ryoda fic: my mannequin (chapter 3)
Author: sugarbloodlolli
Title: My Mannequin - Chapter 3
Pairing: RYODA
Genre: Angst/Romance/Dark
Rating: NC-17
Author's Note: Sorry for making you wait so long. I hope you like this. :)
Hime slowly opened his eyes when the rising sunrays peered through his soft pink floral curtains. He was surprised that he was able to sleep through the night after what happened. His arms and neck felt sore when he tried to move. Hime did not dare to get up, fearing to meet the Lord downstairs for breakfast. But then again, he had no choice.
The Lord expected his presence in the morning before he leaves for work, wherever work was, and dinner when he came back in the evening. He just did not want to get up and faced his treacherous Master. However, he did not want to get in trouble again because the Lord would use any excuse to lay a hand on him.
He tried to go back to sleep but his blood ran cold when he heard heavy footsteps approaching his room. The Lord quietly opened the door and walked towards Hime’s bed. He sat at the edge bed and gently stroke Hime’s hair, tucking a strand of copper lock behind his ear.
“Hime, get up. Your breakfast is ready.” The Lord cooed eerily, running his thumb over Hime’s cheek. For a second Hime almost believed that the Lord cared for him. But he knew better. The gentle façade would turn cruel if he defied the Lord.
“I…don’t feel...well…” Hime replied, stumbling over his words nervously while feigning his sickness. “I’m…sorry…”
“Awwww…” The Lord came closer to him and felt his forehead, checking to see if his precious princess was falling ill. “No fever…My poor baby, was I too rough last night?”
Hime gulped and stayed unmoved, buried deeper in his blanket as a form of security. The Lord leaned forward and pecked him on his cold lips.
“Rest for the day. I’ll leave your breakfast in the kitchen. Just eat when you feel better.” The sinister man said as he got up from the bed. “I have to go to work now. Behave yourself until I come back.”
The captive let out a heavy sigh as soon as the Lord left his room. He waited for a few minutes and only got up from his bed when he heard the sound of his Master’s car revving in the courtyard. Hime peeped through his window as he watched the wicked man leave for the day. He felt relief that he had the house to himself for 12 hours or so before he returned back at 8pm.
Hime went down to the kitchen, hoping to have a peaceful breakfast and maybe play around with the harpsichord in the music room afterwards. He saw a tray of rice with miso soup, pickled vegetables and grilled salmon on the marble island of the kitchen. Hime dug into his food and eat everything up quickly. The Lord would punish him if he did not finish his food. After he was done, he picked up the tray and placed it near the sink. He was about to make himself a cup of tea when suddenly, he felt a cold breeze.
He slowly turned and froze when he saw the backdoor of the house opened and unlocked. He clenched his fists and curiously pushed the door opened, amazed that the wondrous turn of event. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a vehicle driving into the courtyard.
“HIME! WHERE ARE YOU!” The sound of his enraged Master bellowing for him.
Hime’s heart jumped in his chest. He garnered all his courage and ran into the snow blanket garden, not looking back.
~//~
He was an idiot. He was stupid enough to be careless. He was NEVER careless. He had always checked and made sure that all the windows, doors and gates were securely locked before he left the house. The moment he realized that he forgot to lock the backdoor, he immediately turned his car around and drove back home. His fucking clients could wait for him for all he cared. He prayed that his princess better still be there. If not, there would be bloody murder. He got off his car, slammed it loudly and ran into his large house while yelling for him.
“HIME! WHERE ARE YOU!”
But he soon realized that his biggest nightmare came true when he saw the opened backdoor and footprints on the snowy ground, leading into the forest.
“HIME!!!!” His thunderous voice echoed throughout the serene landscape.
~//~
Hime ran and ran, passing by trees after trees. He ran as fast as his weak legs could carry him. There was no time to rest or think; he knew that the Lord was not very far behind him and waiting for him to make a mistake. His lungs hurt from the cold air and his feet were numbed by the snow. But he kept on running and not daring to look back in fear of seeing his enraged Master. This was his chance! There was hope after all. The day he had prayed every single night finally came true.
God help me…please help me…
He breathed heavily as he went deeper into the woods, snow almost reaching his knees and damping his dress. Hime inhaled the fresh scent of pine and looked up at the clear blue morning sky, giving him a sense of hope. He was close to tasting freedom. He continued running through the woods, praying that he could find a road. Every excruciating step he took brought him a step closer to the freedom he never thought he could reclaim again.
