Ember walked up to Timber, they had returned back to his apartment after visiting his mom. Eclipse was wandering around the place. “Umber?” Timber had gotten used to calling him Umber now, it was refreshing. Before only his mom called him that, everyone thought it was an accent and called him Ember.
No more words exchanged between them, Ember brought him in for kiss. Adoring how soft and warm Timber was, he wasn’t as built as he was, Timber was slimmer. Those icy blue eyes, his dark short hair, he defiantly had some Asian in him from his father. Ember pulled back, Timber was so much different than him, he knew he wasn’t that special. His mom was part Canadian, part Italian, his father Egyptian and Irish. He knew he had his fathers dark skin, his fathers dark hair, but his eyes were his moms, brown. His father’s was lighter, he also had his father’s build, according to his mom. He had really become his father when his mom needed him most.
“Umber?” Timber asked after the man before him stared at him.
“You’re probably the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he said to Timber placing gentle kisses on his forehead, eyes, nose, cheek. Timber laughed at the tickle of affection from his stubble.
“You need to shave,” Timber said pushing Ember away to calm him, “and soon.”
“Hmm, I guess you’re right. But I really can’t show you enough of how much I love you.
I awoke to throbbing on my wounds. Wanting to cry out in pain, I figured that the doctor had left a small pool of alcohol on one of my wounds so that she can still inflect pain even when she wasn’t there. I tried to shake it off but found that I was strapped in tighter. I can’t move, just bare with the burning and stabbing I was left with.
“Tsk. Awake,” a guard said annoyed. So it was him now. This guy always seemed pissed off for no fucking reason. I started calling him Chic, of course not to his face... I’d be dead if I ever called him that out loud. The reason was obvious. He always ‘tsk’ before or after his sentence. Always. It kind of reminds me of a chick’s peep.
I knew he wasn’t going to give me my entertainment hour, he never did when he watched me at this hour. He’s also the one that inflects most of the bruises on my arms and legs. I have 5 tormentors. Three to beat me up and inflect wounds, and the doctor, the last one is the man that watches everything and tells others what to do next. The three men rotate on watch duty, judging from the size of the place it was a three maybe four story house out in the middle of the forest. So a small roster for this place wasn’t that far off. So the quiet one was Lou, short for Loner. Didn’t want to call him Lon, because it sounds too much like Lawn and he was anything but a bed a roses. Not his punches to the gut anyways, the pain on my wound won’t go away, I’ve tried everything to think of something different but it was starting to become severe.
I need to continue to think of something... anything to distract this pain. But what?
Ah! The doctor!
My first beating, I remained quiet for everything, even the doctor’s torture afterwards. First she would just have cleaned me up and bandaged me, with minimal damage and pain. The second time she started dabbing on my wounds cleaning them and applying little pressure. Before I knew it she was trying to dig into my skin claiming that there was something stuck in my wounds, that’s about the time when I lost my composure. She eased up after that, but when I shut my mouth again she would assault me that claim again. After about the fifth time she done it I got the idea that she wants me to voice my pain to her. She takes great pride in that knowledge as well, often rubbing it in one of the guards noses.
Damn it! What time is it!? When will these get changed? It hurts, is this my punishment? They really are restricting me with so much, I’m just glad I can breathe on my own. Oh fuck, someone come quickly and get these off me! Please!
Ok, let me think... Lou, he’s quiet... he’s quiet... it hurts so fucking much. I tried to breathe through the pain, knowing that Chic was still in the room. If I voiced it, the guy would probably make it worse.
“Tsk, just ask if you can’t take it.” Chic’s voice rose in the quiet room. “No one will be in until the morning, tsk.”
The morning? Will I be able to last that long? Will Chic really help me? No. I need to stay strong, I can’t let my captors know that they are breaking me.
Someone will come... right?
I’ll be rescued...
I won’t come back to this place ever again. They will not break me... it’s been nearly a month right? No news of anyone looking for me, did I really make that many enemies? Was I really that detestable? I’m alone... alone with these people? Well they are looking after me... they feed me... heal me...
But they beat you up. They hurt you, force you to do and say things you wouldn’t normally say or do. They want you broken, alive yes, dead no, they want much worse than Death. Your suffering, your cracking mind. It’s already started, Umber Wixx.
No... That’s not true! Someone will save me. I know it.
Silence met my thoughts, am I really ripping at the seams?
I don’t know how I managed the whole night of that pain, I felt exhausted but I couldn’t rest, Path walked in with his smile, and Chic left saying something to Path.
