Neighbour

xvii

Lucius told me to follow him to his house. I followed his instructions without making a fuss. I didn't need to be a genius to understand the repercussions of going against a cold blooded killer.

Once we got inside his house, he dragged me with my hair to his bedroom. He removed the rug once again, used the handle to reveal the underground opening and kicked me inside. I fell on my side but I was still numb; physically and mentally.

"You should've minded your own business." He said, closing the door. I heard a latch and sat, curled up in the endless darkness. I gradually lied down, cradling myself to sleep. I was hungry and thirsty. I also had to use the bathroom. Being locked in a cellar where people were brutally tortured didn't add a plus point to my situation.

I woke up hours later to a bright light in my face and a figure above me.

"Come out." Lucius said in a groggy voice.

I had spent one entire night rotting in Lucius' torture cellar, I trudged up the stairs and used his bathroom without asking. I went into the kitchen after I was done and met Lucius who had two plates with omelettes in them on the dining table.

"I give up." I said.

"Can't you just end my suffering?" I pleaded.

"What are you talking about? You have been the most cooperative person I've met. You're my partner now."

"I'd rather kill myself." I whispered so that Lucius couldn't hear.

After breakfast, Lucius went out for a long time. He threw me inside the cellar for the second time so that I couldn't escape.

Once he let me out, I heard muffled screams. I walked out of Lucius' bedroom and into the living room. There was a teenage girl tied to a chair, just how Nigel had been tied. Lucius picked something up from the floor while I walked closer to her, staring at her eyes that were louder than her muffled yells. Lucius stood beside me, and I right in front of the poor stranger.

"Remove all your anger on her." Lucius said as he handed me a hammer.

"Don't forget to have fun." He added.

I held the hammer with my elbows at a proper angle, mentally preparing myself for the swing. I counted down in my head and with all my energy, I took a swing at Lucius' stomach.