Another rough chapter incoming. Still trying to keep it mostly implied, but I think everyone can figure out some of the specifics here. Pretty much this entire chapter will involve Alyssa's abuse, so if that is something you'd rather skip, I put a short excerpt at the end for a buffer again, followed by a brief summary of anything worth noting in the Author Notes.

New work laptop still having trouble, but I'll survive. Been a pretty hectic week, but that's pretty much the norm anymore. Still can't seem to get time for in-depth editing, so apologies for any errors that slip through.

Sunday proved a relaxing break from everything. No work. No classes. Just a day to relax and enjoy. Adam and Nila spent most of the day together, though there weren't any repeats of their kiss from last night, despite how much Adam had hoped for it.

Instead they'd pretty much carried on as usual. Eating meals with Erik. Playing games together outside. They'd even worked on homework together. Just having her nearby was nice, regardless of what they were doing.

Sadly, Sunday couldn't last forever, and the next morning brought with it all the cruelty a Monday could muster.

Adam tested the closet door for the third time, hoping it would yield. The lock held, maintaining its security of the cleaning supplies he desperately sought. His eyes clenched shut as he resigned himself to what he'd known was coming. There was only one way he would get access to what he needed. He'd have to go get the key…

From her.

As if summoned by the thought, Alyssa's voice drifted down the hall, singing some sweet melody that chilled Adam instantly. The last place on Remnant he wanted to go right now was her room. She'd all but promised more torment on Friday, but what would stop her from taking advantage of any of the other times they crossed paths. Adam was well aware that there was no one else around right now, nor would anyone be coming upstairs anytime soon. It was just the two of them again, just like Friday…

Taking that first step down the hall took a monumental amount of effort. He knew what had to be done. As much as he wanted to just run and skip his chores, Alyssa had to know he'd have to come to her for the key. If he didn't show, he'd just get in trouble for skipping his chores. It wasn't like no one would notice him shirking his responsibilities over time. Alyssa would just rat him out before that, though.

Adam hesitated outside her door, lurking out of sight as he tried to come up with a plan. She always kept the keys on her desk. Maybe he could snatch them before she realized he was there and escape. She'd notice eventually, especially once he started vacuuming, but maybe she'd hesitate to come after him outside her room. It might not work more than a few times, but he had to try. He could figure out other plans in the future, but the less he had to deal with Alyssa, the better.

Alyssa's voice became more faint, muffled suddenly. With a deep breath, Adam peeked around the corner. He could still hear her, but she was nowhere in sight. The bathroom door was cracked open, blocking his view of her.

More importantly, blocking her view of him.

Adam quickly tiptoed into her lair, stealthily rushing to her desk to take advantage of her brief absence. He cursed silently at the empty tray on her desk. Where could they be? A quick scan of the floor proved his first theory wrong, leaving him to carefully pull open the desk drawers one by one. If he could find the keys, he could escape for the morning. Or better yet, maybe she'd left his knife in one! Removing that piece of blackmail would go a long way toward freeing himself of her influence.

Each drawer proved as useless as the last. Class papers. Office supplies. Insignificant things that would do nothing for him. He tugged on the final drawer, desperation growing as the seconds ticked by, only for the drawer to click in resistance after a brief moment of hope.

Locked? He noticed too late the small keyhole above the handle. He pulled harder, flinching at the sound of the drawer rattling against metal. He knelt and tried to look in the small gap of the drawer, hoping to catch sight of anything useful. Maybe he could pull it open with enough force. Or find some way to jimmy the lock. A lock meant something valuable. Maybe valuable enough to protect him against her.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Adam shot to his feet, banging his back against the desk as he spun around. Alyssa leaned against the frame of the bathroom door, arms crossed with an amused grin on her face. "So eager to get on your knees for me? I'm flattered."

"Alyssa!" Panic set in quickly as Adam considered his options, ignoring her less-than-subtle innuendo. "I was just…"

"Looking for this?" Alyssa held up the small ring of keys, twirling them twice on her finger before closing her fist with a short jingle as she trapped the keys together. Alyssa had seen through his plan before he ever hatched it. She knew he needed the keys and had kept them with her, effectively forcing him to come to her for them. "Surely you weren't trying to avoid me."

Yes. "N-no," he stammered. "I just…I figured you were busy and didn't want to bother you."

