Page 9 of His to Slash

When I finally reached it, I pulled myself up, leaning against the shelves for support. My hands shook violently as I reached for the cans, fumbling with the pull-tabs. Fruit cocktail, green beans, corn – I didn't care. I just needed something, anything, to fill the void inside me.

As the first mouthful hit my tongue, I broke down. Sobs wracked my body as I shoveled the food into my mouth, not caring about the mess I was making. It was sustenance, yes, but it was also a reminder that I was alive. That despite everything Grayson had done to me, I was still here. Still fighting.

But as I ate, the nagging fear remained. My body shouldn't be healing this fast. It wasn't natural. And if it wasn't natural, then what the hell was happening to me?

I finished the cans, my stomach uncomfortably full, but my mind still racing. What had Grayson done to me? What was I becoming? And most terrifyingly – would I recognize myself when this was all over?

* * *

I dragged myself across the kitchen floor, every movement sending shockwaves of pain through my battered body. The sink loomed ahead, a beacon of hope in my parched misery. Water. I needed water.

A floorboard creaked behind me.

My heart stuttered. I froze, muscles tensing despite the agony it caused. Slowly, fighting against the stiffness in my neck, I turned my head.

Grayson stood in the doorway, a dark silhouette against the dim light. My breath caught in my throat, panic flooding my veins like ice water. I waited for the attack, for the brutal assault that had become horrifyingly familiar.

But he didn't move.

He took a single step forward, his masked face tilted as he regarded me. I couldn't see his eyes, but I felt the weight of his gaze on me, heavy and suffocating.

I tried to push myself up, to face him with some shred of dignity. Pain lanced through me, and I collapsed back to the floor with a whimper.

He crouched down slowly, bringing himself to my level. I flinched as he reached out, expecting violence. Instead, his fingers hovered over the mottled bruises on my hip, barely brushing against my skin.

I jerked away instinctively, but his other hand shot out, gripping my arm with bruising force. He held me still as he pressed his fingers into the bruise, sending white-hot agony through my body. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, determined not to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

When I finally gathered the courage to look at him, I saw a smile in his eyes as they gleamed with a dark curiosity that chilled me to my core.

This wasn't about hurting me anymore. This was... something else. He was watching me, studying my reactions with an intensity that made my skin crawl. Each twitch, each pained gasp seemed to fascinate him.

"What do you want?" I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Grayson didn't respond. His fingers traced the outline of another bruise, pressing down experimentally. I hissed through clenched teeth, and his smile widened. I could tell by the mask moving against his face.

He was savoring this, I realized with growing horror. My pain wasn't just a byproduct of his violence anymore – it was the main attraction. A performance he couldn't tear his eyes away from.

"Stop," I pleaded, hating the weakness in my voice. "Please, just... stop."

But my words seemed to have no effect. Grayson's hand moved to my ribcage, probing the tender flesh where I was sure bones had been bruised or fractured. Each touch was deliberate, calculated. He wasn't trying to hurt me now – he was mapping out the damage he'd already done.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the reality of what was happening. But I could still feel his presence, the heat of his body so close to mine. The gentle, almost clinical way he explored my injuries was somehow more terrifying than his previous brutality.

When I opened my eyes again, Grayson was staring directly at my face. His gaze was intense, searching. What was he looking for? What sick satisfaction did he get from this twisted examination?

"Why?" I whispered, searching his eyes for any hint of humanity. "Why are you doing this?"

For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker behind his eyes – a flash of... recognition? Confusion? But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by that same dark curiosity.

Grayson's hand moved to my face, his thumb brushing over my split lip. I flinched at the contact, tasting blood. He tilted his head, watching my reaction with rapt attention.

The silence stretched between us, heavy and oppressive. I realized I was holding my breath, waiting for whatever came next. Would he attack again? Leave? Or continue this bizarre, terrifying inspection?

ten

I lay on the couch,every breath a battle against the pain that wracked my body. Grayson had left, but his presence lingered like a toxic cloud, suffocating me even in his absence. The silence of the house pressed in on me, broken only by my ragged breathing and the occasional creak of settling wood.

Days blurred together, punctuated by Grayson's increasingly frequent visits. The violence I'd come to expect gave way to something far more unsettling – a gentleness that turned my stomach. His touch, once brutal and punishing, became almost tender. It was a mockery of care that left me more shaken than his previous assaults.

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