Nothing but pain the past two days, these people were crazy! They beat me, and then they take care of me afterwards. What was their game? What do they gain from this? Enjoyment in torturing someone? Relieve some stress? Learning experience? Who the hell knows, my main goal is to figure out who they are working for. I never get a chance to see them, only hear them, also doesn’t sound like he’s coming from the phone, he’s there physically. He’s shrouded in darkness. Or maybe he is the darkness? I’ll need to burn brighter than an ember to unveil this monster in the shadows.
They strapped me down, moving is not an option. Taking away my movement is their first step to making me complacent. I should have been allowed paper and a pen. I need to figure out how to record my days. What do I do? They’ll know something is up if I write on the wall. I need to think of something.
I heard the door opening, they were delivering my food. Ash Grimm smiled at me and I wanted to throw up. This guy made me sick.
“Ash,” I greeted simply.
“Hello, Buddy,” he smiled more, like a grinning demon. It made my skin crawl. “Ember, you remembered my name, huh? Ember should you be acting like that?” What was this he was playing? Of course, I remember his name, he’s a serial killer that I took part in trying to find. “Ember, isn’t there another name you want to call me?” I narrowed my gaze at him. He’s a psychopath. “Ember?”
“Tsk, what are you doing here, Ash?” psychopath. These guys were insane.
“Feeding you, Buddy,” Ash sat down and held a fork with food on it to me. It smelled sweet.
“Ugh, is it suppose to smell like that? Tsk, it’s disgusting!” I was punched in the side of my face.
“You can starve, Ember,” Ash wasn’t happy as he looked down at me from his seat. The food was taken with him as he stood, still glowering at me then walked out.
“Damn, that psychopath gets pissed easily,” I muttered and tried to sooth my face with my shoulder. I heard talk upstairs, it was faint but I can still hear it.
“Blair, make a ‘tsk’ sound before and after your sentences. That’ll either piss him off or make him obey more. Sage, it might be best if you kept your distance. I want to see how he’ll deal with how close I’m getting to him.”
“You sure this will work?” Blair asked.
“Just keep quiet until he speaks to you, and when he does attempt to get close to him how you see fit. Make him get attached and we’ll take it away.” Ash said sounding happy.
“This project you are working on, how long will it take to break him down?” Sage asked, “I know we are to break him in more ways than one, but how long will it take until he’s broken? Won’t the police come looking for him? I’m sure a missing detective is something to talk about back at the station.”
“Simple, don’t tell them. Continue acting like Daqqkjtw Paqou and you’ll be fine.” I couldn’t quite hear the name Ash mentioned. I think it sounded familiar?
“Well, this plan better work. He’s a sharp one and he’ll catch on sooner or later.”
“If he does we’ll make him think otherwise. He’s here, trapped. We control the situation from here on out until we are allowed to beat on him again. We’ll plan for the aftercare, it’s all about repetition. I’ll come up with the plans, you can add on to it as we go. Sound good?” sounded like an agreement between them and it was quiet once more.
Well, it seems like they have a ‘break’ plan for me. I’ll need to stay strong to make it impossible, if I don’t get started now, there’s no telling what will happen to me.
“I am Umber Wixx, I will not be broken,” I whispered that at least five times at night or when I’m alone and the days the followed started blurring together.
I was given a bit of freedom every now and then with Sage, it seems Ash was testing me to see how well I’ll behave. The food that was given to me was still sweet, the privacy in the bathrooms was given back to me so I started practising in the mirror. I was finally allowed upstairs and was given a choice between working out or watching t.v. with them. Figured I’d just work out. Soon I was feeling better and was given the go-ahead for my next beating. The doctor was kind enough, but there’s something about her that just isn’t right.
The beating happened, and I was once again strapped down to the bed. Food was brought to me, Ash was a bit kinder this time but the food wasn’t sweet. It was spicy. Figuring instead of voicing my distaste for such a meal I may as well not starve for a few days as I was forced to do. I’ll voice it after the food.