"It's no bother. I'm never too busy for you." He didn't know why he bothered lying. They both knew the truth. Rather than look upset, however, Alyssa seemed amused at his attempt. She sashayed across the room, a coy smile fixed on her face as she offered, "Oh, Adam. All you had to do was ask."

Adam gulped as she stopped short, waiting for him to make the next move. He doubted she would just let him take the keys and run. After all, why hide them in the first place? Still, she wouldn't wait forever, and an amused Alyssa was better than…well, the Alyssa he'd encountered on Friday.

"Can I have the keys?" Adam asked.

"Surely you can be more polite than that," Alyssa teased.

Unlike her, Adam wasn't enjoying the game. "Alyssa, may I please have the keys?" Adam asked with a sigh, waiting for her imminent denial.

Which left him unprepared for her simple answer. "Of course." She opened her hand, dangling the keys in front of his face as they hung loosely from her finger.

Adam watched her carefully, but her easy smile betrayed nothing. He'd expected more games. More tricks. Was she really letting him off the hook that easily? After only a moment of consideration, Adam decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and reached out to accept his reward.

The moment his fingers touched the keys, Alyssa pulled them back. "You can have them," she chuckled, "once I have what I want."

And there it was. Adam sighed at her little ploy as he asked the obvious question. One he knew he'd regret. "What do you want?"

"Some fun," Alyssa answered, stepping back toward her bed. Adam's shoulders sagged as he instantly understood her meaning. "Now don't look so upset, Adam. It's not every day a pretty girl shows so much interest."

It was beginning to feel that way. Honestly, Adam wished for a lot less interest right now.

"I'm not asking for much, Adam. Just a quick bit of fun and you'll be on your way." Alyssa undid a single button on her blouse, drawing Adam's eyes for a moment before he could wrench them away. "Or you could stick around longer, if you want. I won't tell."

Adam didn't want to stick around at all. He wanted to run away and never look back. A small part of him felt a rush of excitement at her offer, but it couldn't overcome the tremors of fear he felt in her presence. Any other guy would probably leap at the opportunity, but right now he'd rather leap out the window.

"What do I have to do?" Adam asked, resigned to his fate.

"Well, you could start by coming a little closer," Alyssa hummed. Adam trudged forward until Alyssa slowly placed her hands on his shoulders, softly pulling him the rest of the way. "There now. Was that so bad?"

It was worse. So much worse. He had a feeling it was only the beginning, though.

"Usually, this is the part where you kiss the girl," Alyssa chuckled. She tilted her head, eyes closed as she waited. Adam almost wished she'd drag him into it, but she'd chosen a much crueler approach this time, forcing him to initiate his own torture.

His stomach churned as he leaned forward, his lips meeting hers for the briefest moment. He braced for whatever terrible plans she had for him, only to be shocked as she let him pull away. He stepped back, only stopping when her intertwined hands behind his neck refused to part.

"Is that it?" Alyssa clearly expected more. "Even Nila got a better kiss on your little walk the other night."

"You saw?" Adam had been almost certain he'd seen her hovering in her window when they'd returned, but this only confirmed it. She's been watching me.

"Of course I saw. Gotta keep an eye on my competition," Alyssa laughed. Adam paled at the thought of Alyssa taking such an interest in his relationship. His actual relationship. "Now, kiss me properly and I'll give you the keys, like I promised." Alyssa shook the keys beside his head.

Knowing he couldn't win, Adam released a heavy sigh and leaned forward once more. His lips met hers again, lingering for a few seconds. She didn't push back. Didn't do much of anything, really. At least not compared to what he'd imagined. One of her hands gently ran through his hair as they stood there for a few seconds, Adam pulling away the moment he felt he'd fulfilled his obligation.

Alyssa disagreed.

Without warning, Alyssa's hand tightened in his hair, yanking him forward into her and sending them both tumbling onto the bed. He landed hard beside her, but she only pulled him closer, her other hand firmly planted against his back. He grimaced as she painfully pulled at his hair, having learned his lesson from trying to cry out last time. It failed to deter her as she practically rammed her tongue past his lips.

Adam tried to free himself, but the moment he started to push away, Alyssa's hand shot from his back to his wrist, gripping it tightly before dragging it closer to her. She forced it against her stomach as she continued her oral assault, then dragged it lower. He tried to wrench his hand away as he felt it pass under the soft fabric of her skirt, only to squirm as she wrenched his wrist painfully, then once again forced him lower, guiding his hand for him when he tried to resist.

