“Say it,” he grunted, taking a long drag of his cigarette.
“Say it, or I’ll keep going. I’ll hit you harder.”
“Red,” I say at last; the words muffled under the fabric shoved into my mouth. He pulls it away with disgust as a string of saliva, dark with blood, trails from it. He tears the tape from around my head, taking hair tufts with it.
“Once more? I couldn’t hear you.” He sneers, raising his hand again.
“RED,” I scream out, crying as he hits me. I pull against my restraints.
“Red, red, red.”

I wake with a start, soaked in sweat from the night terrors. I shiver and pull the duvet around myself, eyes darting around my room. He isn’t there. He never is, but I know deep inside that he could always find me. Come back one day, looking. The muscles in my face tense. I switch the bedside lamp on and swing my feet over the bed, wrapping the blanket around myself tighter while I rise. My feet land on the soft carpeting, and I pad quietly to the door. I open it soundlessly, leaning into the hall, listening.
It is safe.
I shuffle to the bathroom and lock the door behind me, avoiding eye contact with myself in the mirror. I already knew what I would see in the reflection if I looked anyway- sullen eyes, hallow spaces below my prominent cheek bones. Disheveled black hair, unwashed and greasy. A frown at the corners of my thin, chapped lips. I shook my head and peeled the clothing from my body, reaching blindly for the shower knobs. I clambered in and began the process of washing, gently and thoroughly. Soap ran down from my hair and into my eye and I hissed, reaching for the facecloth on its respective rack…


“Are you ready, you little fuck?” he asked, tugging on the restrains that bound me to the top of the shower rack.
“Yes, sir,” I said, wincing as he turned the water up to the highest temperature. I hissed at the burning sensation of it and, without thinking, let out a yelp.
“What was that??” He snapped, taking my face roughly between his forefinger and thumb. Although I couldn’t see him through my blindfold, I felt him come closer to my face, blowing smoke into it.
“Nothing, sir.” I mumbled, trembling now from a combination of fear and pain.
“I couldn’t hear you,” he spat, taking my delicate balls into his hand, starting to squeeze. Pain shot through my entire body.
“NOTHING, SIR.” I screamed, and he released his grip. He chuckled, and turned me away from him, putting his cigarette out on my back while tears formed in my eyes.
“I’m going to fuck you now,” He said.

I try to force my eyes open although the shampoo stung them. I viciously splashed water on my face, finally able to open my eyes. I panted in a panic and poked my head out of the shower. Nothing. As the last of the shampoo washed from my hair, I swiped a quick palm of soap over my body. I was done with this shower completely.
Stepping out, I quickly wrapped a towel around myself for protection.
I never liked being exposed. My skin was now for my eyes only.
Still dripping, I exited the bathroom and shuffled into the hallway. I took a few steps down the hall, towards the kitchen. I started myself a pot of coffee and found a large blanket crumpled on my couch. Wrapping that around me, I squeezed my way into the breakfast booth, snuggled into my own burrito of sadness.
Outside, I heard a car pull up my driveway.

Notes

Here it is! Give me your worst!!