Black Rose

New revelations.

Once I had spent a few minutes crying and feeling sorry for myself, I had a sudden thought.

On my friends smart TV's, some of them could access a browser. One was even logged on to watch TikToks on it. If I could get onto a browser, I might be able to somehow get a message out helping the police.

So tentatively I picked up the remote and pressed the home button.

Sure enough, in the corner of the screen was a cross-hatched globe, with the little icon for a mouse.

Trying to keep my breathing even, I scrolled through and opened the app. A google search bar appeared on screen, and with my heart beating in my chest and my brain a hurricane, I searched for Facebook and found my way to the login page. When I hit the bar, I carefully typed in my email address and then my password. It took a while, having to use the smart TV's built in keyboard and the arrows on the remote to select letters, but finally I found myself on my main page, staring at a post from an aunt of her family in Hawaii.

My heart was in my throat, I navigated to the message app and pulled up my most recent message string, to Jordan. With shaking hands, I started typing out a message.

I was only halfway through when I heard the door on the stairs open. Panic setting in, I sped tried to close the keyboard, frantically needing to send this message before he reached me.

I could hear the heavy footfall of boots on the stairs as he descended, then his scratchy voice.

"Have you been a good girl, my pet?" He called, and I fumbled on the keyboard hearing his voice so close. Panicked, knowing I wouldn't finish sending it before he saw, I pressed the off button and watched as the screen went black. I then placed the remote on the coffee table in front of me.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and I glanced back at him, trying not to look guilty.

"Hello, my rose. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Fine," I mumbled quietly. I bit my lip and looked away.

I heard him step towards me, then flinched as I felt him place a heavy calloused hand on my shoulder. He chuckled.

"Someday soon you will curl towards me with affection, and when you do, I'll make sure to remind you of this moment."

"I'd rather die than play into your sick Stockholm syndrome fantasies," I spat.

He just laughed again. "Still so feisty, my pet. But no, they aren't fantasies. Merely reality, I am preparing for by manifesting. All it will take is a bit of love and a strong hand. Speaking of..."

He trailed off and I frowned, confused, as he manoeuvred around me so he was in front of me. Then, he reached down and picked up the remote. He held it in front of him, smirking at me.

"You seemed pretty quick to throw this away from you when I came down the stairs, my pet. Shall we see why?"

My heart started hammering in my chest and I reached out to try snatch the remote off him. He just pulled it out of my grasp and tutted at me.

"Now, now. No need to be immature."

Then he turned around and turned the TV on. I winced as it opened right back up to the browser, to the message I'd been typing seconds before.

The man, Blake, let out a soft chuckle as he held the silver wand above my head, staring at the TV.

"You're just too clever, my rose," he said, in a voice that made me feel small and foolish. He glanced across at me and gave a condescending smile. "Shame your friend couldn't read this. Help, kidnapped, mountains, man named Blake. Hurt- what a sad story."

I bit my lip and scowled. "You don't need to fucking gloat."

"The language, my goodness... we really ought to do something about that potty mouth of yours," He laughed. "But trust me, my rose, I'm not gloating. You'll very soon find out exactly how furious I am. But really, pet, it's kind of humorous, don't you think? I mean, did you really think that would help? The mountains span across half the bloody continent."

I bit my lip and looked away. "At least then they would have had a name."

"Mm, yes, I am rather surprised that you managed to discover my name. Care to explain?"

I kept my mouth shut, silently staring as turned around and deleted all the words I had typed, and closed the browser, before returning his attention to me. When I still didn't say anything, he smirked.

"So now you're quiet, my rose? No more sarcastic quips or bitter comments?" He let out a chuckle and shook his head, dropping the remote onto the couch beside me. "Perhaps that is because you've realised what comes next."

Then he leant forward, putting his hands on my shoulders, holding me in place. I winced as he leant down and whispered into my ear.

"I've been patient, my rose. I gave you some time to adjust. I didn't punish you over the broken plate. I let you humiliate me in front of Iris when you ran away from me. I let all of that slide. Yet here we are."

He shifted, grabbing my chin with one hand and forcing me to turn my head and look at him.

He smirked, shaking his head. "You've been a bad girl, my rose. A very bad girl."

A lump rose in my throat and I started shaking. Silently I opened my mouth in an attempt to rescue myself, to stop him. Yet no sound came out.

I couldn't stop the words that passed his lips.

"Rule number three, my rose. Bad girls get punished."