In his state of exhaustion, Hime felt like he had been running for hours. But he knew that it must have been not more than 30 minutes. His feet were starting to feel sore by the prickly sticks and pebbles, which some were caught at the hem of his nightgown. After a while, the open blisters started to slow Hime down and finally, he slumped down against a tree. He tried controlling his heavy panting and took shallow breathes, hoping to hear any sound of nearby roads or railway that could lead him out of the forest.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of twigs snapping and his heart dropped to his stomach. He carefully and quietly got up from the cold muddy ground. His intuition told him danger was very close and he had to make a dash for it. But before he could, Hime felt an icy hand grabbed his wrist and his body was swiftly slammed against the tree where he hid. His face was painted in horror when he saw his predator trapping him.
The Lord’s penetrating eyes left him frozen in fear. Hime wanted to scream or yell or push him away. But the last thing he saw was the Lord’s fist holding a rock and it was coming down on his head. Instantly, Hime blackout from the impact and collapsed onto the ice cold ground.
Hime could not remember what happened next or how the Lord brought him back to the ominous manor. When he woke up and discovered that he was lying on the carpeted floor of the Lord’s bedroom, all his hope was dashed out like a candle in the wind. The dark cold room had only the fireplace as its source of light and heat. His head was throbbing madly and his sight was unclear. He tried to get up but the pain at the right side of his head was extremely excruciating. He raised his hand to touch his head and was shocked to see blood on his fingers.
He turned his head and slowly looked over at the far corner of the room. The Lord was quietly seated at his black leather sofa and leisurely taking a drag from his cigar, while staring at him with a deadly look. Hime knew that look. That look indicated to him that it was going to be a long painful night of punishment and suffering.
“My Lord…” Hime croaked, his throat dried and strained.
The tormentor emerged from the darkness like a ghost, stepping into the amber light. The smell of harsh tobacco in the tense air made Hime even more nausea and as the Lord got up and walked towards him, Hime felt even more ill. Swirls of smoke masked the Lord’s dark face; hiding his intentions and disturbing delight in see Hime’s disorientation.
“I thought you would not wake up…” The Lord sneered, standing by Hime and used his polished boots to nudge Hime’s chin up so he could see the distraught in his prisoner’s eyes. “You scared me there for a second…”
Hime glared back at him and was sharply slapped and backhanded across his cheek. His cheek beaming red as the Lord’s fury grew.
“Such disobedience and rudeness are not condoned…” The Lord spat acidly and grabbed Hime’s face. He stared long and hard at the ghostly pale boy, making sure that Hime understood that he was the master. “I have been too lenient on you…Maybe I should mark your pretty face with this cigar so you will remember your place…”
The Lord chuckled deeply when he saw Hime’s eyes widened in fear, taking pleasure at every little facial expression of his pet.
“Don’t worry…I won’t waste a fine cigar on you...” The Lord slowly extinguished the cancer stick on his ivory ashtray. “I have something better planned for you…”
The Lord sauntered towards his dark wooden dresser and opened a drawer, taking out a black leather whip. Hime breathing quickened as the Lord walked back to him. His eyes could not tear away from the whip and back away, huddling against the wall like a cornered animal.
“COME HERE!” The Lord roared and grabbed Hime by his ankle, pulling him close.
Hime winced in pain when his head hit the marble floor and looked up at the raging man who straddled him. The Lord took the black whip, placed the handle across Hime’s neck and pushed it down, choking Hime in the process. Hime tried to push it away but the Lord’s grip was too strong.
“How does it feel Hime? Does it hurt? It should…You hurt me and now you need to pay…You should know better than to run away from me. You should know I will always find you and bring you back.” The Lord said gravely, staring at Hime’s neck.
The Lord stared in fascination at the contrast of colour between Hime’s skin and the whip. It was mesmerizing. It was like cream and coffee.
Snow and soot. Pearl and slate. White and Black.
And that was how the Lord saw things…Black and White with no grey in between.
Hime betrayed him. After everything he gave, Hime threw it back in his face and tried to escape. He had rules and Hime broke his rules. He had no choice but to teach Hime an important lesson.
The Lord’s eyes were clouded with madness and revenge. Panic sank in and Hime realized that he had to fight for his life. He refused to die now. He refused to play the docile role. He had to outsmart this monster.
“My Lord….please…I’m sorry…” Hime implored with teary eyes.
“You’re sorry? Those crocodile tears don’t fool me, Hime. But I do love seeing you cry.” The Lord spat before finally letting Hime go.
