Page 32 of Corrupt Game

I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she realized that the appliances would have lights.

This was going to be a lot of fun. I laughed.

She began feeling her way over to the refrigerator. She yanked it open. Only to find that I had removed the light bulbs.

“Bastard.” She slammed it shut and leaned against it.

Smart, and with a streak of common sense, her attitude was something to be admired. She thought she could outsmart me.

Her next move was to feel her way down the counter toward the microwave.

The energy flowing through my veins at her actions had me leaning closer to the screen so that I didn’t miss out on anything.

Better than watching tv or a reality show, I almost wished I had someone else to share it with or hell, even place a bet on it.

Her growing frustration was amplified by the words coming out of her mouth.

“Fucking bastard.” She stuck her tongue out. “ ‘Learn the room,’ he says. ‘You chose this.’ He repeats it like it’s a mantra.”

“That doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s all just like I’m a rat stuck in his maze for his enjoyment.”

Her response thrilled me. I had planned to leave her alone for the majority of the day to become acquainted with her new home, but I couldn’t resist adding just a few words to drive the point home. I was in control.

“You didn’t think I would forget such a little thing, did you? The lights on the appliances were such an obvious first choice for light. I’ll always be one step ahead of you.” The grin on my face grew wider as she held up her middle finger.

She circled the room, holding it up so that I couldn’t miss it.

Her spirited response was exactly what I was looking for.

My finger held down the button on my phone for the intercom.

“Just remember, you chose this.”

Everything came down to a few moments when a person’s true nature was revealed. This would be the chance to either break her or make her a survivor.

A high was coursing through my body as I watched her struggle to adjust to the darkness. I had warned her this was coming. She’d prepared more than the last woman. That one had walked around bumping into things for two days before begging me to turn the lights on.

Well, I’d given her clues at least. It was up to her to make it work.

Admiration filled me as she floated around the room with an easy grace to her movements. The darkness didn’t seem to faze her in the least after that first initial adjustment. She’d seemed to find a way to walk and be at peace.

Sure, she’d screamed and called me names—it came with the territory. The fact that this brought such pleasure to me was another indication that I was severely damaged.

This was for more than pleasure, it was a desperate need that had to be sated.

Even though it was tortuous for her, I was beyond caring how it made her feel at the present moment. Too many things had piled up, and I needed to have a release. With everything that had happened, it had been way too long since I’d felt the need or even wanted to be bothered with a new plaything.

After all I was paying her, she simply had to make up her mind if it was worth what she was going through. The loss of control, the choice given, and time away from the world generally deterred those that weren’t overly into this type of relationship.

Most people had a response to complete darkness: screaming, panic, other outward reactions. The other group were the exact opposite: they withdrew from the present and went into their heads.

Neither response was good, but those who pushed their emotions outward seemed to recover sooner as they adjusted to the idea.

Collette was of the second kind. She’d tried a few things to make it easier then simply sat on the couch as if she could wait me out.

“You can leave at any time.” I reminded her. She needed something to focus on, and her anger could be turned on me with little consequence.

I felt she needed the reminder of why she was in this situation. She could leave at any time. Also, she had a way out if she wanted to use it. Her voice was as important to this process as her acceptance was.

---