A Little Death

VI

Skyler's POV

My head is throbbing and my vision is blurry. I feel like someone just hit me in the stomach with a standing lamp. 

I wake up to myself hanging upside down with some rope in a dark room. Oh, great.

I guess I kind of deserve this.

'You're awake.' A deep voice speaks from the darkness.

'Batman?'

'Close, but no. It's me, Joshua.'

'LET ME DOWN.'

'What are you gonna do if I don't?'

Touché.

'All right,' he says, after a while, 'I'm gonna let you down now, you've been hanging upside down for an unhealthy amount of time and I don't want another case pressed on me. You wanna know what it was about? OH WAIT, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY DO.'

He gets mad like a fucking toddler.

He stands up and walks towards me, with a hacksaw blade. But instead of me, he cuts the rope I was hanging from.

'Thanks.' I mumble.

'Oh, no need to thank me.' He says, as he leaves the room. Leaving me on the floor. Still tied. With a rope. My whole body.

'OH COME ON, JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE HELP.' I didn't really get trained for this.

I was trained to not pass out. I wouldn't, if I had dodged the punch he had thrown which by the way, still hurt like hell. But I didn't dodge, thanks brain. Now I was lying on the floor, wrapped neck-to-toe in rope. I couldn't do anything. But then I saw the hacksaw on the floor. Perfect. I walk- no, rolled over to it. I reach it. But if I cut a millimeter in the wrong place, it's gonna add to the punch sensation.

Perfect, the ideal way to spend my Friday evening. I struggled but cut the rope a little eventually, creating an opening for my hand to slip through, I grab the blade and cut open the rest of my rope. It's sad, so much good rope going to waste.

With my newly untied body, I walk over to the door, barely able to see in the darkness and open it. I open the door to the living room of his house again.

'So you ARE a mafia boss's daughter.'

'Wha-'

'I wouldn't believe it, passing out after just one punch, you couldn't even dodge!'

'It was a moment of weakness.'

'Nah, I'd say it was your incompetence.'

I decide not to argue further. 

'Joshua, I'm sorry.'

'Should've said that before I tied you up and hung you upside down.'

'Nah, it was like a skill-building exercise. So, how did you know? Some sort of application that triggers an alarm when you open a file? A hidden virus?'

'Know what?'

'What?'

'What? OH, THAT, I didn't know.'

'Then how did you-'

'You looked nervous so I used some logic, you idiot.'

'I looked nervous?'

'You were sweating and shit.'

'Well, that punch hurt like hell.'

'I know.' he says, with a smile.

'So you just happen to have a shitload of rope enough to wrap a fully grown human?'

'I have enough to wrap 10.'