Chapter 21 - Attempt

I was frozen in place, unable to move breath or even blink. Smell me? There was no way...

"Of course you'd find this room. You were always to nosy for your own good. You're just laying there under the bed, so still.. hoping that I'd miraculously just leave for some reason and you'd get your chance to escape. I don't think so. I'll kill you... but not yet. I'll let the anticipation consume you, drive you crazy. Did you really think I wouldn't know you were under there. You smell like the inside of a hospital. I know that smell better than anyone. A million questions are probably flying through your mind right now. A little something like why is Kouga harboring a criminal? Allow me to enlighten you. All those years ago when my mother left, she met another man. They got married, and had a child. That child's name was Hojo. Starting to make sense yet?"

"Go on."

He laughed. "So it speaks. But where was I, ah yes. Their marriage was anything but perfect. You see, Hojo's father was a raging drunk and beat our mother over and over. Not for any specific reason, just because he could. One night.. she couldn't take it anymore. Hojo came home from school and found her dead on the floor with her wrists slit. Hojo didn't take it so well, seeing his mother laying in a pool of her own blood with a razor in her hand... sent him over the edge. You could say... he has mommy issues. It sent him into a spiraling depression, the fact that she would rather take her own life than take him an leave broke him. So, one night he waited till his father drew himself a bath. He drowned him. It wasn't difficult, there wasn't a moment when he wasn't drunk. So when he passed out, all Hojo had to do was hold him under and it was all history from there on out."

"Doesn't explain how you two met."

"Oh! You're right. He was the one who found me actually. We shared our.. secrets and from there on we just clicked. I guess you could call it brotherly love."

I scoffed. "Brotherly love? The only thing that connects you is DNA and the fact that you're both sociopaths."

He sighed. "Is that anyway to talk when you're stuck in a room with one of those sociopaths?"

I stayed silent. I didn't want to provoke him to make him act sooner. "That's what I thought. We both know that if it wasn't for the fact of me being petty I could just reach under there and snatched you right out."

He kicked his feet off the bed, standing up. He got on his knees next to the bed... my breath hitched. My heart was pounding so fast, I thought I was going to pass out again. He was on all fours now, he slowly laid down, I turned my back to him not wanting to look. That scared little girl that I was trying so hard to hide... found her way back out somehow... I felt sick, I was trying my utmost best not to vomit on myself. I felt his fingers running through my hair. I felt tears pricking at my eyes.

"Turn around Kagome."

I didn't move. "The more you listen. The longer you live."

I turned on my other side...his face sent chills down my spine. I fought the urge not to urinate on myself...again. he didn't have his patch on... the inside of his eye had crusted over. He grinned from ear to ear, his one good eye narrowed to a slit.

He stroked my cheek. "That's a good girl. You know, we could start over. You know a fresh start. I'd treat you right this time. Love you the right way, the way you deserve. What do you say? Do I get a do-over?"

I nodded. Anything to buy me more time. "So come on from under there."

I crawled out from under the bed. He hugged me, burying his nose in my hair. Inhaling my scent. He kissed my forehead, them sat me down on the bed. He stroked my hair.

"We could move far away from here. Somewhere sunny, with white sandy beaches."

He hugged me again, and that's when I saw it. My way out, I didn't know how I missed it before. The round hole in the wall. I hugged him back prolonging it so I could get a better look in the dimly lit room.

"What is that?"

"A garbage shoot. Why?"

"Just asking." I laced my fingers with his. "Is that how you get away from Hojo, he isn't very big on letting you out." I felt disgusting doing this. Touching him, talking to him. Just him being alive made my skin crawl.

"Ha, yeah. I've thought about sliding out there a couple of times. I wouldn't like the landing in the garbage part very much."

I laughed at his corny joke, leaning on his shoulder. Anything to buy me more time, I kept telling myself.

He draped his arm around my shoulder. "See. I knew you still loved me. I didn't realize how much I missed your hair color."

"Do you remember our first time?" I almost threw up in my mouth, bringing up these memories.

He purred in my ear. "How could I forget. Why?"

"Remember how I tied you up?"

He smiled. "Of course I do."

"Would you let me do it again."

"You don't have to tell me twice." He sprawled out on the bed.

I unbuckled his belt, sliding it out of the loops. I prayed to god this would hold him long enough. He shoved his hands through the bed rails. I wrapped the belt around his wrists as tightly as I could. I rolled his shirt up, covering his eyes.

"Well what are you waiting for babe, hurry up."

"Y-yea, just let me take off my clothes." I got off of him, slipping my shoes off. Tip toeing over to the shoot.. shit. It was closed off. He was always three steps ahead of me. I had to try the next best thing. I ran for the wardrobe doors kicking them open.

"You bitch! Wait till I get my hands on you!"

I climbed through , running and not looking back. I flung the bedroom door open, running down the stairs. I ran into something hard, knocking me back. I was Hojo and he had gun,

... pointed straight at my head.