Chapter four : new obsession

Days turned into a confusing mix for Ethan Cole. He stopped counting them because the city outside the mansion windows was always buzzing and the rooms he was in were really quiet and felt suffocating. Even though he was not locked up it felt like he was trapped. The guards outside his door made sure he could not leave or go anywhere. Every step he took and every move he made was watched and every time he talked to someone it was like they were measuring his words.

The room where he spent most of his time was really nice. It had a bed with soft sheets, thick carpets that made his footsteps quiet, and big windows that looked out over the city. Food came at times always quietly brought by the guards who then left without saying a word. The room was comfortable. It felt like a fancy prison and it was hard to breathe. Being comfortable when you are trapped is a feeling and Ethan felt it every time he lay down on the soft bed and realized he could not go anywhere.

The worst part was not knowing what was going on.

Ethan Cole did not understand why he was taken, why he was picked out of all the people in Cross City, why Don Pope even bothered to keep him alive. All these unanswered questions were eating away at him. Was this some kind of punishment? Was Don Pope trying to experiment on him? Was it just for fun? The thought alone made Ethan Cole angry. He tried to stay calm for his own sake.

Don Pope did not come to visit every day. Sometimes Ethan Cole would go for hours without seeing him. Then without warning he would show up. He never knocked on the door. He never said he was coming. One moment Ethan Cole would be walking around the room trying to make sense of things and the next Don Pope would be there moving quietly across the floor calm and quiet like a predator deciding whether to attack.

When Don Pope came to visit it was always different. Sometimes he would just sit in the room watching Ethan Cole like he was trying to figure him out. He would ask questions about Ethan Cole's childhood, about his life about little things that did not seem important. "Where did you grow up?" he asked once his voice soft but probing. "What do your parents do?" Ethan Cole refused to answer every time shaking his head or giving vague replies. 

Times Don Pope would be more confrontational. The air in the room would be thick with tension as they argued and insulted each other. Ethan Cole had become brave in his defiance insulting Don Pope openly calling him a criminal and a monster.

"You are a coward with power." Ethan Cole said one afternoon walking back and forth as the sun moved through the windows. "You think these walls and this security make you safe.. You are just a man, like any other man. Just a man hiding behind fear."

Don Pope did not flinch or get angry or violent though his hands moved slightly at his sides, his fingers tapping quietly on the table. He just watched, taking in every word, every move, and feeling. There was something about him, a way of listening that made it seem like he enjoyed Ethan Cole's resistance, his defiance, the fire that Ethan Cole could not hide.

"You are quite loud." Don Pope said finally his voice low and even almost teasing. "Are you not afraid? Most people would break after a day. Most people would hide in a corner. Be quiet. You, however... You talk a lot. Do you know why that is dangerous?"

Ethan Cole laughed bitterly. "Dangerous for you? Or dangerous for me?"

Don Pope tilted his head slightly a smile on his lips. "For me," he said after a pause though it sounded more like he was sharing a secret than making a statement.

The words struck a chord in Ethan Cole. Part of him wanted to run to get away from the predatory look in Don Pope's eyes.. Another part of him, the reckless and stubborn part, refused to back down. He would not give Don Pope that satisfaction. 

It was on one of these evenings that a big storm arrived.

The first rumble of thunder rolled across the city followed by a beat of rain on the mansion windows. As the storm got louder Ethan Cole could feel the floor shaking beneath him hear the wind screaming across the city streets and see the rain hiding the view of the city. The storm was sudden and violent like the city itself was showing its power.

Don Pope arrived during the worst of the storm. Ethan Cole had been standing by the window drawing patterns on the glass as the rain streaked down. He turned quickly at the sound of Don Pope's presence, his fists clenched.

"What do you want now?" he asked, his voice sharp and tense showing his frustration and the fear the storm had stirred up.

Don Pope stepped closer than usual making the room feel smaller and heavier. His dark eyes were fixed on Ethan Cole. The way he moved. Deliberate and confident. Made Ethan Cole feel trapped. For a moment neither of them spoke. The only sounds were the rain pounding on the glass. The occasional crack of thunder shook the floor.

The silence was like a living thing pressing on Ethan Cole's chest. It was uncomfortable and suffocating. It felt electric like the room itself was holding its breath. There was something between them something dangerous and confusing that words could not reach.

"You should hate me." Don Pope said his voice was low and controlled, almost intimate.

Ethan Coles’ head jerked up. He laughed bitterly. "I do." he said firmly though the words felt heavier than he meant them to. They were true, but not entirely.

Don Pope studied Ethan Coles face carefully the stormlight casting shadows on his features. There was an intensity in his gaze an assessment that made Ethan Cole's chest tighten. "Good." Don Pope said slowly. It sounded like he was not entirely convinced. There was more he expected more he was looking for. Ethan Cole could feel the weight of his scrutiny.

The storm raged outside thunder crashing like a beast. Lightning flashed across the city, lighting up the room in white bursts each one casting long shadows that danced on the walls. Ethan Cole felt small and exposed but alive in a way he had not felt before. The danger in the room, the tension between them, the unspoken challenge that hung between them. It all made his heart beat faster. “You are intriguing!” Don had no idea when he said it.

Ethan Cole clenched his jaw holding the words in his mind like a warning. "Intriguing? You kidnapped me Don Pope. You turned my life down.. Now you say I am intriguing? I do not even know what that means."

Don Pope's gaze softened slightly. There was still steel beneath it. "It means you are more than ordinary. You are not easily restrained. You are... Difficult.. Difficult is worth noticing."

Ethan Cole's fists trembled, though he was not sure if it was from anger or something else. He swallowed, words catching in his throat. "I do not want to be noticed." he said, finally too quietly to hear. "I just want... My life back."

Don Pope tilted his head studying Ethan Cole like a sculptor looking at a block of marble. The air between them thickened, a charged presence that neither fully understood. Ethan Cole realized then with a mix of fear and fascination that he was no longer just a captive in a mansion. He was the focus of someone who had the power to shape the world around him someone whose attention could consume him entirely.

Outside the storm continued to lash at Cross City. Rain pounded the windows wind rattled the frames and lightning lit up the mansion in fleeting bursts. Inside two men faced each other across the room. One one calm one determined to resist, while one quietly assessed every word, move, and reaction. Ethan could feel it in the air and Don could feel his third leg getting heated.

Somewhere deep, in the silence of the room in the mansion, the first sparks of obsession began to grow.