The Million Dollar Man

When I finally awakened, the first thing I felt was pain. Pain seared through my head and a groan left my lips as I tried to fully open my eyes. A sticky, drying substance matted my hair down, and I could only conjecture that it was blood. The pain worsened as my senses came back to life and my eyes were forced to adjust to the darkness that surrounded me. I reached up in an attempt to lessen the ache spreading throughout my head, only to realize that thick rope was restraining my limps against a hard wooden chair.

Now fully conscious, I was aware of my surroundings. My wrists were tied tightly down and my ankles felt numb due to the lack of movement. Just sitting there, I was able to absorb the sore ache that was weighing down on my body. My throat felt scratchy, and my mouth was dry. The foreign feeling of my puffy eyelids brought back everything, and a weak cry left my lips.

Harry was dead.

The sound of footsteps nearing made a gurgling noise leave my lips as I choked on air. The thought of having to face Sebastian paralyzed me. I was downright horrified and trapped.

I was suffocating.

I focused on listening to the footsteps, when the door flew open with a bang, and light filled the room. My pounding head screamed in protest and I shut my eyes as my face contorted in discomfort. << You look awful. >>

Mason's bland statement lacked the playful joke he normally held behind it. His blue, green eyes were dark and intimidating.

This wasn't the Mason I was used to.

<< I would imagine so. >> I croaked out as a reply, hoping to crack his cold exterior.

Mason took a few steps towards me, so that he stood directly in front of the chair, his body blocking most of the light. His expression hardened while his eyes bore deep into mine.

A shriek of surprise and pain left my lips when his hand came in contact with my cheek. My head snapped to the side and the chair tipped, but Mason easily held it back in place.

My eyes were wide as I stared up at him in shock, the pain in my head now reaching an all time high. I felt as though someone was yanking on my hair while another person was hitting me with a hammer.

His expression was void of emotion, and that scared me. I longed for the childlike Mason, the one I could joke with and get along with oh so well.

<< You will not speak unless you are told to. >> His sharp tone whipped me emotionally, and I bit my lip nervously.

Mason watched me closely, as if waiting for me to retaliate. When I remained silent, he nodded slightly and pulled away from my chair, taking a few steps back.

« Bloody idiot, you are. >> Though that was something Mason would have normally said to me, the situation I was in made it seem much different. << You properly fucked up and it's like you have a death wish. >>

<< Mason, pl-<< I was cut off by another slap to my opposite cheek. I knew Mason was restraining himself, but the force of the blow was enough to bring tears to my eyes. My head ached horribly and I wanted to just pull it off in order to escape the pain.

<< What did I say? » Mason hissed, his eyes narrowing dramatically.

<< Y-You will not s-sp-speak unless you are told t-to. >> I repeated, stuttering as I did so.

<< That's right. Now did I tell you to speak? » He asked, he face directly above mine.

I blinked back the tears and shook my head, hoping that would be enough.

It wasn't.

This time, Mason wasn't too keen on restraining himself as he did before. The chair rocked backwards, and Mason caught it, but let me teeter on the edge. My neck was painfully bent as my head hung over the back of the chair, and I felt blood ooze into my mouth from where I had bit my cheeks in attempt to not cry out.

Mason slowly eased the chair back on all four legs, the angered look gone and replaced by a blank expression.

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<< You fucked up and you know it. Not only did you break Sebastian's rules, you humiliated him. >>

I squeezed my eyes shut at that, realizing that not once had I considered what my public actions might cause. I had done this all at his club, where everyone knew his name and his status. Mason was right.

<< And now you have to face the consequences. >>

Mason's low whisper made my body shake with silent, trapped sobs that were fighting to break free.

<< I trusted you. >>

The door slammed shut and once again I was left alone in the room.

+++++

Fear is consuming.

Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It sends us into a state of panic. Fear itself can be more painful than death. Death, in some cases, can be quick and painless while fear, fear can drown a person in agony. My lungs were burning and my throat ached, but I refused to succumb under the torment.

Fear proved to be the worst form of torture.

There I was, helpless and vulnerable while fear penetrated my amour and sunk its razor sharp teeth into my soul.

The pounding in my head reduced to a dull ache, and I found myself constantly avoiding any head movements in order to keep it that way. The dread was pooling in the pit of my stomach, and my hands had been clammy ever since Mason had left.

He was furious with me- so I could only guess that Sebastian was going to rip my throat out the second he saw me.

Time passed, though I was unaware of how much. Stuck in a dark room, tied to a chair, I was forced to reflect on my actions, and the consequences that were to come. I had yet to fully understand what had happened to Harry, for I was in a state of shock.

The panic that froze my being drew me away from thoughts of Harry, and back to Sebastian.

I winced at the thought of him. I could practically feel his venomous words poison me, yet they had not been spoken. There was little to no sound coming from downstairs, but even if there was, I doubt I would have noticed. I was in my own little world, disoriented, hurt, and scared.

I was weak.

Sebastian truly was a genius. He had brilliant tactics and always seemed to know how to break someone down- no matter how tough they were.

He knew that the fear of what might happen to me would devour me. He knew just what to do to make my defiance wash away and leave me bare- Vulnerable.

A small trail of light appeared in the room, and it continued to grow larger and larger, until the entire room was filled with light. I couldn't bring myself to look up, knowing perfectly well that the presence that had entered the room was something to dread.

My eyes were trained to the ground, and my body gave a small jolt when the door slammed shut. A blinding light soon replaced the temporary darkness, and I quickly shut my eyes. My nails dug into the palms of my hands, and I shifted my arms uncomfortably against the wood.

The footsteps neared, and my stomach tightened drastically. I felt bile rise up my throat, but I remained unmoving. Though my eyes were closed, I knew that he was standing in front of me, taking in my pathetic state.

I held my breath in anticipation, a light sweat beginning to form over my body. I flinched dramatically as the back of a large hand stroked the side of my face, and a low chuckle rang out through the room.

I tried to think about the room- it's white walls, spotless floor, and empty interior. I tried to busy myself by not thinking about the death that was surely awaiting me.