Didn’t work, I still starved and the spicy smell lingered for a very long time until I wanted to eat it. There were no more noises from upstairs, it was quiet, they might have soundproofed this place by now, or just my room. I was then able enough to be on my own again and the same thing happened. Although during the night I started working out, my bed was replaced with an actual bed this time.
Soon I was beaten again, I was again strapped down and was forced to eat the sweet food and endure the pain that was given to me. The Gentry Suffer wasn’t a nice person after all, she stated that if I don’t call her Master she will never be gentle again. I was actually fine with that. It helped me stay grounded. Soon I was allowed to walk around the house again on my own, I still refused to sit with them, it’s better to keep away from them as much as possible.
Felt like I was a science experiment. They were always watching me, and I was poked and prodded by Gentry. Gently handled by Ash, and Blair started sounding more and more like a hissing cat. Never seen much of Sage, maybe for the best?
Beating, healing, working out, spicy food. They were setting up a pattern for me to follow and I was starting to drown in it. I can’t remember the days, I can hardly remember faces and names. Not that I cared to begin with but now it’s like they are taking it from me little by little. I’m starting to forget their names...
Beating, healing, working out, sweet food. Beating, healing, working out, spicy food. How many beatings now? I’ve lost track. Is the snow melting? Is it melting again? How long have I been here? What was I doing again? Shouldn’t I be getting out of here? Is no one looking for me? My head hurts. What was it that I was doing before bed? Oh right working out. Keep active.
The beatings were normal now, I started to obey them. I still continued to refuse to cry out in pain, but the doctor was making that difficult. Chic and Path were having arguments that I didn’t care to listen to. Lou started showing a bit more but still so distant. I’m slowly losing myself. These headaches. When did they start? Was it the food? Path always made the food, it could be that he was getting something from the doctor and he’s putting it in my food. What is it? I’ve been having nightmares recently. Mostly about the past. What I have done to the people around me. No. I was trying to help them, Coale had a drug problem and I was trying to help him, but he’s getting it somehow. I couldn’t help him so I left him in his mother’s care. Timber was shot by a runaway assaulter. My cat, Ted killed my cat and killed himself. My mom died from... she died from... what was it? I need to remember, I’ll start again.
Coale was a drug addict I was trying to help. I left him... I left him. Yeah, that sounds right. Timber was killed by a man I was chasing. Why was I chasing him again? Was I following him and he saw me? Seems right. Ted killed my cat and... I found him... I killed him. Yeah, seems right. My mom died from... what was it? I’ll run it again.
The next beating Path brought someone, they were changing it up. He was scared, I always enjoyed seeing the scared faces of people. I relayed a message to the boy, he waited until it was only him and Path and escaped. But I don’t know what happened to him, the stories they tell were different each time. The boy was caught and killed, the boy escaped, the boy was found a few days later dead, or taken by wild animals. I just wasn’t sure anymore what they were telling me was true. My head still hurts and it only seems to stop when I leave the basement.
A few more beatings later and I’ve forgotten what the last one was like. Some of it seems familiar, but I don’t know from where or why. I’m being brought in for another beating.
“Coale,” Ember said in a monotone voice, knowing he’s out of it, “I’m leaving.”
I coughed up blood after being beaten ruthlessly. Everything hurt, my sides, stomach, chest, arms, legs... whatever was me it hurt. Sharp pain stabbed me where they kicked, punched, or whacked with. It hurt. I dare not cry out in pain for fear of them doing it again in their sick sadistic way. Instead, I acted like I wanted more. And I got it. Boy did I get it, the weapons were whipped out, knives, guns, bats, boards, whatever could be used was used.
After they took a break again waiting for my response. Coughing up more blood I smiled. This is what I deserved after all those years of playing people. I don’t deserve to be saved.
“Patch our dear Ember up, after he heals we can start again.” A commanding voice boomed through the silent cement cold room...
I feel like I’ve gone through this already... what was happening? I need to focus, I need to get myself back. I need to remember...
What was I doing again? Right going to sleep. I’ll have another nightmare, I just know it. Or at least a memory. It better be kind this time...
Voices? What were they saying? I need to rest.
