[There was a pause in the conversation. His lips twitched as he tried to search for words."You don"t have to sound that ominous, you know?" he muttered, seemingly scared but still not believing the teenager in front of him. In his defense, I didn"t look like much with my current state and I could imagine he would take me for someone younger.
"Don"t look down on me. This is not like a teenager getting into a fight with their boyfriend h.e.l.l. It is real. You either do what you have to survive, or she kills you," I discreetly glance towards the way she went, sure she would lurk to see how the "date" was going.
"I just..." he was baffled. "How long have you been here?" he asked, not knowing where to go with the conversation. I tried to manage a reply but curiosity got better of me.
"How long have you been here?" I asked, unwisely.
"Never get close to those that come in; it only ends in heartbreak and betrayal."
"In my calculations… about 2 days. I know from the meals." I glanced at his hands, which looked raw and battered by the tightening rope.
"I don"t think I am allowed to untie you," I told him softly. "You would have a better chance of survival if I could," I gave him a small smile.
"Do you think so?" he gasped, nervous excitement visibly coursing through him.
"What was the date outside when you came?" He thought for a bit before answering.
"Seven months," I mumbled under my breath but he had heard it. His voice rose in horror. His eyes reddened as he tried to force down his tears.
"Don"t worry," I a.s.sured him. My voice had no trace of it, though. It sounded cold and dead. "This is unusual for her. She doesn"t keep people around for long." That seemed to bother him more, unsurprisingly.
"Then I die?" he whispered, tears finally rolling down his cheeks.
"No. I think it"s my time to die," I said. I could sense my conviction. I was sure that this elaborate presentation was part of a farewell for me. She had kept me long enough and was bored with me now that she had broken me. I was no fun.
"Don"t look so horrified. I was prepared to go long back. I don"t know what kept her interested." I shrugged. "I don"t think my body can take it anymore. My heart is about to stop even if she doesn"t finish me off."
"Why think so negatively?" he asked anxiously. I laughed. It was genuine like I had heard a funny joke.
"It happens when you have lived as long as me," I teased. He quirked a brow at me in question.
"You must say that I have more experience in this life than you do."
For a moment, the banter with this older man had made me forget where I was… not really, but it was a welcome relief. If we had met under any other circ.u.mstances, I would have pa.s.sed by him without a single glance, but the universe was a curious thing. We had managed to meet each other in the worst of place days before our death.
One could say that we could hear our death knell ring.
"Haven"t you tried running away?" He pleaded.
"I would try, but I don"t have much time left. I wish I could help you." I felt like crying. For the first time, I wanted to cry in the grief of the loss of my life. I wanted to mourn.
"You can. I don"t think she will be back, soon." I glanced around at his words to see her lurking in the shadows, far enough for her not to be able to hear us.
"She is right around the corner," I told him conspiratorially. "Have your meal," I pointed towards the dishes in front of us. He looked at his trapped hands and then back at my face.
I took pity on the man and cut into the plate of food left before him. I didn"t tell him what he was eating, and he didn"t seem affected by the taste. I wondered if my first time tasting such a vile substance would turn out to be just as nonchalant.
How could he not tell what he was eating?
"Don"t you want to eat?" he asked curiously as I shied away from my plate and concentrated on serving him. I shook my head in denial. "You should muster up whatever energy you can. It won"t be easy."
"What wouldn"t be easy?" I wondered.
"Nothing is easy. Nothing has ever been easy for me. I found myself thinking."
I cut into the dishes on his insistence. He had an earnest look in his eyes which made me swallow my foul pride and give away whatever little humanity I had left in my body.
I committed the gravest sin.
As the fork entered my mouth, I felt my body tense in repulse. I shoved it in and then chewed on it slowly, trying to shut off my mind and my taste buds. I wanted to vanish from existence.
"Doesn"t it taste good?" he asked, in awe. I nodded hesitantly as I tried to gulp it down. I couldn"t possibly throw it up. "Won"t you have more? You are so thin. She serves good food for a serial killer. Though I haven"t met one before this, I am sure they don"t..." he droned on and on.
And I grieved. I grieved for my lost humanity. The dim ray of hope extinguishing. I grieved for this man who was trying to hard to make light of the situation. I commended him for trying to make me feel better, but I could see the fear slithering in his eyes as he tried to humor me.
The days pa.s.sed in a blur. I didn"t remember much after that.
How had I escaped? What happened to have made me find a loop and run to the nearest police station and scare the life out of them.
I only remembered how light-headed I felt, how my lungs burned from running. How I raised my hand and screamed with the little energy I had left in me.
"Save me!"]
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