He leaned down and licked those salty droplets from Hime’s face. The Lord then reached into the pocket of his pants and took out switchblade, flipping out the sharp blade directly in front of Hime’s shocked eyes.
“You really are stupid to try to leave me.” The Lord murmured, gently down Hime’s bruised neck to the front of his soiled nightgown. “After all I had done for you…Taking you in when I saw your freezing body and bleeding all over the snow…You didn’t know who you were and where you came from...and yet I still love you and sheltered you from the cruel cruel world. Since you are so ungrateful to my kindness…you deserve nothing after what you did...”
With those menacing words, the Lord ripped Hime’s nightdress down his body. The Lord pushed aside the torn dress and removed Hime’s undergarments off using the sharp blade. It was the most humiliating experience Hime had ever since he lived in this demonic realm of a house. He closed his eyes and held his breath, trying to stop himself from crying. But it was futile. This time, it was real tears flowing down his swollen cheeks. Slowly, Hime was losing hope.
“It’s alright, my dear princess. Cry it all out. It’s okay to feel sad that I’m taking all your privileges away.” The Lord said darkly and gave a small laugh.
He carelessly tore a piece of cloth from the ripped dress and tied it securely around Hime’s ankles. He then took another strap of cloth and tied Hime’s wrist to the foot of his bed.
“Now…I have to punish you…And since I don’t wish to scar your lovely skin, I have to punish you in a special way.” The sadistic man declared as he picked up the black whip. “You leave me no choice. And I hope you will remember not to repeat your unpardonable mistake.”
He brought back the whip and swung it. The sound of a loud crack filled the room, followed by Hime’s scream. Hime did not know how long the Lord flogged his feet till he could not feel them anymore and almost blacked out from the immense pain. He bit his lower lip and told himself that the torture would end soon.
The Lord made sure Hime was conscious throughout his punishment. He wanted Hime to feel all the pain and not faint and escape to lala land. The pained expression on Hime’s face excited him. It had always thrilled him to see Hime giving in and being submissive. Finally when he was satisfied, he threw the whip onto the floor and stood back, staring at Hime like he was a piece of artwork.
“Red is definitely your colour…” The Lord whispered lowly and licked his lips as he untied Hime’s wrists. “Very beautiful…”
He strode towards his bed and bended down, pulling a long narrow black box from underneath. Hime slowly turned to see what the Lord was doing but his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
It’s a coffin!
“Don’t worry…I’m not going to bury you alive.” The Lord laughed at Hime’s frightened face, “This will be your new bed. Since I can’t trust you to be on your own, you need to stay somewhere you can’t run away.”
He unlocked the padlock at the side of the casket and smiled to himself.
“Get in.” The Lord said darkly. He stood back and gleefully watched Hime tried to stand up but stumbled back onto the floor.
Hime could feel something trickling down his bruise covered feet. He looked down and to his horror; he saw his blood soaking onto the carpet beneath him. The Lord felt a sense of accomplishment after teaching Hime a hard lesson. Now, he was sure that Hime could not run away from him again with those battered feet.
He stared at Hime, who was crawling towards the coffin and a brilliant idea came to the Lord’s mind. But he soon grew impatient at Hime’s staggering pace and kicked him at his side, making Hime rolled into the narrow box and the Lord slammed the lid shut. He clamped the lock and pushed the black coffin back underneath his bed.
For the next 4 days, Hime did not see the sun nor did he eat. The only companion he had was darkness and the throbbing pain from his wounded feet. The pungent scent of blood and musk smelled like death. Hime wondered how long he was going to stay in this box and how long will it be till Death comes for him and relieved him from this infinite misery.
Every morning, he would be awakened by the Lord kicking the coffin, making sure he was still alive, and sounds of his footsteps, making his way around the room as he got ready for work. The Lord would again kick the Hime’s coffin when he came home and taunted him before he went to bed.
Sometimes the Lord would try to provoke him with offer of food in exchange for sex. But Hime continued to remain silent and prayed that the Lord would think he was sleeping. He did not want to give his captor more reason to harm him.
On the 4th day, the Lord’s anger had fully subsided. He came home slightly later than usual that night and carried a grocery bag to his bedroom. He sharply pulled the casket from under his bed, unlocked it and lifted the lid up. He grinned when he saw Hime’s shocked expression.
“Miss me?” The Lord asked cynically, but gave a mocking sigh when Hime did not reply. “I guess not. Get out of the toy box.”
