Author's note: This chapter is extremely long. I grouped everything with the kidnapper together so those who want to skip can. Also, I used thls to partically vent about my own trauma? So uhhh. All abuse will be generally less detailed. TW: graphic violence, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and suggested assault.

One year since my parents died. One year of strange freedom. One year of questionable thinking. Now I'm not too sure what to do. The luck cycle hasn't been doing much lately. Then again, nothing life changing has happened. Still, even as a seventh grader and a straight A student, I don't have any real friends. Even Tetsuo Yoshida doesn't talk to me as much. Maybe that's for the best since I shouldn't have been thinking about him like I did. He got really close at first. Now he's busy with other kids. I suppose I can just admire him from the side. That spiky hair and tanned skin look so good compared to me. I try to tell myself I'm jealous, even though I know it's a lie. I know I need to stop thinking like that.

Now that Aiko settled in, everything feels better. She's not much of a guardian, never was, but she's here. Little things like talking about the past when she's bored mean a lot. Even if it was mostly ranting about her kids. Although that only happened once. I'm used to the fact my parents aren't here anymore. The bloody image of my dad's body doesn't haunt me so much. Everything seems better than I expected it to be. At the time, I thought my heart would kill me because I was so sad.

The only issue is the intense loneliness that crushes me everyday nowadays. Even that isn't too bad! I try to distract it with books or school. Anything to make it not dwell on my mind. Today, isn't any different. It's the anniversary, sure, but I'm just going to go home and distract myself. It's the last day of school after all. Last year, my mom let me have my last day early for our trip. What a bad joke.

Walking home alone like always. Thinking of what I'll do for the summer. I wish I could invite Yoshida over, pretend we're friends. Maybe read and play video games like always? I don't even know. Aiko might plan something when she comes back. She's leaving for a few days with her daughter, not that I care too much. The one time she ranted to me was about her daughter's lack of communication. Guess this will help.

Out of nowhere, I hear something. Right as I turn into the one alleyway of my walk too. Almost like someone is following me in a cheap horror movie. The sound is like a car door followed by too close of steps. Who would drive to an alley? I stop to check. Big mistake. Before I could even see, I got a rag to my face. Too surprised to even scream. Struggling to kick, yell for help, hit, anything. A good few minutes of getting a rag in the face and useless fighting feels like forever. I can't see who or what was doing this, but I pass out before long.

Waking up with a painful, fuzzy feeling in my head. Something I don't understand at first. I try to rub my eyes, but my hands are cuffed behind me. Huh? What? Oh god. This is bad! This is really, really bad!! I try to move my hands in a way to squeeze them out. Slowly, quickly, anything. No use. Whoever got me knows what they're doing. I try to think of what to do. In my books, the victim usually doesn't make it, they get help, or make some gory sacrifice. Even if I wanted to, I can't make a sacrifice. There's no weapons in my reach.

The floor is concrete with a couple trash bags in the corner. Rope, random boxes, a couple chairs, and a saw are scattered on the floor. Another tiny room in the corner. It looks like a basement judging by the stairs. My hands are cuffed around a chain connected to those stairs. I don't know what to do. Who would get me? Did I make someone mad enough to do this? I don't get it. Desperately, I look for any way to get out. Staring at any weak link in my restraints. Not long after I start studying the chain, a door opens. Up the stairs. Heavy steps come down in a relaxed pace.

My heart panicking, I try to squeeze out of my entrapment. The sweat makes it a tiny bit easier, yet not enough. Quickly! "Don't even try." A terrifyingly big man stares down at me calmly, like this was everyday for him. Immediately, I give up. Even if I got out, it wouldn't do any good now that he's here. Although questions were going through my head faster than I can process, I stay quiet. "You're Nagito Komaeda, right?" Afraid to respond, I stare at him. Trying to think of what to do. Pulling up a chair, the man sits down with his gaze staying on me. A man old enough to be my dad got me here? I still don't understand.

"You don't have to answer. You look just like your mom. I went to high school with her, you know. Something about a rich, pretty girl like her really burns into your head. You'll get it someday." His voice is deep like he's been smoking for a few years. Again, I don't get it. What does he want? Why did he bring up my mom? My mouth stays shut. Nothing I cab say would affect anything. "Anyway, I know your whore mom got with some crazy rich business guy, right...? Don't take it personally. I left a letter for your folks to get me some money. So, just don't piss me off and you'll leave without a scratch. Assuming they listen."