What likely lasted only a minute or two felt like hours before Alyssa finally released her grip on him. Adam yanked back hard enough to send him flying off the bed. He panted for breath from the floor below. Alyssa sighed her pleasure from the mattress, then rolled over to look down at him from above.

"Much better," she hummed before slowly running her tongue across her lips. "Here you go!"

The small ring of keys bounced off Adam's chest to the floor beside him. Absent-mindedly, Adam's hand shot out to scoop them up before she could change her mind.

Alyssa lingered above to the point of awkwardness. Well, awkward for Adam, who scurried to his feet and backed away toward the door. Alyssa followed his retreat with her eyes, propping herself up on her elbows as her feet idly kicked in the air behind her. "My, isn't someone in a hurry?"

Adam didn't even bother trying to make an excuse. He wanted to run as fast as he could from the room, but his feet remained rooted to the floor.

"You could stay a little longer, if you want," Alyssa offered. "Your chores can wait if you'd rather stay with me."

Nope! His chores couldn't wait another second. In fact, Adam was fairly certain the fate of Remnant itself rested on him cleaning those windows.

"No? Pity." Alyssa rolled off the bed, placing herself on the other side, much to Adam's relief. "Guess I'll go get cleaned up. You're welcome to join me." Adam kept his mouth shut, silently refusing her offer once again. He had what he needed, after all. "Make sure to bring the keys back when you're done. Then again, I might enjoy punishing you if you don't."

Adam felt confident he wouldn't enjoy it. The thought of stealing the keys had been a tempting one, but her dark promise banished that idea from his mind. He dreaded to imagine what sort of things she had planned.

Alyssa finally turned for the bathroom, breaking whatever spell she had that held him there. He sprinted down the hall, nearly dropping the keys as he frantically tried to jam them in the lock. He'd never cleaned faster in his life. He was certain the quality suffered, but right now, he didn't care. The keys were back on Alyssa's desk before she even emerged from her long shower, though Adam didn't fail to notice the open door across the room. A cheery song followed his pounding feet down the hall as he fled for the safety of outside.

At least she couldn't do anything to him if he was around other people, right?

/- - - - - - - - - -/

As it turned out, there was plenty Alyssa could do, even beyond the confines of her room. As the week slowly passed, Adam quickly realized there was nowhere he could escape her. Nor could he ever predict her behavior. She'd show up at meals sometimes, dropping by to check on him and his friends or deliver some simple message to one of them. Or she'd drop by to chat while they were outside. She'd even popped into their room once to deliver some homework she'd conveniently forgotten to give back to him in class.

No matter where he went, the threat of Alyssa's arrival kept him on edge. Without warning, she would appear and ruin his day. And the worst part was the touching.

A pat on the back. A hand on his shoulder. A brush of an arm as she passed. Alyssa always found a way to make contact, even if only for a moment. Adam revolted at each, but she only seemed to enjoy it more. It became a game to her. Handing him something in a way that made his fingers brush against hers. Guiding him somewhere with a hand on his back. To anyone else, it probably just looked like friendly, innocuous gestures. But Adam knew better.

I own you, Adam. Her cruel words hung over him like a dark cloud. There was nothing he could do about her, though. No one he could tell. No one's going to believe you over me. His friends might, but what good would that do? If they told anyone, Alyssa would just come after them next. The only other option would be for them to suffer with him.

No. They could never know. Just because he was trapped didn't mean they needed to be as well. If anything, their ignorance helped him escape Alyssa's web, if only for brief moments. He found himself seeking them out anytime he was alone, especially Nila. She sure didn't seem to mind his sudden attention. Adam wished he could claim some romantic notion - that he was so enamored with her that he had to have her around as much as possible. The truth was far less poetic.

Alyssa could only go so far around others. She still looked for ways to mess with him, but she could only go so far without others catching on. His friends served as his unwitting protection against some of her more…physical desires.

Of course, that didn't save him in the mornings. He couldn't exactly ask Erik to help with his chores when he had his own to tend to. After her assault on Monday, he'd been prepared for the worst the next morning, only for Alyssa to do nothing but watch him and make comments. Wednesday proved much the same, aside from a quick kiss on the cheek. He'd started to wonder if she was losing interest by the time Thursday morning passed without her even being present.