Hime pushed his shivering naked body up despite the stinging sensation on his feet. He winced as he followed the Lord towards the bathroom. It was like walking on broken glass. Hime looked down and grimaced at the condition of his feet. There were scabs forming around the torn skin and deeper gashes were starting to look more like permanent scars.
“Get in the bathtub…” The Lord gestured Hime over as he placed the grocery bag in the sink.
Hime’s eyes widened in fear and his body shook from the cold air in the bathroom. He slowly got into the tub and sat still, not wanting to upset the sinister man. The Lord turned the tap and filled the ivory tub with warm water up to Hime's waist. As the room grew misty, he reached over and took out a small white body sponge from the grocery bag. After damping it thoroughly, the Lord gently scrub Hime's shoulder in a slow circular motion.
"I'm going to clean you all up because tonight is a special night." The Lord murmured happily to himself.
He took out a vanilla scented liquid soap from the bag and pumped some of it onto the sponge. Hime looked confused at his light-hearted words but kept quiet, secretly enjoying warmth of the water soothing his aching feet. He bit his lip when the Lord roughly washed his blood-caked tangled hair. The wound on his head was still tender and it took a lot for Hime not to scream when the Lord's fingers rubbed against his scalp.
The Lord unceremoniously cleansed the shampoo foam from Hime's hair and let out a low chuckle when he saw his princess wiped some of the soapy water away from his flushed face.
Adorable.
He pulled the plug to drain the water and told Hime to sit on the ledge of the bathtub. Hime followed the Lord's order again without question or hesitation. He sat silently while the Lord rummaged the same brown paper grocery bag and took out rolls of elastic bandages and packets of alcohol-free wipes.
The Lord crouched down to Hime's dangling legs and gently lifted Hime's foot. Hime observed the Lord who tore opened a packet of wipe and carefully dabbed it onto an open wound. Hime squeaked at the stinging pain and closed his eyes tightly.
“Poor princess~ Don’t worry. Tonight will be the start of a new beginning.” The Lord drawled as he wrapped Hime’s feet with the bandages. “Come.”
The Lord got up and pushed Hime back into his bedroom. Sitting at the edge of his bed, the Lord took a bottle of red wine and a wine glass from his bedside table. He found amusement and arousal at Hime’s nude figure cowering at a corner of his room. The Lord loved it and relished at the dominance he had over his Hime.
“Tonight is my birthday. However, I am gracious enough to make it your birthday as well. Tonight will be the night of your rebirth because as far as your well-being is concern, you are dead to me. The moment you stepped out of this house, it was like a slap to my face. It doesn’t feel good, Hime. Not…good…at all…” The Lord poured himself a glass and stared at the pitiful sight in front of him.
“If you want to come back to life and be in my good graces, you have to do it on your own freewill. I want you to get down on your knees and crawl to me, Hime. Crawl your way back to me and be reborn again. This is your only way for me to fully forgive you. I created you. I am your protector so don’t you ever forget that. You can either be reincarnated through me and be my possession. Or I can kill you right here, right now. Understand that I have rules and as your master, I have the right to punish you. If you choose to be reborn, I am your sole lord and master.”
Hime took a moment to fully comprehend what the Lord said because he was beyond livid. As much as Hime had prayed to escape the pain and turmoil, a small part of him did not want to die. That little voice in his head was telling him that he had to follow whatever the Lord demands if he wanted to live another day. But his pride was telling him no.
“So what is it going to be princess?” The Lord asked; his voice was mild though his demeanour was icy.
He was deadly serious. Cringing, Hime took one last breath and forced himself to get on his hands and knees. He lifted his trembling hand and slowly crawled towards the leering man. With each step closer to the bed, Hime felt a piece of himself shedding away. God, he wanted to cry from this demeaning act. The Lord wanted to break him down into submission and Hime’s flame was extinguished when he reached the Lord’s foot. As he turned from his previous life to face his new life, he locked eyes with a set of dark possessive ones.
The Lord set his wine glass aside and pulled Hime towards him. He filled Hime’s mouth with the sweet liquor and delved his tongue in, savouring the sweetness all together.
“Happy Birthday to us, Princess…” The Lord murmured huskily and pushed Hime down on his ebed.
The Lord handcuffed Hime to his bed and continued kissing and fondling him till he fell asleep. Hime turned his head away from the sleeping man, who had his arms around him, and stared at the winter moon outside the window. A small tear escaped his eye and he quickly wiped it away with his upper arm.
He didn’t know where this feeling of sadness came from. Maybe just maybe…He was tired of feeling.