“It’s been three years, and only now he begins to show he’s breaking?” Blair said.
“Yeah it’s exciting, isn’t it? All our hard work finally paying off. I say we take him out and test how well we’ve done.” Ash said excitement in his voice.
“That’s crazy, someone would recognize him,” Sage spoke up.
“Not to mention that he’s still stubborn, what if he says something to someone?” Blair said worriedly.
“Don’t worry, we conditioned him enough to know when he’s trying something. He’s a nervous wreck when he’s about to do something he shouldn’t. Give yourself some credit, if it makes you feel better, just tell him not to say anything to anyone other than us.”
“You better be right about this, Ash. When do we take him out?” Blair asked giving in.
“After the next beating? I’ll bring a girl out to see him and see how well that goes as well. This will be fun.”
“What he does something like last time? That boy said that Ember told him to do it and to pass on the message.” Blair sighed.
“8 5 12 16 13 5, is the code for ‘Help Me’. I taught Ember that, and the kid didn’t get far to send it out to the other person that knows the code. We’re too far out from any nearby city it’ll take hours to get to the next one following the road. Not to mention the bears and wolves out there, easy pray if we lose them.” Sage spoke up.
“What if he sends that code to someone?” Blair was still worried.
“He won’t, just tell him not to. If he takes too long talking to someone else I’ll step in.”
“If you're not fast enough? What if he wrote it down?”
“Then check, it won’t be just me there. You both know I can’t handle him physically, he already took me down a few times when he was wandering the house in the earlier days. I can only handle him if he’s tied up, and it made it easier to condition him to how I want him to behave. Yet still think on his own.”
“Yeah... yeah. If something happens we are holding off on that outing. We can’t afford another incident like that again. What if this next kid you bring in actually hurts you?”
“Then one of you stay close, simple.”
Darkness, soon after the next beating happened. Path brought a girl. She was a scared little thing, couldn’t stand violence. Must have grown up in a loving home with no threats and not exposed to the real world. I need to send her a message, I need to think.
After I was brought back to the basement, strapped down I heard voices again.
“What happened?” Blair asked.
“Girl got me good, Sage is chasing her down as we speak. Get Dr. Gentry to treat me as well. As soon as Sage gets the girl I’ll be gone a few days.” Ash said.
“I told you this might happen.”
“Sage will tell you more about it when he catches her. Right now I need to focus on my other pets, I’ll have to change my tactics with them so that they don’t harm me next time. She was still fresh, didn’t think she would hurt me.”
“She’s fighting for her life, you know this, your slacking, Ash.”
“I know, but it seems that Ember has been doing some manipulating of his own. It’s subtle, very subtle. I’m gonna go rest now, don’t forget-”
“She’s treating you first, not after. Ember can be on his own for a while but not you.”
I woke up to pain. I was sore, and it seems Path wasn’t here yet. Also, it seems like I didn’t dream last night. Such a relief. Or maybe I did and forgot when I woke up? Possibility. Best not to dwell on it, maybe it wasn’t that important. The soft bed was so nice. I almost didn’t want to leave it. But I really had to go. I slowly got up and made my way to the bathroom.
One look in the mirror told me that I needed to work out more.
Leaning forward, I felt tired. I really was just tired. Sighing I walked out of the bathroom and laid back down, I can work out later. Now, I just want to rest. I hope someone comes down soon. I’m starting to get hungry now. Closing my eyes I figured I’ll get some sleep before I eat. It’s been so long since I felt this exhausted, why now? Oh well, think about it later. I’m sure I’ll get my answers soon.
I didn’t dream again, and no food was brought to me while I slept. I got up and check the door. It was locked.
“Sorry, Ember. You’ll have to stay in there until Ash and Blair comes back,” it was Lou. I wanted to voice my hunger but I didn’t feel comfortable doing so... It felt like Lou was being intimidating and I want nothing of it. I figured he’ll bring me something later so I went back to bed.
It’s been a few hours already, was Path not back yet? And where was Chic? I didn’t want to voice out my hunger, it made me feel weak. I’ll have to tough it out until one of them returns, or Lou brings down some food for me.
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