Darkroom

Chapter 10

Near could barely reply to the question he was just asked as he drifted in and out of consciousness, his limp body hanging from it's restraints like a lifeless piece of meat hanging in a freezer. He had yet to actually get any real sleep since he had been there. His thoughts lately drifted to Matt, often worrying about how scared his redheaded lover is right now and imagining him in their apartment alone, crying himself to sleep every night until Near comes home. He wasn't sure he'd ever make it home at this point. The only form of hope he had was a made-up vision of Matt entering this dark dungeon, surrounded by pure white light and rescuing him, pulling him away from this horror and into his warm embrace. Gentle hands carefully dismantling his bindings, his soft touch against his skin. The vibration from his chest while he spoke, telling him that everything was going to be ok now, that he was safe once again in his strong lover's arms.

"I said wake up! Are you hungry? This is the last time I'm going to ask you."

Near felt the gritty sole of a shoe nudge his cheek forcefully. He was coming out of it, and with hurried realization he replied before it was too late. He was hungry in fact. This went beyond stomach-hungry. He was malnourished. Even if his mind wanted to continue rebellion, his body didn't, and overrode that desire.

"Yes. Please. I need food." He heard his voice say, even though his conscious mind didn't even come up with the words.

He felt his bindings being released. His limbs didn't even feel his own anymore as he was allowed to move his arms once again. They could barely move, in fact it hurt a little when he tried, but the feeling was still refreshing. Next to be freed where his neck and legs. His knees were swollen from kneeling on the concrete for days and seared with agony when he tried to stand as he was told. He immediately crashed back down on them. The pain was so great that he collapsed completely onto the floor. His arms weren't even strong enough to hold himself up, at least not without several tries. He felt something being slid around his neck. It was a collar of sorts, attached to a lead. Several sharp pulls led him in the direction he was supposed to try to move.

It was difficult. He tried to stand again, but his legs failed him, and instead found himself being led around the room like a dog as he crawled on his hands and knees on the moist, gritty concrete floor. He heard the familiar sound of the door being swung open, however this time his retinas were seared by a blinding light. Without being given time to adjust to the new sensory input, another sharp tug on the leash was felt. He crawled closer to the source of the light. He could see the concrete transition to black and white checkered tiles, which felt positively luxurious on his chaffed skin before he felt his assailant lift his frail body up by the shoulders and sit him down into a cold steel chair. His eyes took a moment to focus, but when they came to, Near could see that he was in a typical, modest basement apartment's kitchen. He still had yet to see his assailant, as he was busy tying Near's legs to the chair and his wrists once again behind his back.

Finally the bastard loomed into view as Near tried to focus on the figure who's back was turned to him as he did something on the far side of the kitchen. He was of medium build and had dark, straight shoulder length hair, Near noticed. The man opened the door to a refrigerator, and pulled out a tray that had more food than Near had ever fantasized about piled on it. Near was so fixated on the collection of strawberry shortcake, fruit, a jar of peanut butter, cookies, and oddly enough, two triangles of onigiri that he nearly forgot to finally look into this man's face.

Near's locked eyes with his assailant. He confirmed his earlier suspicion that the person behind all of this was Japanese, due to the slight accent he detected during his brief encounters with him earlier. It was difficult to tell, since most of the words uttered to him were in the form of whispers and tainted with hollow echoes, but now that his weakened mind had more information to process, it clicked. He at least now had a somewhat solid idea of why he was here.

Wordlessly the man grabs a fork and slices off a piece of strawberry shortcake, and hovers it closely to Near's waiting mouth. Near's stomach started to groan instinctively the second the fork sank into the soft cake. He closed his eyes as he opened his mouth, imaging the sensation of the cake sliding down his throat. His heart jumped as he felt the cake brush his lips before rapidly being pulled away, leaving a glob of frosting behind. Before the overwhelming feeling of disappointment devoured him, Near frantically licked the frosting from his lips, savoring the sweet flavor on his tongue which melted almost instantly.

The man laughed sadistically as Near pathetically licked his lips clean.

"Please..." Near begged quietly.