That theory had been cruelly shot down when she snuck up on him while vacuuming on Friday, cornering him in her classroom and using her desk for things he'd rather not remember.

It was hard not to, sat in that same classroom that very afternoon. He tried to stay focused on his textbook, but his eyes would inevitably wander to the front of the room, only to summon images from the morning that still chilled him.

Speaking of chills. "Everything okay, Adam?" Alyssa asked as she walked between the aisles of desks. Her hand lightly rested on his shoulder as she bent closer, as if she was looking at the assignment with him. "Anything you need help with?"

Adam frantically shook his head no. Unless she was offering to help throw herself out the nearest window, he'd be happy for her to just leave him alone. The clock ticked far too slowly for his liking, dragging the class on.

"Let me know if you have any questions, then. Some of the material can be a little rough." Alyssa's hand trailed down his arm, pausing to squeeze tightly just above his bicep before lightly ghosting away. Adam gritted his teeth against the pain of a bruise she'd left only hours ago. The smug grin she wore as she moved on told him she'd aimed there on purpose.

Adam buried his face in his book, his mind mostly ignoring the text his eyes poured over. Even here, he wasn't truly safe. A cruel voice taunted his mind. There's no escape, Adam. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you're still mine.

The same voice summoned the attention of the entire class, though it sounded far less sinister at the moment. Like everyone else, Adam instinctively looked to the front of the room, only to tear his eyes away as Alyssa leaned against the front of her desk, hands planted on either side. "Alright, everyone. No homework this weekend." Alyssa waited for the end of a brief cheer. "Feel free to use that extra time to study for Monday's test."

A few groans showed just how excited everyone was for that reminder.

"The bell hasn't rung yet, but how do you feel about getting out of here a few minutes early today?" And just like that, Alyssa continued the rollercoaster of their mood. Books slammed as everyone rushed to gather their belongings and escape, but few moved faster than Adam. At least, until Alyssa added, "And Adam!"

Adam froze, already halfway out of his seat and turning away from her. Someone bumped into his shoulder as they passed, but he barely noticed.

"I'll see you tonight for your lesson." Adam gulped at the cruel reminder, robbing him of the small joy he felt in being freed from her presence temporarily. "We've got a lot to go over, so we might run a little late again. Just come by after dinner! I'll be waiting…"

Adam wished he could leave her waiting, but as the hours slipped by and dinner approached, Adam couldn't help the gnawing dread in his stomach. He tried to join in Erik and Nila's conversations at dinner, but his mind was firmly fixed on what would follow. He ate slowly, dragging the meal out and insisting they stick around and chat as long as possible. When one of the cooks finally came to chase them out so they could close everything down, Adam took his time walking back to his room and grabbing his math book. He wasn't really sure if he'd need it or not, since Alyssa seemed far more interested in other activities. Still, the hope he could distract her with actual tutoring was the only thing he had.

Erik eventually reminded him about his lesson, sealing his fate. The lonely walk to Alyssa's room did nothing for his mood. He considered "slipping" and hurting himself on the stairs, but with Alyssa being the orphanage's nurse, he had a feeling he'd wind up in her room anyways. She'd probably recommend he stay with her for monitoring overnight or something, too.

Against his will, he eventually reached Alyssa's room. He knocked lightly, hoping she wouldn't hear.

"Come in, Adam."

So much for that plan.

"It's rude to keep a girl waiting," Alyssa commented as he entered. He'd half expected her to be wearing next to nothing when he arrived, but her tank top and jeans gave him a little hope. "Take a seat."

Adam claimed his usual chair, grateful she'd pointed there rather than the bed. He hurriedly opened his math book and pulled out a few papers, eager to focus their rendezvous on more educational goals. He frantically began working the first problem, fighting to keep his focus on the paper and off of the woman behind him.

Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't there. "How're you doing with graphing? Did you finish the worksheet I gave you last week?"

Last week? If there was one topic he wanted to avoid, it was their lesson last week. Or, more accurately, what happened after the lesson.

"Right here!" Adam practically shouted, holding up the paper for her to see. She calmly took it from him, her fingers sliding across his own as she did. He immediately went back to work as she looked it over.

"You shifted this line the wrong direction," Alyssa said, holding the paper in front of him and leaning over beside him. "Other than that, though, you did well, Adam."

