1. The Basement!

Emerald's POV

Thunder roared outside the window, which is tinted black and way out of my reach. It tells me that the world is still behind it and I am not alone behind it. How mocking it is that windows are meant to see the world yet this tint snatched that right from me. 

I have heard the word 'misery' since childhood, but I didn't know that it could be felt to this extent, where you wish for death desperately. I sometimes think about ending this life for once but I don't have that right either. 

I am stuck, I am ruined. I don't know what my life has for me. Going out and looking at the sun is just a dream now. I don't even remember the last time I took a bath, the dress on my body has started shredding into pieces, and coldness always takes advantage of it; the cold floor doesn't help either. My tongue has forgotten what food tastes like, and I can feel my body becoming just bones.

I am living in hell in this basement for uncountable days, maybe weeks or months, I don't know how long it's been, but still I don't want to go out of this place because this hell is better than what he has for me outside. 

My body trembles whenever I think about him. The only person who has ever made me feel extreme fear, every single cell of my body fears him. 

I never thought that I would see death in any human, but he is the one. He will be my death and I have no escape from him. 

Hot tears escaped from my eyes when I realised that he had no intention of killing me anytime soon. He will take his time to torture the soul out of me, and then, if he feels that my body should rest now, he might kill me. I mock myself whenever I think about how much he must be enjoying torturing me. 

Caging me was a dream of many; he conquered that dream and torturing me was just a mirage for some; he dragged it into reality. 

What amuses me is that he didn't choose to torture my body but targeted my sanity instead; he knew what was stronger. He knows how to play his games and I always loathe it. 

Has he forgotten that I am in his basement because he hasn't been here for long, I can't even tell the time. I haven't seen a dim bulb light because of that, the basement is completely dark, and he turns on the lights only when he is here. I have been staring into the darkness for ages.

My back felt the vibration, and my eyes snapped open in alert. These familiar vibrations are an alarm. I don't know if it's the weak floor or his powerful footsteps but whenever he comes, it trembles.

I closed my eyes, I don't want to see him, meet him or talk to him. He will make me cry again, he will play with me again, I don't want him to snatch the little peace which I had for this time. His footsteps got louder like he wants me to know that my nightmare is coming. Fear churned in my stomach and threatened to throw up everything which is inside. I kept my eyes closed, wishing for him to think that I was dead and throw me out in the woods. 

The door opened with the ugly cracking sound and footsteps got heavy and louder. His scent filled the dirty room. Can someone's scent give you a deja vu of horror? The answer is yes! His scent makes me go numb with fear, I get paralysed and it becomes difficult to breathe. 

I should have been dead before becoming so weak. He made me hate myself. 

I kept faking to be asleep while standing by my head silently, and a second later, ice-cold water splashed on my face. I jolted up with a loud gasp and coughed for my life. The water burned through my nose to my temple. 

He had turned on the dim lights, I could see his shiny leather shoes, and that was enough for me to crawl back into the wall, look down and hug myself. 

I was not always like this. I have fought enough with him and have my share of throwing attitude towards him, but it has rewarded me with only punishment and humiliation. He broke that courage and now I know how to survive extreme torture. 

Be silent and don't show a bad attitude, he will go easy on you! I have learnt it the hard way. 

I shivered as I held back myself while he knelt down in front of me and opened the box which he had in his hands. 

He is kneeling down yet he is so huge that his shadow is overpowering my body, he is so built and strong that I have stopped using physical ways to fight against him. 

He can easily snap my bones and I have almost experienced that once upon a time. It was horrifying. 

I kept looking down as he opened the box and chess pawns clicked with each other. My eyebrows made a little frown, not deep enough to show emotions, but good enough to show him that I am confused. I slowly looked up from his hands to his arms, which were enough to suffocate anyone with one easy hold. His folded sleeves showed his popped out veins, and then his chest, which has a platinum chain hanging around his neck, has a locket of a wolf pack. His Adam's apple moved, and my eyes went upwards, towards his face. I was brave till then, but as soon as I looked into his eyes, something burned inside me, maybe my soul. I quickly looked down and my breathing deepened. 

He was looking at me, like an eagle. His eyes held pure hate for me, disgust and anger so strong that it felt like it would burn me. How do I run away from this?

He set the chess and I know he is here to torture me with some creative way, he always does that. I kept staring at the chess confused. 

He sat down in front of me, not caring that his clothes were getting dirty on the floor. 

"Bored, Emerald?"

His deep voice almost made me sob but I gulped it down. 

I took a deep breath as I stared down, clutching my dress on my knees tightly for my dear life. 

"I know you are, I am bored too so came here to play with you."

His voice was pure evil, he was mocking me. 

"Eyes on me!"

I flinched when he ordered in a harsh tone. 

I took a non-noticable deep breath and slowly looked up, trying to look as lifeless as I could to him, but his faint smirk told me that he saw little life in my Emerald eyes, and it's not good. 

He will do anything to snatch life out of my soul, that's his vengeance. 

My lifeless eye contact gave him unexplainable satisfaction. 

"Tell me, Emerald... Do you wish for freedom?"

This is the ridiculous game I was talking about, I know he won't be letting me go. 

My eyes stared at him blankly, my face was exhausted and tired, in fact, my whole body was drained. I have forgotten how I used to look.

"You mean death?"

I mumbled, my almost gone voice made his smirk wider.

"That would be the biggest reward you will get from me, we are on baby steps for now."

Knew it, he is just playing dirty with me. I balanced myself with one hand and leaned back against the wall. I don't have the energy to sit for long, I want to lie down, but he won't let me. 

The strap of the dress fell from my shoulder, displaying my cleavage and almost half of my chest, I didn't care to hide it. There is nothing to see except bones, and there is nothing which he hasn't seen before. I am too tired to hide anything. 

His eyes travelled over my displayed skin and then stopped on my face. His eyes turned darker and dangerous.

"If you win, you will go out of the basement... If I win, you won't see the light ever."

His finger gently placed back the strap of my dress on my shoulder which was hanging on my arm. 

I shivered when his touch left burning sensations behind. I looked at the chess, it's impossible to win against Egon Bismarck in chess. But what if I win? Will he really let me go? 

My eyes found his again, his grey eyes said yes but I should know better.