The Orange Blossom's Lullaby

Chapter 3 - Doin' Time

⚠️CONTENT WARNING OF THIS CHAPTER: VIOLENCE⚠️

"Satan has entered her! It was all that girl's fault!"

I think staying tied in a basement for hours really messed with my OCD. A few hours in, I ended up stressing out about the fact that the bricks were laid unevenly. I cracked my knuckles, a nervous habit of mine, until my hands were red, a stark contrast to my almost scarily pale skin. I moved onto cracking my neck until it was too sore for me to turn it. I kept looking down at the place where I was tasered. It was red and throbbing. Just like my cheek was after he slapped me. The basement was cold. Like, cold enough to freeze water. But that wasn't the main reason I was shivering. I was shivering more because of that man.

I'm not scared of death. I believe in God and a higher power, sure. I don't care if I get hurt. I can handle pain. I'm scared of that man. The fact that he had a separate number so fast was frightening. The fact that he knew my past and my harsh relationship with my family was terrifying. But the fact that he had been "watching" me for at least a week was bone-chilling. How did I not know? How was I so clueless to the fact that he had eyes on me? I don't recognize him, so how did he start following me? I don't watch the news, it's so negative. I guess I should have. Maybe I could have gotten a clue into who he is... He definitely is experienced.

My heart skips a beat as I hear something slam from above me. A door, maybe? Heavy footsteps clatter above me. Then move away.
Wait..
Not away.
To a staircase.
As the steps descend, I realize I'm clenching my jaw. I unclench it and breathe in slowly, trying to calm myself. Maybe if I cooperate, I could get out...

I jolt slightly as the door opens. I must not have noticed the man undoing the locks. I stare as the man enters the room, dragging something behind him. It looks like a recycling bin. The man looks at me with a proud smile, before tipping over the bin with a loud thud. I yelp suddenly. Fuck, Tara. Keep it together. Clearing my throat, I look down at the  bin, its lid now open. There's something sticking out of it. It almost looks like a blanket that was bundled into a ball instead of folded, but it looks tougher. The man chuckles, and my head shoots towards him. I become aware of his close proximity to me. Fighting off the urge to flinch away with disgust, the man slowly (I think he prolongs it on purpose)undoes the belt around my head and takes the cloth out of my mouth. My head lowers as I cough, finally free from the makeshift gag. I move my jaw around.

"Did you miss me?"

The man tilts my head up with the crook of his index finger. I smirk slightly in sarcasm. "I thought as such." He strolls over slowly to the garbage bin. "I brought a present for you, darling..."

"What is it?"

I feel myself biting the side of my cheek as I ask, staring at the blanket-looking object on the ground. The man smirks and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Three guesses."

I hear myself scoff before I can even think. My eyes widen, realizing my mistake right as the man takes a step towards me.

"Now, you know full well that I do NOT," he grabs my inner elbow, "like attitude. Remember what happened last time?" I look at him with fearful eyes. He shakes me. "DO YOU?" I nod my head frantically. "Then I'll let this one slide. It looks like you know your little mistake." The man lets go of me and goes to the recycling bin. Dumping it completely over onto the ground, I see what I once thought was a blanket.

The bundle wasn't a blanket.

It may have had the same texture, yes.
But it was my boss.
Jimmy.

"What the fuck?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

The man groans and strides slowly over to the metal table again. Realizing what he's doing, I start to beg on my knees (metaphorically, as I'm tied to a chair) to not have him hurt me. But it's almost like he has hearing aids and he turned them off just so he wouldn't have to hear my pleas. The man goes back to the tray he had previously laid the taser on and grabs a knife. My heart beat speeds up. Is this what running a marathon feels like? The burning feeling in my chest and the heaving of my lungs makes me feel dizzy as I beg the man. I feel as though the whole chair will tip if I keep struggling. The man puts a finger over my lips, which just causes me to close my mouth and sob. I feel snot running down my upper lip, but all I can do I feel it as there is no mobility I'm capable of with my arms tied.