Erik deserved the credit there. Where before he might've approached Alyssa for guidance, Erik proved almost as good a teacher. Better even, since Adam didn't have to worry about him doing things to him afterwards.

"Seems like you've gotten the hang of graphing after last week," Alyssa commented, setting the paper down beside his book, her side brushing against his shoulder. "Guess we can move on to other things."

Other things? Adam quickly pointed to the open page. "I'm having trouble with this section."

"Linear versus nonlinear functions?" Alyssa asked, cocking her head as she scanned the information for a moment. In truth, Adam didn't even know what he'd pointed at, but if it kept Alyssa distracted, he'd claim ignorance on any topic right now. "Why didn't you ask about it during class?"

Because he wasn't worried about her groping him during class. "I thought I'd figured it out, but the homework was harder than I expected."

"Well, let's take a look." As Adam hoped, Alyssa fell into teacher mode. Actual teacher, not some fantasized version. It seemed their lessons weren't just for her pleasure. She still intended to help him with his math lessons. If that was the case, he had a feeling he'd be struggling a lot in the near future.

The next half hour was spent doing practice problems and reviewing material, all while Adam followed along but made sure to struggle as much as he felt reasonable. As long as he didn't overdo it and seemed to be making progress, she would keep teaching. If she ever figured out that he'd understood this chapter the first time, he had a feeling she'd end the lesson then and there. He might even find out what she meant by "punishment."

Eventually, though, she started to get bored. "I think that's enough for tonight," she announced from behind his chair, hands running down his arms as she embraced him from behind. "I think you've got the hang of it now."

"What about the next chapter?" Adam attempted, hoping to continue the stalling tactics. If he dragged it on long enough, she'd have to let him go. Someone would notice if he stayed too late, right? Erik might come looking for him, which could blow her cover entirely.

"You're awfully interested in math tonight," Alyssa pointed out.

"I'm just really struggling with…" Adam turned a few pages to see what other topic he could hide behind, "linear graphing."

"Cute, Adam." Alyssa leaned further down, her fingers intertwining with his. He felt something warm brush against his ear before she whispered, "But that's next week's lesson."

Crap! Looking back, he should've paid more attention, both now and in class. "I-I was working ahead."

"Mm-hm. I'm sure you were." Alyssa's arms tightened a little, pressing his back against her. Suddenly, she let go entirely, circling around in front of him. "In that case, here's one more lesson for you. What's one…" Alyssa planted a knee on his chair, right between his legs, "plus one?"

The chair toppled backwards as she attacked his lips, but she didn't even slow down as his head slammed into the floor. She held him down, hands slipping under his shirt and forcing it off before roaming over his chest and stomach. It ended far sooner than he'd expected, but far later than he wanted.

"Hm…" Alyssa hummed, hovering only inches above him. "I've been kind of greedy lately, haven't I?"

Adam could think of many other words for her, each less flattering than the last.

"I guess I did already have my way with you this morning." Alyssa sat up, still straddling him. He hated how his body responded, especially when she purposefully wiggled and smiled down at him. Clearly, she'd felt his reaction. "This hardly seems fair to you."

He couldn't agree more. None of this was fair to him. He waited with baited breath, however, at her words. Would she let him go after all? Was there actually some sort of limit to her perversion? As she pushed off of him and walked over to her bed, he dared to hope.

"And I did promise that you'd have some fun, too." Adam's hope died an ugly death. "So what do you want to do?"

Leave. Run. Flee. He had a sneaking suspicion none of those would be approved. "Actually, I'm kind of tired…"

"Then maybe you should come to bed, silly." As if she'd just let him get some sleep. "Surely you can think of something you'd like to do to me. Anything at all. I think you'll find I'm rather adventurous."

Adam didn't doubt that for a second. She'd probably done things that he couldn't even imagine. Nor that he'd want to. She'd already done far more to him than he liked. Some of them had been downright painful, which always seemed to excite her even more.

Alyssa grew impatient before suddenly perking up. "In that case, I can think of a few things you might like." Adam doubted that, unless she was about to pack her bags and leave Katai for good. "The other boys always enjoyed them, at least."

"Others?" Adam asked before he could think.

Alyssa laughed, the sound oddly mirthful for a demon. "You didn't think you were the first, did you?" He'd never really given much thought to her sexual history. All he knew was her present, and he hated it. Finding out she'd slept around wasn't exactly a surprise, though. "It's been a few years, admittedly, but then again, we haven't had many faunus boys for a while. I was beginning to worry I'd have to settle for Erik."

