked, shrugging. "I have nothing to do anyway."
The guys exchanged glances with one another.
"If you really want to, then I guess you can." Allian shrugged.
"Alright." She said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. The blonde followed her in.
Once they were out of earshot, the four males stared after where she had last been seen.
"So.." Ryoma looked at the guys around him. "Does that mean our plan was a success?"
"Yeah." Raiden said, stretching his arms. His eyes landed on the safety pin. "We've included her into our lives, and she is no longer willing to fight back."
All of them sunk into their own thoughts, silent.
~
"..Goodnight, Ace."
The girl watched as Evan turned around to leave the room, walking toward the door.
Laying down, she became very aware of the cuffs that was secured around her wrists. "Goodnight."
When the door shut and the room was plunged into darkness, she felt a strange, uneasy feeling settle within her bones.
I may just be paranoid, but something doesn't seem right for some reason..