Slowly I woke up with a pounding head. I tried to lift my hands to my head only to discover they were tied together. My feet were also bound, and a blindfold covered my eyes. What the hell was going on? Through the dull throb, my thoughts began to organize themselves, and I remembered what had happened.
That white hair guy wouldn't let me leave the elevator. He cornered me, forcing a cloth over my nose and mouth. I tried to fight, but must have lost consciousness. Damn it. If I was right, the man who had kidnapped me was the hacker. What were his plans for me? A dozen different ideas entered my mind, and I hated them all. Kidnappings rarely ended on a positive note.
"So my little toy is awake," I was unsure if this was the hacker, but I could tell he was standing over me. "The savior said you were mine to play with until your initiation. Maybe even after that. She didn't like that I took you this early, but it was the perfect chance. Now it's time for my toy and me to play."
I was unsure what he was talking about, but I knew I couldn't fight him. Tied like I was, I couldn't stop him even if I wanted to.
"Come on, toy," he said. "Time for you to get out of bed."
"I might need some help," I answered.
"Toys don't speak," he sneered. I could feel a hand touch my neck. I fought back a shiver. His hand traveled to the back of my head where he grabbed a fist hold of my hair. He pulled me out of the bed and onto my feet by it. I fought back a cry, but tears welled up in my eyes. "As my toy, you obey me. Looks like you earned yourself your first punishment."
Blindfolded and tied, I was dragged by my hair. More than once, I almost fell, but he caught me, chuckling each time. After what seemed like ages, but really was only a couple minutes, he told me to stand nice and straight. His hand still clenched my hair.
"I have work to do, so you will stand here. No movement at all. Every time I see you move, it means a new punishment.
Standing straight and still didn't sound like a bad thing at first. Being blindfolded, all I could do was rely on my hearing and sense of smell. The air was stagnant, not musty, but far from fresh. I could hear the whine of computers and the clicks of a keyboard. I was sure he was the one typing. It didn't sound too close to me, maybe ten or so feet away and behind me, maybe a little to my right. I wondered how well he could watch me while he worked.
The clicking of the keys never seemed to slow. I was almost positive this was the hacker that had lured me to Rika's apartment. From time to time, I heard a door open and close, footsteps coming and going, and whispering. I wondered what they thought of me just standing there, tied and blindfolded. Was this something they were used to? A sudden laugh close to me almost made me jump. It was followed by a chuckle that I was sure was the hacker. I had clearly moved.
I wondered how long I had stood there. I was hungry, and my body was starting to ache. At first, it was my shoulders, but more and more parts began to hurt. Worse was when a muscle began to twitch. I couldn't control it, and I wondered if he saw.
I became even more nervous when the clicking stopped. He had talked of punishment for moving, and I had visibly moved a few times, mostly when startled. I fought to keep still but flinched when something touched my check.
"So jumpy," the hacker laughed. "I've decided you won't be my toy. Instead, you will be my pet. I have something for my pet." Something encircled my neck. I fought to keep my panic down. "It's a nice collar and leash. Perfect for an obedient pet who obeys her Master." I felt a tug at the collar and slowly moved forward. "Good girl. I'll need to find a name for my pet."
I blindly stumbled as the hacker led me around. I wondered who else was in the room. Were they watching and snickering? I fought to keep my balance until I finally stumbled and fell. A hand began to stroke my hair.
"This will never do," the hacker mumbled. "A pet should be on all fours." I felt the binding loosen and drop away. Slowly I forced myself onto my knees. My body ached all over. Another tug came at the collar, and I was forced to crawl after him. "Such a good pet."
I followed him through a black world, unsure if it was better or worse that I couldn't see anything. I had to rely completely on him, and he seemed to be enjoying it. I was also unsure if a toy or pet had a high standing with me. At least as a pet I wasn't tied.
"I bet my pet is hungry," the hacker said as the collar pulled tight against my neck, causing me to stop. I heard something be placed on the floor in front of me. "There is your food, and remember, a pet doesn't use her hands to eat."
I took a deep breath. Yesterday I was a store manager and party coordinator. People respected me. Today I was a pet and had to eat with my mouth. I felt I had fallen into an abyss with no idea on how to escape. The blindfold soaked up my tears.
After eating cut-up bits of meat, I sat quietly on the floor. I felt beyond frustrated, but I was clearly in a trap with no way out. With the blindfold, I didn't know what my new environment looked like. Slowly I moved my hand closer and closer to my face. Being punished might be worth it to get a good look around. My hand froze when I felt the tug at the collar.
"Break time's over," the hacker said, leading me somewhere. I wished to know his plans for me, but didn't dare speak. A straight-up tug on the leash told me to stop. "You are very good at this. I never had a pet as a child. You will do nicely for now. The savior says she has plans for you. Maybe I can talk her into letting me keep you instead. Everyone needs a nice obedient pet." A hand cupped my chin and forced my head upwards. "There is so much I want to do to you. The savior said...but what she don't know... I need you to stay on all fours while I work."
Next to me I could hear the keys click away. My already sore shoulders were aching, and my knees were beginning to throb. From time to time I felt a hand stroke my hair. Maybe if I wasn't so obedient, he wouldn't want me then. Sadly, I was too scared and sore to act out. My mind wandered to what plan this savior had for me. Why did they want me?
