The door creaked open, letting light spill into the basement.
Daria looked up expectantly, longing for the touch of her one and only.
Trent clomped down the stairs, a plastic grocery store bag in one hand and a glass of water in the other.
He set the water on the table he kept near Daria and opened the bag. He took out several dried moldy slices of bread and tossed them in her general direction. Daria rattled the chain attached to her collar as she reached out and caught the slices. She devoured them hurriedly. Next, he pulled several slices of bolgna out of the bag. They were warm and dry too. He handed them to Daria, and a thrill ran up her back as their fingers made contact. She ate the meat in three bites.
Trent balled up the bag and tossed it behind him. He picked up the glass of water and held Daria's head steady as he poured it into her mouth. She kept gulping it down until the glass was empty.
He turned back to the staircase. He almost reached the first step when a timid voice broke his pace.
"Tr-Trent?" Daria quietly asked.
The glass fell from his hands, shattering on the cold concrete.
He rushed back, delivering a swift kick to Daria's legs. She fell back. Before she could curl into a protective position, Trent landed another kick -- hard -- in her stomach. Finally, Trent reached down, pulled Daria up by her hair, and punched her squarely in the nose. Blood flowed freely from it. He shoved Daria back to the ground and returned to the staircase.
"Now you've got another month, bitch." He climbed the stairs and slammed the door shut, cutting light off from the basement once again.
Curled on the thin blanket separating Daria from the cold floor, Daria barely managed to whisper a response.
"I love you."
Daria looked up expectantly, longing for the touch of her one and only.
Trent clomped down the stairs, a plastic grocery store bag in one hand and a glass of water in the other.
He set the water on the table he kept near Daria and opened the bag. He took out several dried moldy slices of bread and tossed them in her general direction. Daria rattled the chain attached to her collar as she reached out and caught the slices. She devoured them hurriedly. Next, he pulled several slices of bolgna out of the bag. They were warm and dry too. He handed them to Daria, and a thrill ran up her back as their fingers made contact. She ate the meat in three bites.
Trent balled up the bag and tossed it behind him. He picked up the glass of water and held Daria's head steady as he poured it into her mouth. She kept gulping it down until the glass was empty.
He turned back to the staircase. He almost reached the first step when a timid voice broke his pace.
"Tr-Trent?" Daria quietly asked.
The glass fell from his hands, shattering on the cold concrete.
He rushed back, delivering a swift kick to Daria's legs. She fell back. Before she could curl into a protective position, Trent landed another kick -- hard -- in her stomach. Finally, Trent reached down, pulled Daria up by her hair, and punched her squarely in the nose. Blood flowed freely from it. He shoved Daria back to the ground and returned to the staircase.
"Now you've got another month, bitch." He climbed the stairs and slammed the door shut, cutting light off from the basement once again.
Curled on the thin blanket separating Daria from the cold floor, Daria barely managed to whisper a response.
"I love you."