“Please tell me you didn't?”
I swallow hard, nodding.
“You really are fucked in the head, aren't you? And exactly what good does this do anybody?”
Sighing loudly, he bends down farther and pulls my legs apart. “I don't see anything. Where—” His words are cut off when I wrap my chain around his neck. His hands go to his throat and he struggles to breathe. Gasping for air, his arms flounder and his body shakes as I pull the chain tighter. Fuck this asshole. I don't let go until his body goes still against me. I check his pulse, sliding my fingers between the mask and his shirt. He's dead.
Good. He deserved so much worse. I'll just have to take it out on his friend. I reach into his pocket, retrieving a set of keys, and it takes five different tries for me to finally get the cuffs off. My eyes never leave the doorway as I get myself free. I strip the clothes from his body before taking off his mask and shoes. After putting everything on, I hook his naked body to the chains, facing him toward the wall.
Hitting the switches, I turn off both lights and walk into the hallway, searching for the other room on both sides. Out of the two other doors, only one is closed and the other is cracked open. I push on it and search around in the darkness, my hand feeling the wall for a switch. I flip it as soon as my hand is met with it and a light fills the room.
A bed lines the left wall. The mattress is filthy and a bucket sits beside it, along with a camera. My stomach revolts and I walk out, searching the hallway again before opening the other door. I peek inside and unlike the other room, the light is on and a naked, battered body occupies the bed. “Iggy?” I whisper, walking closer, swallowing hard.
“I'm going to get us out of here. I need you to wake up for me.”
I rest my hand on his back and lightly shake him. “Iggy. We can't stay here any longer. I'm going to pick you up, okay?” The man doesn’t make any noise. He's a lot bigger than I remember and his hair is a lighter shade of brown than it usually is. I tilt my head but before I can turn the body over, a knife is pressed to my throat.
“You've really caused quite the trouble this morning, haven't you? I think I've allowed it to go on long enough. Bravery never does anyone any favors. Time to take you back where you belong, and I think I'll leave your mess in there with you for the rest of the day.”
I fight against him and he presses the blade into my skin, drawing blood. “I'd go back willingly if I were you. The boy will now be with my brother for a week, going without any breaks. More punishments foryouractions.”
“No, don't.”
“It's too late to take back the trouble you've caused but if you walk back to the room willingly, you can prevent things from being much worse.”
“Okay. I'll do whatever you say. Please, don't take it out on him. Hurt me instead. I can take it.”
“Oh, I know you can. You don't cry as pretty as he does or scream as loud. Therefore, you won't offer the same enjoyment. Being too willing isn't always helpful. Now move.” He shoves me forward with the tip of the knife poking my back. I walk to the room I thought I was finally free from, my head hanging low. So close yet so far. I was stupid to think it would be so easy.
I stand by the dead body and he puts the cuffs back on me after stripping me bare. “Don't expect dinner tonight or tomorrow.”
He shoves me to the ground and as he walks toward the door, I shout at him. “Wait, you forgot your friend.”
He turns around, shaking his head. “No, I didn't. I told you before. You get to stay with the mess you made until I feel you've suffered enough.”
“You're really going to leave him here?”
“Yes.”
“But he'll rot and the smell will eventually pour into the vents.”
“I'll be sure to light lots of candles and keep a window open. Pleasant dreams.”
I don't sleep. Instead, I toss and turn, thinking of a new way to escape. I lose hope the longer I lay here in the dark, cold basement with blood still caked into certain parts of my skin. My eyes eventually grow heavy and as much as I try to keep them open, I eventually lose the fight.
I don't know how many days it's been but no one's been in here for a long while. Not even to bring food or wash my piss down the drain. It's hard to shit when you have nothing in your stomach. I'm surprised there's anything left in me at all. All I’ve been given is a jug of water that they left when I first arrived here, and it's nearly gone. My throat is so dry and my skin burns. All my muscles ache but nothing compares to the pain I have in my heart.
All I did was make things worse. More for him than myself. I don’t care what they put me through, and they know it. I should have pretended not to be bothered by them hurting him. Would they have left him alone then?
Maybe it doesn't matter what I do anymore. I've come across many men like this. They try to get you to believe everything they say in order to fully break you. You hang onto their every word because you are too scared of what they will do if you don't.
The door opens and a tray is brought over to me. “The fasting has ended. We don't want you completely famished.” The mysterious man grabs the water bottle and walks to the faucet to fill it up. I sit with my back pressed to the wall, eyeing the food. It's two rice cakes and green Jell-o.
Instead of shoving the plate away the way I want to, I eat every bit of the food on it. I'll need all the strength I can muster. I haven't given up yet. I told Ignacio we'd get out of here and I won't break another promise.
The man comes towards me, setting the water on the ground and then kicking at the lifeless body beside me. “I can't believe he's starting to smell already. Lucky you. Hope you can stomach it during your next few meals,” he says in between laughter and leaves the room.
I take a few naps here and there, the stabbing cold occasionally shaking me awake, along with my nightmares and the hard concrete digging into my bones. More trays of food come. I've counted ten so far, meaning it's been days and still no Ignacio. I don't even ask anymore, worried it'll cost him more time away. I don't say anything at all when they come. I need them to assume I've given up and no longer view me as a threat.