"Did you like the little trick I played on you with the fake book?"

Near took a deep breath and shook his head adamantly.

"Did you think you were going to die?"

Near replied simply with a slow nod, never taking his eyes off the other man's.

"Oh I wouldn't have done that, not when you have something that I want."

Near narrowed his eyes, awaiting for the next set of words.

"Where is it?" The man asked in a sudden serious tone.

"Where's what?"

"Stop playing stupid. If you at least admit you know what I'm talking about you'll be allowed to eat more."

It hard to argue with, Near thought, especially when he was this desperate. Near stared for a moment and then finally decided to answer.

"You're talking about the Death Note." Near replied.

The fork, loaded with cake was brought his way again, and this time made it fully into his mouth. Near clamped his lips around the fork as it was pulled from his mouth. He savored the treat for a moment before masticating it and allowing it to slide down his throat. It was so incredible to him that he actually whimpered.

"You want more? Where is it?"

"I don't have it." Near simply replied.

"You're lying to me. You do have it and you're going to tell me where it is."

"I burned both of them immediately after I confronted it's previous owner. I don't have what you want. Keeping me captive here is pointless, although it seems you're enjoying the compromised position you're keeping me in." Near replied, with a sarcastic sideways smirk adorning his pale, dirt streaked face.

"You're still lying, and if you think I'm going to let you go that easily when you ruined the only salvation this world had against corruption and evil, you're mistaken. While Kira was in power the world was safe. People could walk the streets without fear, all the world's strife had come to an end, and you had to destroy it. You destroyed him. The second coming that various religions throughout the world had foretold, that who would pass judgment upon all forms of evil, from your common petty criminal to tyrannical dictators. You destroyed it all. It's not too late, however. It's not too late for an insignificant weakling of a boy such as yourself to right what you did wrong."

"Your command of the English language is impressive for a Japanese national. Who are you and how do you know about the death note?" Near replied.

"Who I am is unimportant to you. I'm your ruler, your creator and your judge all in one right now. You exist solely for me. I will make your existence insufferable until I get what I want. Do you understand?"

Near realized that he wasn't dealing with a stable person. Not that he thought he was completely sane to begin with, however now it seemed this man's delusions of grandeur pushed him far over the edge of insanity. There was no point in reasoning with him. No point in trying to use any common sense or logic.

"I don't have what you want, and even if I did I certainly wouldn't give it to a psychopath like you. I assume you searched my apartment thoroughly, and you didn't find it did you? You can see for yourself that I don't have it."

While Near was waiting for another psychotic rant from the man before him he was surprised as the chair he was sitting on was knocked over by a swift shove of his foot. Without any way to brace himself, Near fell hard and flat on his side, striking his head painfully on the floor. A quite white flash followed by serene buzzing and rushing sounds filled his consciousness. He wasn't even able to feel his forearm being fractured after being crushed with all his body weight between the back of the chair and the floor. This reality filled with delicious cakes and bright lights, and checkered floors, the first reality he ever certain of, the first thing all six of his senses where able to grasp onto was once again pulled away. He couldn't feel his body, and then he couldn't feel anything as the gray consumed his vision and his thoughts.

At some point his world went dark again. A sharp pain his his arm reminded him of the world which he now inhabited once again. The position was all to familiar to him, almost as if his joints had permanently modified themselves to stay that way forever. He didn't feel it necessary to say anything as he felt the harness being closed around his neck. A sharp pull to one of his snowy, curly locks forced him to pay attention to what followed.

"If you don't know where it is then maybe your boyfriend does. I have enough space in here for him as well."

Near's heart raced. He foolishly struggled against his restraints, something he learned long ago was ineffective. He pulled and pulled at the chains until he found his voice as the footsteps got further and further away.

"Leave him alone! Matt has nothing to do with this! He knows nothing! Leave him alone!!!" Near screamed at the top of his lungs as he heard the heavy steel door slam, leaving him with nothing but silence and worry for Matt to keep him occupied for an untold amount of time, still starving with nothing but a spoonful of cake to eat for days.

A/N:

Near is brave isn't he?