While the revelation that he had basically spared Erik this fate simply by showing up and catching her interest comforted him a tiny bit, another detail stuck out. Before he could ask, though, Alyssa guessed the question for him.

"Wondering why I choose faunus?" The thought had crossed his mind. Then again, if it kept her busy and beyond arm's length, he'd gladly play twenty questions for the rest of the evening. "I don't mind faunus, really. They're not that different from regular people," Alyssa's eyes noticeably sank a little lower, "especially where it counts. But do you want to know why I like faunus so much?"

Not really, but she was intent on telling him, so he kept quiet.

"Because mother would hate it. The very idea that her daughter would do something like this with an animal like you would put her in an early grave." Adam didn't miss the grumbled wish Alyssa followed that with. "I hate her for trapping me here. Just like I hate Idalia for abandoning me with her. But if I'm gonna be stuck in this gods-forsaken town, the least I can do is enjoy myself." Alyssa's grin turned vicious as she pushed away from the bed. "And that's what I have you for. Now, any requests?"

Adam's hesitation proved a fatal mistake. Alyssa was on him in an instant. Apparently, she'd come up with a few ideas of her own, pulling him across the room with vile intent. He tried to block it all out. Tried anything to distance himself mentally as she turned her room into a wrestling pit. But there was no escaping her clutches. He wanted to cry out. To scream for help. Beg for someone to rescue him.

Instead, he kept silent, knowing no one would come to help.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Adam sat on his bed that night, staring across the darkened room at an empty wall as her words played in his head. She'd come after him because he was a faunus, but he wasn't the only one there. Why had she chosen him over Erik? A selfish part of him wished she hadn't, but he couldn't bear the thought of his friend going through her torment. Instead, he tried to understand why she'd chosen him at all.

Was it something I did? Had he been too friendly with her early on? Had he said something that made her interested? Given her the wrong idea about him somehow? Could he have done something different to avoid all of this in the first place?

In the end, it didn't matter much, since there was no undoing what had been done. Just like he couldn't undo what she'd done. As much as she claimed he'd enjoy her "adventurism" tonight, Adam could say definitively he never wanted to do any of that again. He sported a few new bruises and kept his shirt collar tight to hide an embarrassing mark. Even when she'd seemed finished, he'd been caught off guard when she forced him into the shower with her.

His stalling strategy hadn't slowed her down at all. If anything, it ended up making things worse. Before he could drag himself out of her room, she'd told him to come back on Sunday afternoon. After all, if he had so many questions about homework, then they should have extra "study" sessions. She'd also made it clear that, should he skip their lesson, he'd be facing a week of detention with her in the evenings.

He was trapped. No matter what he tried, she always had an answer. Stalling didn't work. Avoiding her would only make things worse. Just like she'd promised, she had complete control. His eyes burned, but he'd long ago run out of tears for himself. With no end in sight, Adam had only one thought.

He had to escape.

Tried to amuse myself with the Emperor's New Groove reference of "Looking for this?" early on, but rough chapter is rough. Alyssa is working hard to completely break Adam, and if you look closely, you can already see some brief glimpses of his future mentality here and there. I won't go into specifics yet, but canon Adam is beginning to stir a bit.

As I put in last chapter's notes, I promise I'm not just doing this for the fun of torturing a character. Yet again, I will remind everyone I despise Alyssa and her actions. She is, however, a necessary character to bring us to canon Adam in the future. Like I said before, signs of him are already starting to appear. I hadn't intended to spend a whole chapter focusing on Alyssa's abuse, but it was necessary to show both the volume of her abuse (both mental and physical) while also showing the affect it's already having on Adam. I'm hoping we can have less "on-screen" events like this moving forward. I have plans for the next several chapters that should shift the focus away a little, though you can be certain Alyssa isn't going to suddenly let up anytime soon.

For those of you who skipped the chapter but are sticking with the story, you didn't miss much this week. Short version: Alyssa is a disgusting monster who continues to prey on Adam and has done the same to others in the past. She's also mixing things up here and there to further the mental side of the abuse, which is quickly breaking Adam psychologically.

Next chapter: Adam plots his escape from Alyssa's clutches. Can he find a way out, or will he forever be tangled in her cruel web?