Feelings hurt and Hime did not want to feel anymore.
Title: My Mannequin - Chapter 3
Pairing: RYODA
Genre: Angst/Romance/Dark
Rating: NC-17
Author's Note: Sorry for making you wait so long. I hope you like this. :)
Hime slowly opened his eyes when the rising sunrays peered through his soft pink floral curtains. He was surprised that he was able to sleep through the night after what happened. His arms and neck felt sore when he tried to move. Hime did not dare to get up, fearing to meet the Lord downstairs for breakfast. But then again, he had no choice.
The Lord expected his presence in the morning before he leaves for work, wherever work was, and dinner when he came back in the evening. He just did not want to get up and faced his treacherous Master. However, he did not want to get in trouble again because the Lord would use any excuse to lay a hand on him.
He tried to go back to sleep but his blood ran cold when he heard heavy footsteps approaching his room. The Lord quietly opened the door and walked towards Hime’s bed. He sat at the edge bed and gently stroke Hime’s hair, tucking a strand of copper lock behind his ear.
“Hime, get up. Your breakfast is ready.” The Lord cooed eerily, running his thumb over Hime’s cheek. For a second Hime almost believed that the Lord cared for him. But he knew better. The gentle façade would turn cruel if he defied the Lord.
“I…don’t feel...well…” Hime replied, stumbling over his words nervously while feigning his sickness. “I’m…sorry…”
“Awwww…” The Lord came closer to him and felt his forehead, checking to see if his precious princess was falling ill. “No fever…My poor baby, was I too rough last night?”
Hime gulped and stayed unmoved, buried deeper in his blanket as a form of security. The Lord leaned forward and pecked him on his cold lips.
“Rest for the day. I’ll leave your breakfast in the kitchen. Just eat when you feel better.” The sinister man said as he got up from the bed. “I have to go to work now. Behave yourself until I come back.”
The captive let out a heavy sigh as soon as the Lord left his room. He waited for a few minutes and only got up from his bed when he heard the sound of his Master’s car revving in the courtyard. Hime peeped through his window as he watched the wicked man leave for the day. He felt relief that he had the house to himself for 12 hours or so before he returned back at 8pm.
Hime went down to the kitchen, hoping to have a peaceful breakfast and maybe play around with the harpsichord in the music room afterwards. He saw a tray of rice with miso soup, pickled vegetables and grilled salmon on the marble island of the kitchen. Hime dug into his food and eat everything up quickly. The Lord would punish him if he did not finish his food. After he was done, he picked up the tray and placed it near the sink. He was about to make himself a cup of tea when suddenly, he felt a cold breeze.
He slowly turned and froze when he saw the backdoor of the house opened and unlocked. He clenched his fists and curiously pushed the door opened, amazed that the wondrous turn of event. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a vehicle driving into the courtyard.
“HIME! WHERE ARE YOU!” The sound of his enraged Master bellowing for him.
Hime’s heart jumped in his chest. He garnered all his courage and ran into the snow blanket garden, not looking back.
~//~
He was an idiot. He was stupid enough to be careless. He was NEVER careless. He had always checked and made sure that all the windows, doors and gates were securely locked before he left the house. The moment he realized that he forgot to lock the backdoor, he immediately turned his car around and drove back home. His fucking clients could wait for him for all he cared. He prayed that his princess better still be there. If not, there would be bloody murder. He got off his car, slammed it loudly and ran into his large house while yelling for him.
“HIME! WHERE ARE YOU!”
But he soon realized that his biggest nightmare came true when he saw the opened backdoor and footprints on the snowy ground, leading into the forest.
“HIME!!!!” His thunderous voice echoed throughout the serene landscape.
~//~
Hime ran and ran, passing by trees after trees. He ran as fast as his weak legs could carry him. There was no time to rest or think; he knew that the Lord was not very far behind him and waiting for him to make a mistake. His lungs hurt from the cold air and his feet were numbed by the snow. But he kept on running and not daring to look back in fear of seeing his enraged Master. This was his chance! There was hope after all. The day he had prayed every single night finally came true.
God help me…please help me…
He breathed heavily as he went deeper into the woods, snow almost reaching his knees and damping his dress. Hime inhaled the fresh scent of pine and looked up at the clear blue morning sky, giving him a sense of hope. He was close to tasting freedom. He continued running through the woods, praying that he could find a road. Every excruciating step he took brought him a step closer to the freedom he never thought he could reclaim again.
