Defending the Mask

Caged

Omph... Are you guys ready for this?

Possible trigger warning.

Claustrophobia, kidnapping, mental torment

We didn't write anything graphic, but the character is reacting to some heavy stuff.

Let me know if you need another chapter to make up for being so off lately.

Also, please let us know what you think of the writing in this chapter. We've been working a few new things into the way we work, so we'd like to know if they're working for you guys.

Lots of Love,

-Dark-

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He groans as he shifts, trying to move away from whatever was pressing into his back.

Why was his head throbbing?

And what was the horrible smell?

It was everywhere.

In his nose.

In his mouth.

And when he opens his eyes, it burns there too.

It was like a mixture of burnt hair. Urine. Bleach.

And something else, something almost familiar.

Where was he?

What was the smell?

Why was he so cold?

And why didn't he want to open his eyes again?

It wasn't like he was safer in the dark.

Safer with the unknown.

It just felt that way.

But, he needed to know.

Needed to know where he was.

Needed to know what happened.

Hiro and Lilo had taken him back to his room.

They lingered, letting him show them all the modifications he'd been making to his laptop. The gaming console. The printer.

Lilo tried to help him unpack.

His heart thuds uncomfortably in his chest.

A warning.

Don't look.

Don't think.

But he had to.

They were hanging out with him, but he knew they had work they had to get back to, so he hugged them both, and they'd left.

And then Dude wanted to go out.

Stop stop.

Stop stop.

His heart beats out the warning.

He took Dude out.

His lower lip starts to tremble, but he couldn't tell if it was from fear or the cold.

Both?

Dogs. There had been dogs.

Or at least it sounded like a lot of dogs.

It was enough to worry Dude.

It was enough to make him panic.

Run.