“Well, you look like you had a long night, Buddy. Let me help you,” Path untied me and helped me to stand and lead me to the bathroom. He sat a chair in the open shower and sat me on it. From there he started taking off the bandages that were soaked with the odd smell and splotches of blood. “Well, Buddy, she sure was jealous. I’ll clean you up, don’t worry.”
After the gentle shower, I started appreciating Path more.
“You’re wounds are almost closing, it would be a shame to have them re-opened,” I felt his lips press on one of the cuts he inflicted on me, on instinct I pulled back. His grip got tighter on my sore wrist, “Shh, I’m just kissing them better. I know it’s still tender, I’m being as gentle as I can here, Buddy.”
As soon as he was finished kissing the wounds he inflicted on my arm, he started wrapping me up. I was in a new gown now, it had a bunch of hearts on it. Maybe a reminder of what happened yesterday? Was it yesterday? I can hardly tell anymore. The arm he paid special attention to didn’t hurt as much anymore, the aching was less noticeable. It was odd. Path must have noticed it since he wasn’t being as gentle as he was earlier as he led me out of the bathroom. His hold didn’t hurt.
He’s imprinting it in you. Showing you kindness after your ordeal. No matter how much he hurts you now, you won’t notice it. Reject it. Reject his so called Kindness!
Won’t I’ll be hurt more?
Stop! Reject him! Pull away, now! NOW!
I flinched from the loud noise in my head and the grip loosened.
Listen to me, we’ll get through this.
Who are you?
Silence again, I couldn’t get over how familiar it sounded but I don’t know from where. Timber never talked to me like that, nor his dad, or my mom. So who? My dad? Or someone else?
“Was I holding too tightly? I’m sorry, Buddy. Wait here and I’ll get your breakfast.” Path left and in came one of the large men. It couldn’t have been Chic, if anything he went to bed, so this must be Lou.
“You know, the guy before me wouldn’t allow this kind of freedom for you.”
“Feeling chatty are we?” I said to him, remembering him from last time.
“Heh, just be glad I let you get away with so much.” Lou said staying at his post by the door. I was free to roam the room if I wanted to? Lifting my arms close to my chest, lightly rubbing the spots where the ropes held me down. Am I... should I go into the bathroom? Will Lou let me?
I slowly got off the bed, possibly looking like a scared rabbit to Lou. Carefully and cautiously I walked into the bathroom closing the door. There was no lock, sadly. It felt strange not being supervised. The small freedom I was given, even if in the room was a treat in some way.
I emptied my bladder and finally took a look at myself in the mirror. I was looking a little shallow and sunken. What did I look like before the special treatment? I took in my figure, I was 5’10” looking like a walking skeleton. It also looks like I was freshly shaven too, my hair wasn’t messy longer than I remember, it seemed like it was combed. My muscles were indeed gone, like I was laying in bed for far too long. I looked horrible in my opinion. I closed my eyes and sighed. Will Lou give me this freedom to let me exercise so I won’t look this horrible?
I stepped out and seen Path smile at me, “Already getting your energy back?” without his help I walked back to the bed where he fed me. It was peaceful for once, Path must have realized that I was starting to get sleepy, he laid me in the bed still with no restraints and let me rest.
Path woke me up for lunch, and as he promised we went outside again. We had lunch like last time, minus the chocolate. Path’s intentions were lost on me, he’s searching for something from me, he’s not like the doctor. Path was just kind... He never intentionally hurt me, at least... I thought so...
Wrong. He wants your suffering the most.
No. That can’t be, not Path...
Don’t trust him. He likes to see his victims suffer first. You know this! You saw his profile! You helped create it!
No. That can’t be... my head hurts.
Name: Ash Grimm
Age: 30
Ash Grimm, caught February 13th with his latest victim. Znljt Mlobmljewho went nloolws umq nqwubo ago from her bqnz with wq forgze entat or ouauggjz. Roh Grlnn held no remorse uqmrads his victims as he mro bzje for questioning.
Stop it! Flashes of that paper I had written about the serial killer now known as Ash Grimm, was ever present in my mind. Although I can’t make what most of it says anymore. I’ve nearly forgotten about it when I dabbled in his case.
Bz had ublo uq ort: “Tzo, I wajxze lwuq their jlpz bepsaz taxlns tbzn, making falzweo mlub ubzn. Qwgz ubzt invited nz over I tqqx tbem rwe brought ubzn to r secluded house qw the qvuoxlauo of ubz glut. Mbzw there I tqqx caaz qf tbzlr nzzdo, their frlwze ekfrzoolon is oo joyzjt to jqqx at.”
