(A/N): Part 1 of 2 (possibly 3). I wrote this two years ago, when I heard about this case on the news. A 29 year old woman in Antioch (my area!) endured 18 years of rape and abuse from her kidnapper and somehow managed to escape and contact the police. She even has two children with that bastard. Yeah.

Nocturnal

The night is not quiet.

I stare wide-eyed in the dark, tense as a taut bow string, lying on bed with my arms curled to my chest.

An owl hoots a melancholy, soft tune, which lulls me to sleep. I can't doze off now, not when he will awake very soon.

Must stay awake, be on the lookout for any suspicious noises.

"Good morning, child."

His nasal voice and tender touch repulses me, yet his ministrations never fail to pleasure me.

That is my reward for not fighting back.

I was seven when Master abducted me. It happened out of the blue, in the middle of the day, while on my way back home from school.

My looks are a curse. People have either loved me or hated me for it. The girls in Kindergarten were jealous of me and the neighborhood kids always picked on me for being girly. Master's sick and twisted mind was smitten with my pretty face, and he later claimed he had to have me all to himself.

Zero obedience.

Pain had come hourly, daily, weekly–

More obedience, less pain.

–monthly, yearly; soon, it came rarely.

Complete obedience, no pain.

Sixteen months. That's how long it took for me to learn there is no point in resisting.

Twenty months to have obedience beaten into my body. Thirty months for my heart to be maimed by his empty promises, insincere words, and superficial kindness. Five years (and still counting) of constant tears, of psychological abuse, of decorative bruises scarred into my memory.

I miss mommy and daddy...

I hear Master enter the house. That's odd, since he usually slinks in without a sound, and surprises me upon his arrival. But no, his return home is earlier than usual, and much louder, like he's not alone. I wonder who came to visit him today.

I dare to leave the sanctuary of my room to sate my curiosity. Being as silent and cautious as possible, I grasp the door knob and slowly turn it, pushing the door forward, praying the metal hinges will not squeak and give me away. Please, don't betray me. All I want is one look.

"Baralai." I flinch, my tiny hands tightening on the door frame.

He saw me. There is no point in hiding behind the door anymore. Tentatively, I open the door fully and exit the room, revealing myself to Master like I know he wants me to. "Come and meet your playmate." I stare too long into his malicious grey eyes, and I avert my gaze, studying the guest instead. This is the first time I have seen a girl since Master kidnapped me.

"Yes, sir..." I drag my feet, despite my hammering heart. I can't stop staring at her. She fascinates me. "Hello..." I try my best at a smile, but the feeling of such a simple action has been lost to me. Apparently, she doesn't hear me. The girl is too busy crying and rubbing her face red. I don't want to imagine what Master did to her since abduction.

"Stop your sniveling, child, and greet the boy properly." He claws his sharp fingernails into her petite shoulders and the brunette yelps in pain. Instead of ceasing her noise, the act only further increased the volume of her vocal cords.

This does not please Master. No, it enrages him.

"When I tell you to 'silence,' I mean SILENCE!"

Slap!

I stand there, passive shock rooting me in place. The sight of her kneeling on the floor, cradling her bruised cheek and glaring at Master tearfully with such hate in her eyes, is so disturbingly familiar.

My first memories of Master hitting me, choking me, touching me in places where I wish he wasn't so rough - I don't want the same to happen to her.

"Master, s-stop..." I mumble, and when he approaches her without pause, I muster the energy to strengthen my voice. "Please stop, Master!"

Light, hasty footsteps.

A door slams somewhere in the house.

I gulp, awaiting my punishment.

The days drag on, and the weeks have come and gone. For the first time since Master has abducted me, it has become easier to cope.

Inaudible sobs.

I feel faint vibrations on the wooden floor against my cheek.

How long have I been unconscious?– A question I've stopped asking myself after the first five months of multiple, random, periodic black outs.

Feminine sniffles, and a voice so deceptive and sweet, I shiver.

"Shh. Don't fret, little one. Only the first time hurts. Beyond that, you will feel only pleasure."

"No more... no more..."

I peel my eyes open, painfully, and immediately regret doing so. The tears come silently, tirelessly, and my heart throbs. I close my eyes to block the image, but the darkness behind my closed eyelids forces me to relive the first time Master violated me.

I cry silently, too, motionless, hoping he won't notice my existence. Too scared to resist Master and save the girl who's having her innocence stolen; I'm a coward in the truest form.

"Why do you fight?" she asks me, horrified of the new bruises littering my lanky body. Proof of my shame and the result of my bitter defiance. I dress fast so Yuna won't see the rest.

"Why do you?" I quip, pointing to the assortment of yellow and purple blotches on her arms, breasts, and thighs. Self-conscious of my staring, she clenches the blanket closer to her naked and pale body. I strain to hear her hoarse whisper.

"Because I'm not dead, yet."