He speaks about all this like he's talking about the weather. That makes it so much worse. Has he done this before or is it a personal thing? A pit in my stomach forms the more he looks at me. I don't know what to say. What can I even do? "Um... my parents aren't..." His scary eyes make it hard to speak. "They aren't alive anymore." I blurt it out. Best to rip the bandaid off. "Heh, alright. I haven't heard that one before. Good try." He lights a cigarette in the middle of chuckling. God, I just want out of here. I won't complain anymore, just let me go home! "I'm not lying you can look it up. Last year, it was a plane crash!" My body is on anxiety mode. I wanna run, but I'm too scared.

The man rolls his eyes. Blowing smoke in my face, he keeps staring. Why? The way his eyes don't look angry makes me so confused. I don't understand. "At least you got your story straight. I bet your mom is gonna call my burner phone any minute now. I mean, you've been asleep for a good 2 hours. She's probably panicking. 'Oh my god, wheres my baby' type thing. Just shut up and things will get sorted out." He places his outdated phone on a step. "I'm not lying!" Again, he rolls his eyes. The metal around my wrists is hurting even more now. My head is fuzzy. I can't handle this.

"Listen, kid. I've been nice and I really don't have to be. If I want, I could break all the bones in your body. I could fucking kill you, you know? So don't annoy me. We're gonna sit here and wait for your parents to listen to the instructions." One last puff of his cigarette. The smell reminds me of my dad's business friend that'd jokingly offer smokes. Now they'll remind me of this toned, calm, terrifying person. Realizing any more talking from me would fail, I stop trying. My headache causes me to lay down on the uncomfortable concrete. I want to sleep again. Too painful to stay awake and too uncomfortable to pass out. God, this is a nightmare. The cold floor feels better than it should. Like a reminder that I'm still on Earth.

Somewhere along the line, I must've passed out for a bit. That scary man wakes me up by a light kick in my back. When did I fall asleep? "It's already 11 pm. If they don't call by midnight, I'll have to kill you." His voice rings in my ears. I'm too nauseous to be able to think of a good response. "I... already told you they're dead." I say that like I wasn't scared because I'm too tired. Another kick to my back, this time much harder. Enough to distract from my headache for a moment or maybe I'm just losing it. I can't tell. "Do you not get it? If I don't get that money or they got the cops involved, you're dying. So stop repeating that dumb lie, stupid brat." I don't say anything. What can I say?

Another 10 minutes goes by. 20, 30, 40 minutes and nothing. He's mad now. Actually mad. Before the kicks were more like a tease, but now it's unbearable. Kicks along my back and legs. Ot hurts, but I don't feel connected enough to react much. "Okay, fine. If they don't care, I'll do it. How do you wanna die, kid? I got knives, saws, whatever. I could strangle you, I don't care."

I think he's just ranting until he goes over to get that saw I forgot was on the floor over by the trash bags. Him picking up that saw is the most scared I've ever been in my life. Before this moment, I thought the killing threats were empty. He's just some kidnapper that might hit me. Of course, I have no reason to be that stupid. Blind hope, maybe. The kicking wasn't so bad. Dying? I don't wanna die! "NO! NO!! Please, just look it up! They really did die in a plane crash, I'm not lying!!" My own screaming sort of wakes me up. In my entire 12 years of living, I can't remember pleding like that.

He throws the saw in my direction, only to scare me seemingly. The action makes me stop any other words from leaving. Pulling my hair to force me to look at him, I see just how mad he really is. He could kill me with those evil eyes alone. "I'm going upstairs to look it up. If you're fucking with me, I swear to God." A quick movement later and he's gone. My breath is gone. The sweat from it all is almost dripping off me. I wanna cry, but I think it'll make him hurt me more. I take a moment to breathe. Everything felt like a bad dream until he got the saw. I could hold my emotions. Now, I feel like I'm drowning. It only now dawns on me that even Aiko can't save me.