In his state of exhaustion, Hime felt like he had been running for hours. But he knew that it must have been not more than 30 minutes. His feet were starting to feel sore by the prickly sticks and pebbles, which some were caught at the hem of his nightgown. After a while, the open blisters started to slow Hime down and finally, he slumped down against a tree. He tried controlling his heavy panting and took shallow breathes, hoping to hear any sound of nearby roads or railway that could lead him out of the forest.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of twigs snapping and his heart dropped to his stomach. He carefully and quietly got up from the cold muddy ground. His intuition told him danger was very close and he had to make a dash for it. But before he could, Hime felt an icy hand grabbed his wrist and his body was swiftly slammed against the tree where he hid. His face was painted in horror when he saw his predator trapping him.
The Lord’s penetrating eyes left him frozen in fear. Hime wanted to scream or yell or push him away. But the last thing he saw was the Lord’s fist holding a rock and it was coming down on his head. Instantly, Hime blackout from the impact and collapsed onto the ice cold ground.
Hime could not remember what happened next or how the Lord brought him back to the ominous manor. When he woke up and discovered that he was lying on the carpeted floor of the Lord’s bedroom, all his hope was dashed out like a candle in the wind. The dark cold room had only the fireplace as its source of light and heat. His head was throbbing madly and his sight was unclear. He tried to get up but the pain at the right side of his head was extremely excruciating. He raised his hand to touch his head and was shocked to see blood on his fingers.
He turned his head and slowly looked over at the far corner of the room. The Lord was quietly seated at his black leather sofa and leisurely taking a drag from his cigar, while staring at him with a deadly look. Hime knew that look. That look indicated to him that it was going to be a long painful night of punishment and suffering.
“My Lord…” Hime croaked, his throat dried and strained.
The tormentor emerged from the darkness like a ghost, stepping into the amber light. The smell of harsh tobacco in the tense air made Hime even more nausea and as the Lord got up and walked towards him, Hime felt even more ill. Swirls of smoke masked the Lord’s dark face; hiding his intentions and disturbing delight in see Hime’s disorientation.
“I thought you would not wake up…” The Lord sneered, standing by Hime and used his polished boots to nudge Hime’s chin up so he could see the distraught in his prisoner’s eyes. “You scared me there for a second…”
Hime glared back at him and was sharply slapped and backhanded across his cheek. His cheek beaming red as the Lord’s fury grew.
“Such disobedience and rudeness are not condoned…” The Lord spat acidly and grabbed Hime’s face. He stared long and hard at the ghostly pale boy, making sure that Hime understood that he was the master. “I have been too lenient on you…Maybe I should mark your pretty face with this cigar so you will remember your place…”
The Lord chuckled deeply when he saw Hime’s eyes widened in fear, taking pleasure at every little facial expression of his pet.
“Don’t worry…I won’t waste a fine cigar on you...” The Lord slowly extinguished the cancer stick on his ivory ashtray. “I have something better planned for you…”
The Lord sauntered towards his dark wooden dresser and opened a drawer, taking out a black leather whip. Hime breathing quickened as the Lord walked back to him. His eyes could not tear away from the whip and back away, huddling against the wall like a cornered animal.
“COME HERE!” The Lord roared and grabbed Hime by his ankle, pulling him close.
Hime winced in pain when his head hit the marble floor and looked up at the raging man who straddled him. The Lord took the black whip, placed the handle across Hime’s neck and pushed it down, choking Hime in the process. Hime tried to push it away but the Lord’s grip was too strong.
“How does it feel Hime? Does it hurt? It should…You hurt me and now you need to pay…You should know better than to run away from me. You should know I will always find you and bring you back.” The Lord said gravely, staring at Hime’s neck.
The Lord stared in fascination at the contrast of colour between Hime’s skin and the whip. It was mesmerizing. It was like cream and coffee.
Snow and soot. Pearl and slate. White and Black.
And that was how the Lord saw things…Black and White with no grey in between.
Hime betrayed him. After everything he gave, Hime threw it back in his face and tried to escape. He had rules and Hime broke his rules. He had no choice but to teach Hime an important lesson.
The Lord’s eyes were clouded with madness and revenge. Panic sank in and Hime realized that he had to fight for his life. He refused to die now. He refused to play the docile role. He had to outsmart this monster.
“My Lord….please…I’m sorry…” Hime implored with teary eyes.
“You’re sorry? Those crocodile tears don’t fool me, Hime. But I do love seeing you cry.” The Lord spat before finally letting Hime go.
