Before I even opened my eyes, I knew he was standing in front of me and that I was chained back up to the wall in the small, dank chamber which became known as "my personal cell" soon after I was brought here.
"Ah, so you finally decided to wake up. It was very rude of you to keep me waiting," he said casually, malice laced through each word he uttered. I slowly opened my eyes, meeting his in the dim light coming from the single, solitary bulb hanging from the ceiling. He held something in his hands behind his back, the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth saying it would be to my misfortune. "Aren't you going to apologize for being such a bad pet?" he asked too sweetly.
Knowing what it would cost me but not ready to give in to his game of breaking me, I spat "Go to hell, damn commie bastard."
In the shadow of his face, I saw that lying smile of his vanish, quickly being replaced by a sick, twisted grin. "Bad choice, little pet," he muttered darkly. I soon found that the object behind his back was his ever-handy lead pipe. The first blow was to my stomach which forced the air from my lungs and left me doubled over the end of the pipe.
"I'm not your pet, Goddammit! You don't own me!" I choked out as I tried to get my breath back.
"Oh, but I do! I own all of you. Raivis, Eduard, Toris, Gilbert; and most of all you. You are all owned by Russia. By Ivan Braginski. By me," he said, tone serious and threatening.
"I've heard you say that hundreds of times. It doesn't change a thing, you don't own us! I see nothing saying you own me or any of them!" I shouted, still a little out of breath.
Almost six months ago I was kidnapped by Ivan and dragged back to his home. I never thought it was possible to hate a country so much, but from the moment I was forced to step foot in that horrid place, I developed a great loathing for Russia.
I was snapped from my thoughts of hatred when Ivan struck a match to light a small lantern on the metal table by the door. "Looks like I will just have to make my mark of ownership, da~?" he sang with a mischievous smile. He then walked over to the large cabinet which held his many weapons and means of torture. This time he pulled out a small surgical knife. He giggled childishly as he held the blade in the flame. "Try not to scream; this will hurt a lot~" he said brightly as he walked towards me with the now-glowing blade.
"I don't scream at the sight of your hideous face, do I? I can handle anything you throw at me, you son of a bitch," I muttered through clenched teeth.
Ivan simply grinned and plunged the blade deep into my forearm. I had to grit my teeth to keep back the yelp of pain rising in my throat. As he dragged the knife across my skin the yelp escaped as a small scream.
"Ah~ there it is! It has been too long since I've heard that sweet sound!" he said with a look of pure bliss on his face. "Let's see if we can hear it again~" he said as he pulled the blade out and returned the same forceful stab next to the first. It took all my strength to keep quiet as he repeated this process four more times. I couldn't help but let out small whimpers of pain as the knife cut through the nerves and strained muscles of my arm.
When I forced my eyes open, I saw him frowning. "You are too quiet, pet," he said bluntly. Before I could open my mouth to say another word, he grinned. "You cannot deny being my pet now, it says so right there that you are mine." Ivan pointed to my forearm with the blade. I slowly turned my head to see that he had carved 'Россия' [1] right into my arm.
"You damn idiot, that doesn't make me yours!" I shouted, voice hoarse.
Like a child throwing a tantrum, Ivan ripped the chains from my wrists and spun me around, smashing me face-first into the hard, brick wall. "You are forever mine! My name is burnt into your skin! It will never go away!" he shouted angrily.
I kicked back with one foot, missing Ivan by an inch. Instead of kicking his gut like I had aimed for, I struck a nerve instead. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my stomach on the ground. As my chin hit the ground, my tongue was smashed between my teeth and the iron taste of blood filled my mouth. Before I could push myself back up, my thin, ratty shirt was ripped from my back as I received a kick to my ribs which was accompanied by a loud crack.
"After all I've done for you, pet," Ivan muttered as I heard him storm back to the cabinet. "You're lucky I still love you," he said louder as I heard the undeniable crack of a whip. "You will love me too; you are to love your master!"
With that the whip snapped across my already scarred, bruised, boney back. The scent of blood filled the room as I felt thin streams ooze out form the new, stinging, raw mark on my back. Another lash cut across the first, causing me to sharply inhale and bite my split tongue to keep from yelling; I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
After the fifth time the whip slashed through my skin, I could only feel a numb, raw stinging throughout my upper body. I yelped as he kicked me onto my back so he could see the pain apparent on my face. "I have an idea' a new possibility for you my pet!" he said with a new enthusiasm.
He pulled me up by my hair and looked me straight in the eyes, a strange, joyous glint lighting his. "You really will be mine soon enough," he said, filling me with an overbearing sense of foreboding dread. A few more hard blows were enough to satisfy him for the time being. But instead of leaving me locked up in the room to wait like he normally did, he began dragging me out by my hair.
I didn't understand the reason for this change and it left me with a feeling of inescapable doom and terror. It seemed as if Ivan sensed this, for his grin grew wider as he dragged me, pale and bleeding through the winding halls of his house…