The door upstairs opens again. Heavy steps come down. This time in a fast pace. "You little shit, you're right." Breathing heavy from the rush downstairs, a bitter smirk, and shaking his head in disbelief. He picks up the phone and throws it just barely away from my face. Pieces flying after it hit the wall. "You have any idea what that bitch did to me!? She gets to die with her stupid husband before I get my revenge!" Staring into me with eyes packed full of hate, I feel helpless. "God damnit... and I wanted this to be my Magnum Opus." His pained laugh sounds like something from a movie. My instinct is to back into the corner as he talks. "Haha... Really, this fucking sucks." He looks at me with a smile like I could possibly relate.

Sitting back down, catching his breath with horrible laughter, he stares at me again. This time with a completely different feeling. Before it was like an angry stranger after an annoying kid ruined something. Now... I don't even know, but I'm terrified. Why is it so much worse now? He's not hurting me anymore. "You really do look just like your mom. Grow your hair out, then you'd be her clone." His eyes darting all over me. I feel disgusting. I want to cry more than ever now. "Can't believe she had to die on me..." The rage came over his face again.

He gets up again. Quickly, he kicks my side. Pain travels throughout my body. Going down, he hits my face for the first time with those rough hands. I've never been hit before this, so everything in me is wanting to cry like a baby. The tears won't fall! I won't cry. I grew up faster than others, I won't cry like some stupid kid! He keeps hurting me. Over and over again. All I can do is curl up and hold back tears. Before long he stops, only staring down at me with an expression I don't care to read. My body stings. I'm just waiting for him to strike again. Surprisingly, he harshly takes off my restraints instead. "Don't pull any shit or else. I'm only doing this so you don't do something disgusting."

Instincts make me rub my wrists. The cheap metal putting a green ring around them. "There's a bathroom over there. I'm tired, but if I get the sense you're being stupid, I'll wake up. Don't test me." Nothing else, he leaves. Angry steps upstairs, the door slamming, and a cartoonishly loud locking sound. A few moments to catch my breath and then I could finally get up to pee. Getting up stings. My muscles feeling sore and tired I manage somehow.

Time ticks by in a mocking sense. Too scared to sleep. Really, I tried. Eariler I must've been too drugged from the rag or something. Bruises forming painfully. My head still hurts. I can only lay here, thinking. Before I was searching around the room for whatever I could. A way to get out, I guess. Now my mind is hurting itself. What is Aiko doing? Does she have any idea that something's wrong? How would she? How am I gonna get out? If he kills me, how long will it be until anyone finds out? I don't know. What I do know is that I'm hungry. I've been drinking faucet water from the tiny bathroom sink. It's been a good 12 hours since I've seen here. At least.

There's no clocks or windows, so its impossible to know the time. Part of me wants to risk picking the lock upstairs. I know that any attempt would only make him hurt me more. What would I even pick the lock with? The bathroom drawers are only full of toilet paper and hand towels. Time keeps going by, yet it feels like I've been in this room for days, weeks. Too tired to think and too hurt to do anything. Maybe it's the hunger. To save energy, I really should sleep. At the very least, it'll make time go by. Gathering hand towels to use as a pillow, I miraculously fall asleep.

"Wake up, kid!" That voice. I hoped I'd wake up to something confirming I was getting saved. Dumb, I know. Looking up at him, my entire body reminds me of the abuse it endured. Sore. Tired. Everything hurts. Feeling worse compared to before sleep. "I haven't seen you in almost a full day. But I've been thinking about what I wanna do. You did good not being stupid. Guess I'll be nice for that one." He laughs and kneels down to me. Touching my face, I can smell the mix of smoke and some kind of alcohol. I think. "God, you look just like Sachi." His touch makes me shiver. I can't take it. I hate the way he says my mom's name. Actually, I hate that he knows her name at all.

A quick smack across my face and I'm already wanting to cry again. "Don't look at me all pissed off like that." Grabbing my arms and holding me down, I remember his comment about bones. He could break them. I'm too tired to even fight. "A stupid kid like you isn't even worth killing. If you live, it'll make that bitch suffer in hell more anyway." I glance up at him. That repeated scary stare from last night is piercing my soul. A pause of him just staring. My mind is telling me to run. Run as fast as I possibly can. Anything to get away from that look. "I guess I'll make use of you first." I don't want to talk about what happens after that. It makes me lose my battle of not crying. Please don't make me talk about it.