There was one good thing that came from being right next to the hacker. I could finally hear everything people told him. It was the first time I was given clues as to what was happening to me. Everyone who spoke to him were men. Were there no women here beyond the savior? Maybe that is how the savior liked it, but why was I there?
As I listened, I learned the hacker's name was Saeran, and many called him Mr. Saeran. I found out he had to take an elixir. Many seemed to fear him. Was he that imposing? Every time someone came up to him, the click of the keyboard stopped, and I would feel a hand run through my hair. No one asked why I was there. No one seemed too concerned over me. Whatever Saeran was working on was important to the savior.
"How is your work progressing?" asked a female voice.
My Savior," Saeran said. "I've been able to gather much of the needed intel. I'm not sure if they realize she is gone. The chatrooms only talk of her leaving the RFA. Many want her to come back. We should be able to return her easily to them once she is completely under our control."
Wait! Were they talking about me? Under their control? What were they planning? I felt Saeran's hand stroke my hair again.
"You took her too soon," the woman growled. "This could ruin everything. The special elixir won't be ready until tomorrow."
"I saw an opportunity and jumped at it," Saeran explained. "All the cameras, but the one outside her apartment, were already on a loop. Even if he watches all the footage from that camera, he won't know what happened to her. The cameras are back to normal now."
"As soon as the elixir is ready, we are having her initiation ceremony," the woman announced. "I want her pure for it."
"What about after the ceremony?" Saeran asked.
"After her task is done, you can play with her all you want," the woman said. "I'll have the RFA members then."
All but V and Saeyoung," Saeran snarled. "You promised me."
"Yes, but Saeyoung might be useful to us," the woman said. "A second hacker to lighten your load. Will give you more time with your pet. She looks nice in her collar. For eternal paradise."
"For eternal paradise," Saeran repeated.
I could hear her footsteps move away while Saeran kept stroking my hair. Normally he would begin to work again after the interaction was over. This time the keyboard stayed silent.
"Come sit on my lap," he commanded as I felt a pull from the collar. As I stood up, his hand guided me to him. "Sit". As I sat, his arms wrapped around me, forcing me against his chest. "You're my pet. Mine to do with as I please. She promised me."
One of Saeran's hands tightened around my waist. I felt a pull on the blindfold, and it fell away. As I opened my eyes, all I could do was stare into Saeran's face. His hand gripped the back of my neck as he forced me into a kiss. As he pulled away, I looked into his eyes. The unnerving mint eyes. I felt like I couldn't look away from him.
"I've never wanted anyone the way I want you," Saeran growled. "What happens if you go to the ceremony impure? Many aren't pure when they enter."
Saeran turned his attention back to the computer. One hand was tight on my waist, while the other hand typed. I looked up to see nine monitors. What did he do with them all? A couple looked to be CCTV footage, but I didn't recognize the place. One looked to be the RFA chatroom. Zen and Yoosung looked to be talking, but I couldn't make out the words from the angle I was at. The others were full of numbers and letters that meant nothing to me.
"What are you thinking?" Saeran asked. I looked up to see him staring at me.
"That's a lot of computer monitors," I answered. He laughed a harsh laugh.
"Anything else?" Saeran asked.
"Not really," I replied, "but I did notice the RFA chatroom. Can't read it though."
"Yes," Saeran said as he stroked my hair. "Thanks to you, I have access to it, and Saeyoung doesn't realize it."
"Saeyoung?" I asked.
"That good-for-nothing red-head," Saeran sneered. "He didn't believe you about my email. I might have fed into his disbelief. I just never thought he would get cold like that. It did make getting my hands on you that much easier. He was too distracted to realize all the cameras were running looped footage." He grabbed a fist full of my hair and forced my head back. "I couldn't have planned it any better." His lips crushed mine.
I hated the situation I found myself in. I had been kidnapped by some strange group that had been using me. I was still unclear what their plan was, but it looked like they weren't done with me. What made things worse was the fact the kidnapper seemed to have strong feelings for me. Would he rather kill me than let me go? He did seem a little unstable.
When we left the computer room, Saeran didn't blindfold me or make me crawl on the floor. I still wore the collar and leash, and he kept a firm grip on the leash. I noticed that many people were in black robes with their eyes cast down. I thought a few were females, but it was hard to tell with their hoods up. Saeran stopped a man and spoke in a low voice. The man bowed, saying "yes, sir", and took off running.
At the end of the hall was a small room. Saeran pulled hard on the leash as we entered, closing the door behind us. It was a plain room with a full size bed, a desk and chair, and a bookshelf full of computer books. The walls were white and bare. It reminded me of my apartment when I first moved in.
"I know my room's nothing to look at, but I spend all my time in the Information Room," Saeran explained as he pushed me down into the bed, looping his end of the leash around the bedpost. "The savior was right. The collar does look good on you."
I looked up at him, fearing what might come next. I was relieved when a knock came at the door. Saeran pulled the door open, took a tray from the kid waiting on the other side, and slammed the door shut. He placed the tray on the desk, taking a bowl off and placing it on the floor.
"Food for my pet," Saeran said as he sat at the desk to eat his meal. With a frown, I climbed off the bed and onto the floor. This time my meal was a mix of sausage and eggs. I wondered if I'd be sleeping on the floor. Maybe he would get me a pet bed to sleep in.
"I enjoy watching your obedience," Saeran said. "I'm still working on a name for you. That rich kid named his cat something prissy. I used to study flowers. My favorite was Lily of the Valley. That will be your name. Lily."