Puppet Boy

11.

TYLER DIDN'T know that he fell asleep until he woke up with his arms still tied around the pole. He sighed heavily, his consciousness instantly reminding him of the pain he had gone through.

He pressed his forehead against the prop again, his eyes closed as he inhaled the sweet scent of his own blood.

He weakly lifted his head from the dirt-coated ground to stare around the dimly lit room, his vision too bleary to see anything. A small groan escaped his lips, his wounds sending a sudden shock of searing pain throughout his body each time he shifted.

He heard the door creak open before slamming shut. Tyler couldn't turn his head to see The Man enter the room, but he could hear his footsteps moving closer. He heard him fumble with something from the other side of the room, and Tyler's heart raced when he heard the sound of metal clinking together.

His breath was heavy and his heart was pounding in his throat as he anticipated The Man's next move. He ground his teeth together and tried to use his body to rip his hands free from the rope unsuccessfully.

All he could do was listen to The Man's footsteps near closer and closer. Tyler continued attempting to rip the rope from his wrists by yanking his body back, the rope bending against the pole.

The Man stood over him, but Tyler couldn't see him to know what he was doing. Tyler's eyes squeezed shut in anticipation as suddenly, the wounds coating his back began to burn.

The blistering sensation was so overwhelming that his back arched and he screamed out his pain, though not much sound escaped his chapped lips, as his throat was so raw from screaming it only ached with each attempt.

A bottle of salt was dropped to the ground in front of Tyler's eyes, the white grains pouring out as if to taunt him. He was too exhausted to react to the paralyzing pain that enveloped him.

He felt the pressure of The Man leaning over his back before another glass was forced against Tyler's lips. Tyler shook his head in refusal, burning tears falling down his cheeks.

The Man grabbed his hair and tilted his head back. The water was poured down Tyler's throat and although he wanted so badly to refuse it, the feeling was instantly relaxing. His eyes rolled back in his skull as he began to swallow the liquid desperately.

Strangely, The Man stayed silent. He only stepped away from Tyler once he was finished and picked the salt up.

Tyler whimpered in pain, the salt intensifying his torment. The Man leaned over him from behind, using a sharp knife to cut at the rope that restricted his thin and cut up wrists.

"P-please..." Tyler choked out. "Leave me alone." His words were raspy as he cried out in pain. "Please, please, just let me die," he continued to beg.

Tyler was freed from the pole, still lacking control of his limbs. He was then flipped over onto his back, where a familiar pair of chocolate eyes matched with a feminine face stared down at him.

"Shut up," Tyler thought he heard... Emily say?

He blinked a few times, but she was still staring down at him. She straddled his stomach, her legs bent on both sides of him as she took a roll of thick, black tape between her thin fingers.

Tyler's heart dropped to his stomach as he noticed a crazed look in her eyes that were once so terrified.

Tyler figured that he had to be hallucinating, or hopefully dead. He knew that there was no way Emily, would actually be sitting on top of him with control of her limbs and a roll of tape in her hands.

"Emily?" He asked, trying to study the way the darkness shadowed her high cheekbones.

Unfortunately, he couldn't possibly be dead since he felt her sitting on top of him. He felt the stinging sensation in his wounds and he felt Emily's long hair tickle his chest. He was beyond confused, but something inside of him refused to believe it was actually happening.