Page 16 of Wanna Play A Game?
Cali
It’s been hours since the man threw me in a cell and locked the door. Or at least, that’s what it feels like. I’ve walked circles around the small room for what feels like forever, waiting for the door to open and something bad to happen.
I wonder what Rachel thinks. I hope she figured out something was wrong after I didn’t show up. My stomach clenches. What if I don’t show up for work tomorrow? Will I still be alive tomorrow? Dread runs through me. What will happen to Halloweiner if I die?
I sit heavily on the mattress on the floor. It has no sheet, and there is nothing else in the room. It looks like a basement with cement walls. I’ve circled it a hundred times. The only light comes from the crack under the door, and there’s no door handle. It smells like mildew and sweat.
There’s a bump from above, and I clench my fingers into fists again. My heart is racing. I don’t know what the hell this man wants from me, but I’d almost rather him just come in and do it than sit in suspense.
I hear noises outside the door, and I jump up. Shadows fall in my line of light, and I realize that I have nothing to use as a weapon.
The door swings open, and the sudden shift from darkness to light hurts my eyes. A light flips on in the room, and I shield my eyes while angling my body to the door.
The man stands there, mask still on. He has a folding chair with him.
“Hey, bunny.” He pushes the chair into the room and then grabs another from outside. I glimpse another, bigger room that looks like…a game room? What the hell?
The door is yanked shut.
The man wears jeans and a T-shirt. There are tattoos that ripple up both arms in red and black ink. It feels like he sucks the energy from the room and then shoots it back to me through the mesh-covered eye holes in his mask.
“What, no pleas for mercy?” His voice makes goosebumps run up and down my arms.
He easily handles the chair with one hand and sets it down in the middle of the room.
My chest burns with unanswered questions, but I keep my lips sealed. Whoever this is, he clearly gets off on having all the power. I refuse to play into that.
He chuckles. “Sit.”
I glare at him. I can barely see the shadows of his eyes through the mask. Why does he wear that? Do I know him?
He motions at the chair again. “Sit. I won’t ask again.”
I lick my lips but don’t move. He’s going to hurt me anyway. Why obey?
He gives a light-hearted laugh and stalks around the chair. “You gotta choose your battles, pretty girl.”
Adrenaline burns under my skin, and I try to run past him, but he snatches me up by my neck and plops me onto the chair.He rummages in his pocket and pulls out a zip tie. I claw at his mask, knocking it sideways enough to see a cut jawline and dark stubble. He gets one hand tied to the chair, then goes for the other.
I kick out at him. He sighs and easily does the same for my legs.
My chest heaves. Being at his mercy now makes my vision blur at the edges. And that makes me angry. How dare he?
“Fuck you, you disgusting pig.”
The man adjusts his mask and pats my knee. “Pigs aren’t disgusting. And relax. I’m not going to hurt you. Right now, anyway.”
He pulls up the other chair and sits so close his legs wrap around the outside of mine. He’s huge and warm, and fuck, there’s that cologne smell again.
“Okay, let me see what I’m working with.” He faces me and slowly reaches his hand out to my face.
I rear back as far as I can go. The man brushes his thumb along my jaw.
I spit at him.
The man slowly raises his hand, wipes it off the mask, and then groans. “Jesus, bunny.” He adjusts his crotch.
“You’re sick,” I hiss.