He leaned down and licked those salty droplets from Hime’s face. The Lord then reached into the pocket of his pants and took out switchblade, flipping out the sharp blade directly in front of Hime’s shocked eyes.
“You really are stupid to try to leave me.” The Lord murmured, gently down Hime’s bruised neck to the front of his soiled nightgown. “After all I had done for you…Taking you in when I saw your freezing body and bleeding all over the snow…You didn’t know who you were and where you came from...and yet I still love you and sheltered you from the cruel cruel world. Since you are so ungrateful to my kindness…you deserve nothing after what you did...”
With those menacing words, the Lord ripped Hime’s nightdress down his body. The Lord pushed aside the torn dress and removed Hime’s undergarments off using the sharp blade. It was the most humiliating experience Hime had ever since he lived in this demonic realm of a house. He closed his eyes and held his breath, trying to stop himself from crying. But it was futile. This time, it was real tears flowing down his swollen cheeks. Slowly, Hime was losing hope.
“It’s alright, my dear princess. Cry it all out. It’s okay to feel sad that I’m taking all your privileges away.” The Lord said darkly and gave a small laugh.
He carelessly tore a piece of cloth from the ripped dress and tied it securely around Hime’s ankles. He then took another strap of cloth and tied Hime’s wrist to the foot of his bed.
“Now…I have to punish you…And since I don’t wish to scar your lovely skin, I have to punish you in a special way.” The sadistic man declared as he picked up the black whip. “You leave me no choice. And I hope you will remember not to repeat your unpardonable mistake.”
He brought back the whip and swung it. The sound of a loud crack filled the room, followed by Hime’s scream. Hime did not know how long the Lord flogged his feet till he could not feel them anymore and almost blacked out from the immense pain. He bit his lower lip and told himself that the torture would end soon.
The Lord made sure Hime was conscious throughout his punishment. He wanted Hime to feel all the pain and not faint and escape to lala land. The pained expression on Hime’s face excited him. It had always thrilled him to see Hime giving in and being submissive. Finally when he was satisfied, he threw the whip onto the floor and stood back, staring at Hime like he was a piece of artwork.
“Red is definitely your colour…” The Lord whispered lowly and licked his lips as he untied Hime’s wrists. “Very beautiful…”
He strode towards his bed and bended down, pulling a long narrow black box from underneath. Hime slowly turned to see what the Lord was doing but his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.
It’s a coffin!
“Don’t worry…I’m not going to bury you alive.” The Lord laughed at Hime’s frightened face, “This will be your new bed. Since I can’t trust you to be on your own, you need to stay somewhere you can’t run away.”
He unlocked the padlock at the side of the casket and smiled to himself.
“Get in.” The Lord said darkly. He stood back and gleefully watched Hime tried to stand up but stumbled back onto the floor.
Hime could feel something trickling down his bruise covered feet. He looked down and to his horror; he saw his blood soaking onto the carpet beneath him. The Lord felt a sense of accomplishment after teaching Hime a hard lesson. Now, he was sure that Hime could not run away from him again with those battered feet.
He stared at Hime, who was crawling towards the coffin and a brilliant idea came to the Lord’s mind. But he soon grew impatient at Hime’s staggering pace and kicked him at his side, making Hime rolled into the narrow box and the Lord slammed the lid shut. He clamped the lock and pushed the black coffin back underneath his bed.
For the next 4 days, Hime did not see the sun nor did he eat. The only companion he had was darkness and the throbbing pain from his wounded feet. The pungent scent of blood and musk smelled like death. Hime wondered how long he was going to stay in this box and how long will it be till Death comes for him and relieved him from this infinite misery.
Every morning, he would be awakened by the Lord kicking the coffin, making sure he was still alive, and sounds of his footsteps, making his way around the room as he got ready for work. The Lord would again kick the Hime’s coffin when he came home and taunted him before he went to bed.
Sometimes the Lord would try to provoke him with offer of food in exchange for sex. But Hime continued to remain silent and prayed that the Lord would think he was sleeping. He did not want to give his captor more reason to harm him.
On the 4th day, the Lord’s anger had fully subsided. He came home slightly later than usual that night and carried a grocery bag to his bedroom. He sharply pulled the casket from under his bed, unlocked it and lifted the lid up. He grinned when he saw Hime’s shocked expression.
“Miss me?” The Lord asked cynically, but gave a mocking sigh when Hime did not reply. “I guess not. Get out of the toy box.”
