Trouble in Paradise ||Karma Akabane| [INDEFINITE HIATUS]

chapter four

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"You should escape, skip town,
You're better on your own"
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I stood in the pantry for a moment, considering what I should do. I recalled Fuwa and Maehara told me, that if I wasn't scared I should act scared.

The darkness disoriented me and the cramped space combined with that factor made my adrenaline pump. Aside from that, my fear was nothing more than a few nerves. "Hello!" I called out again, I glanced under the door frame and the shadow was still present. "I know someone is out there!"

"You caught me," Karma snickered, but then I heard his retreating footsteps. "Too bad I was just heading out."

If I followed the previous advice given to me, would it really work? "Wait!" I yelled, trying to catch his attention, "Let me out! You can't just leave me in here!"

I could almost hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke, "Why not?" His voice sounded curious, but it was clearly exaggerated. Something told me he was trying to get under my skin, or more realistically, waiting for the real fear to set in.

I stayed silent for a moment, carefully considering my response. "I don't like the dark," I said finally. After saying it I regretted not making my voice sound more panicked. My tone didn't match my words, it was obvious, anyone could pick up on that fact.

"Is that so?" I heard Karma's voice say, but it was getting distant. "Or is that a last ditch effort to get out?" His tone was sing-song like and I knew he was taunting me.

I looked around the room, I has tried to avoid moving too much to avoid bumping into anything. My eyes had finally adjusted and I could make out shapes in the darkness. I could distinguish what most were, a bag if chips, a box of some sort, a few cans scattered around.

"Well," I sighed, "Do I get my pay docked for not doing anything?"

"That's your concern?" He let out a chuckled, his voice wasn't any closer but it didn't sound any farther away. "Not that you're in a dark, cramped closer? Anything could be in there with you. Whether it's a person, or something a little more, vague."

"Something vague?" I began to wonder if he really did stick something else in here with me. "What, is there something else in here with me? What did you put in here?" My demands earned me not an explanation, but a laugh.

"Nothing, nothing at all," he ignored my comment, dismissing it immediately. I didn't like the way he said it, the mischievous undertone made the obvious seem even more blunt.

I found myself turning in circles, looking for some sort of movement in the darkness. "I don't see the point of locking me in here." The nerves I felt earlier began to grow, becoming something closer to panic.

"Fun," Karma said, fear gripped my chest when I came to believe that he was going to stop his words there and walk away. I was mistaken, I guess I should've realized Karma would've ran his mouth a bit more. "I find it enlightening to educate myself in other people's worst fears."

"So you can use it against them?" I spoke without thinking, I opened my mouth again, ready to ramble a hastily apology. A chuckle from the other side of the door cut me short.

"Not quite," he replied, "More like I'll help them get over that fear."

Before, the tone of his voice was easy to decipher. Now it was difficult. I couldn't catch anything close to enjoyment, hinting at the fact that me might be a sadist. But nothing that could even be mistaken as genuine was found in his tone.

It was bland, empty, and that almost scared me more than being locked in a dark closet.

I thought through my words carefully this time, trying avoid possibly angering the man who had the capability to not only let me out of the closet, but fire me. "Well clearly this isn't my worst fear," I laugh a little, hoping it sounded like a nervous laugh.

I reverted back to trying to follow the advice of Fuwa and Maehara. I tried to let some of my real panic slip into my voice. I was never a very expressive person so the task was harder for me than it would be for most.

"That may be true," Karma said eventually, I almost let out a sigh of relief, ready to be let out of the closet. But he cut me off quickly, "but that doesn't mean anything."

"What do you mean it doesn't mean anything?" I huffed, more than just fear slipping through the cracks. I crossed my arms somewhat aggressively. I've spent my fair amount of time in customer service, patience was one of my good traits. However, something about Karma irritated me. Maybe it was the fact he made me wildly uncomfortable, or maybe it's because he locked me in a closet.

"Read between the lines," he recommended. I strained my ears, listening desperately for some footsteps, but I heard none.

I gritted my teeth before taking a deep breath. "Karma," I began, "Please, just let me out of the closet."

"Well why would I do that?" He chuckled. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it a few times to reassure myself that it's still locked. It jiggled uselessly and I sighed.

"So I can clean you're house," I said to him, "I've been told multiple times you really hate messes."

"I also don't leave many messes," he said in return, "The rest of the help is doing fine on their own, I can assure you of that."

While it felt refreshing to meet an employer who seemed to actually trust their employees, I still had to resist the urge of asking why he would even hire me then if my help wasn't necessary. "Then I guess there's no issue to get paid for sitting in a closet for a few hours." My voice was too nonchalant and I had to mentally scold myself again. If you're not scared, act scared.

I was always a horrible actress, there was no need for me to become one, I never had to mask emotions because I didn't express many.

"Now you're finally seeing it logically," he laughed at my pitiful attempts for him to unlock the door.

"Wanting to be let out of the closet was also logical," I mumbled.

"I supposed it is," Karma said. I heard his footsteps and I prepared myself to begin bargaining but I realized he was moving closer.

The door clicked, the sound of heaven to my ears. I twisted the handle of the newly unlocked door and swung it open quickly before he could try and stop me.

Karma messed with his red hair as he smiled innocently at me. I resisted the scowl that wanted to rise to my face. "Thanks for letting me out," I sighed, not meaning my words in the least.

"Thanks for making it so easy to lock you in there," he replied, the innocent grin turning slightly mischievous.

This time I let the scowl rise to my features. "Welcome," I replied shortly. "I'm going to continue cleaning."

"Watch out," he called as I began to walk away, "This isn't the only trap I have in store."

I've been working on this chapter for like two weeks so I hope it flows well.

Anyway thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!