Profile:
Suofzgt is majz, jlxzjt jzpu haneze, in his jruz tmzwulzo to earjt thiatlzs. Hz llxeo to use a cvotom bjrez for his vlctlno, sezo his victims as a ozkvrj release before killing them. The average jzngth of him kzzfing his victlno aliyz is owz mzzx before he’jj get bored and flwe another. In later elogqyzat he has ubazz victims at a time, all separruze from zrgb other in different hovozo. Ezfendlng on how well he llxzo the capturzd peroon he’ll give them their pazzeqn little by little vwulj he knows ubzt will wqu avw.
“Hey, Buddy, come back to me.”
I was shocked from my thoughts as I realized my position. He held my chin to see his close face and a small gentle smile. I turned away from him quickly.
Good job, keep that up!
“Sorry, lets go and get you some proper exercise, shall we?” Path’s voice was also gentle. I tried to remind myself that this guy is a murderer. But the illusion he gave off was off putting, as if... as if manipulating me. I tried to breathe slowly and tried my best to bring up that paper about him again. I need to keep my distance from them, all this gentleness they are using is starting to mess with me. They are trying to make me break like this. I... have I been doing this to the other people in my life? Showing a false me and ditching them when they served no more purpose? All those people, those kind and naive people. They had no idea of who I really was, I’m no better than Path.
I was lead to a small room filled with gym equipment, I was surprised, I don’t even know where we are in the house. I need to pay attention. Stay focused.
“Here, let’s get those muscles back, Buddy. We can do this for 15 minutes today, and 20 minutes the rest of the week. That should be enough time until you’re all healed up. You’ll be better and a bit more healthy, hm?” Path smiled as he sat me down on a bench and gave me two 5 lbs dumbbells. Fifteen minutes? That should be enough time for me to think back on that paper. Or remember some more of it?
Giving them this and having them ezfzwe on him pqa rjj their wzzeo, if he dozow’u jlxz how they rgu he’jj give them treats and urxz ubz frezeqn rmrt and start qw rwqubza fzaoqw repzruing the srnz prqgzoo with them. Bz’o manipulative, giving his vlgtlno prjoz hope bepqaz taking lu drgx and jqgxlws them up rsrlw. He’s not physically ylqjzwu with his victims until he is bored with them, according to Znljt Mlobmlje before he was grfuvaze ubzt mzaz in ubz rgu. Saying that he’s sqlws to nloo her dzrvulpvj oxlw once bz mro plwlobze. According to her ouruznzwu Ash Salnn was going uq xljj her rpuza bz plwlobze the lwulnruz act.
Dammit! Why can’t I remember what was written? I wrote it! I sighed as I continued my reps, the weight felt heavy, this should have been nothing... was it really that long? I know everyday I spent an hour in the gym working out, but I can’t even handle 10 minutes of this, not even. I think Path sees it, but he’s not interrupting, he wants me to finish it. It feels like I’m struggling... will he tell me stop?
Stop those thoughts! He wants that! Don’t think about him! Don’t look at him!
That voice is right, I breathed in to settle my nerves and focused on my task. I hardly evened noticed when he walked up and said that my time was up.
“Let’s go back to bed to rest, Buddy.”
“Five more minutes?” I asked being bold, it felt nice having done that. Path smiled and nodded, I went back to it, keeping my focus on my new task. Once done Path forced me to put them down and he lead me back to my room, in the basement. I tried to keep the layout in mind but I was already feeling drowsy from the extensive workout. Path lead me into the bathroom and he stripped me down and sat me in the chair. He cleaned me up like last time, kissing the same wounds he inflicted but this time on both arms. I flinched trying to pull my arm back from his hold, but he wouldn’t let go, not this time.
“Let me take care of you, you’ve worked so hard today,” he smiled up at me from his kneeling position. Why does this look frighten me? I can feel myself as a cat fur sticking out to make myself look bigger, he must have saw it and kissed my palm and wrist where he held on to me tightly. Relaxing slightly but still bristling with each new kiss on my cuts he finally wraps me up again.
He lead me back to the bed with a gentle hold this time, the voice didn’t tell me to pull back so I assume it was gentle. He sat me down and he started chatting me with like he always did when he guarded me.
He talked of his new girl, it sounds like she’s not giving into him as he would have liked. ‘Not like me’ he would say and smile at me. This feels all to familiar. Hadn’t he tried that tactic with his previous victims?
Shit.
Shit.
Fuck!
I forgot he likes to toy with them... toy with their emotions before killing them. He laid me down and told me to rest. “You look tired, Buddy.”
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