Hime pushed his shivering naked body up despite the stinging sensation on his feet. He winced as he followed the Lord towards the bathroom. It was like walking on broken glass. Hime looked down and grimaced at the condition of his feet. There were scabs forming around the torn skin and deeper gashes were starting to look more like permanent scars.
“Get in the bathtub…” The Lord gestured Hime over as he placed the grocery bag in the sink.
Hime’s eyes widened in fear and his body shook from the cold air in the bathroom. He slowly got into the tub and sat still, not wanting to upset the sinister man. The Lord turned the tap and filled the ivory tub with warm water up to Hime's waist. As the room grew misty, he reached over and took out a small white body sponge from the grocery bag. After damping it thoroughly, the Lord gently scrub Hime's shoulder in a slow circular motion.
"I'm going to clean you all up because tonight is a special night." The Lord murmured happily to himself.
He took out a vanilla scented liquid soap from the bag and pumped some of it onto the sponge. Hime looked confused at his light-hearted words but kept quiet, secretly enjoying warmth of the water soothing his aching feet. He bit his lip when the Lord roughly washed his blood-caked tangled hair. The wound on his head was still tender and it took a lot for Hime not to scream when the Lord's fingers rubbed against his scalp.
The Lord unceremoniously cleansed the shampoo foam from Hime's hair and let out a low chuckle when he saw his princess wiped some of the soapy water away from his flushed face.
Adorable.
He pulled the plug to drain the water and told Hime to sit on the ledge of the bathtub. Hime followed the Lord's order again without question or hesitation. He sat silently while the Lord rummaged the same brown paper grocery bag and took out rolls of elastic bandages and packets of alcohol-free wipes.
The Lord crouched down to Hime's dangling legs and gently lifted Hime's foot. Hime observed the Lord who tore opened a packet of wipe and carefully dabbed it onto an open wound. Hime squeaked at the stinging pain and closed his eyes tightly.
“Poor princess~ Don’t worry. Tonight will be the start of a new beginning.” The Lord drawled as he wrapped Hime’s feet with the bandages. “Come.”
The Lord got up and pushed Hime back into his bedroom. Sitting at the edge of his bed, the Lord took a bottle of red wine and a wine glass from his bedside table. He found amusement and arousal at Hime’s nude figure cowering at a corner of his room. The Lord loved it and relished at the dominance he had over his Hime.
“Tonight is my birthday. However, I am gracious enough to make it your birthday as well. Tonight will be the night of your rebirth because as far as your well-being is concern, you are dead to me. The moment you stepped out of this house, it was like a slap to my face. It doesn’t feel good, Hime. Not…good…at all…” The Lord poured himself a glass and stared at the pitiful sight in front of him.
“If you want to come back to life and be in my good graces, you have to do it on your own freewill. I want you to get down on your knees and crawl to me, Hime. Crawl your way back to me and be reborn again. This is your only way for me to fully forgive you. I created you. I am your protector so don’t you ever forget that. You can either be reincarnated through me and be my possession. Or I can kill you right here, right now. Understand that I have rules and as your master, I have the right to punish you. If you choose to be reborn, I am your sole lord and master.”
Hime took a moment to fully comprehend what the Lord said because he was beyond livid. As much as Hime had prayed to escape the pain and turmoil, a small part of him did not want to die. That little voice in his head was telling him that he had to follow whatever the Lord demands if he wanted to live another day. But his pride was telling him no.
“So what is it going to be princess?” The Lord asked; his voice was mild though his demeanour was icy.
He was deadly serious. Cringing, Hime took one last breath and forced himself to get on his hands and knees. He lifted his trembling hand and slowly crawled towards the leering man. With each step closer to the bed, Hime felt a piece of himself shedding away. God, he wanted to cry from this demeaning act. The Lord wanted to break him down into submission and Hime’s flame was extinguished when he reached the Lord’s foot. As he turned from his previous life to face his new life, he locked eyes with a set of dark possessive ones.
The Lord set his wine glass aside and pulled Hime towards him. He filled Hime’s mouth with the sweet liquor and delved his tongue in, savouring the sweetness all together.
“Happy Birthday to us, Princess…” The Lord murmured huskily and pushed Hime down on his ebed.
The Lord handcuffed Hime to his bed and continued kissing and fondling him till he fell asleep. Hime turned his head away from the sleeping man, who had his arms around him, and stared at the winter moon outside the window. A small tear escaped his eye and he quickly wiped it away with his upper arm.
He didn’t know where this feeling of sadness came from. Maybe just maybe…He was tired of feeling.
Feelings hurt and Hime did not want to feel anymore.