Taekwoon closed his bedroom door behind himself softly, leaning against it with a quiet sigh for just a second.

He would have a lot of work with his new temporarily permanent houseguest. A lot of work, that required a lot of patience…

He went back to bed, but despite how tired he was, he knew sleep wouldn’t come easy to him now. His thoughts wouldn’t leave the catboy two rooms over.

It would most likely take months to get the boy to open up to him. It could very well take forever to get him to trust him. Hell, it could take him months to even get him to talk to him!

He sighed again, throwing an arm over his face.

He hadn’t anticipated that it could mean that long of a wait and that much effort… Well, he hadn’t anticipated anything, to be honest, since he’d never even thought he’d ever find himself adopting a cat hybrid!

And now… He honestly had no idea what to do or say to get the boy to so much as stop darting to the far corner of the room and hissing at him whenever he opened the door. He could probably reassure him he didn’t mean him any harm until his throat was sore from it, and it wouldn’t change a thing.

He needed to somehow prove it to him… It was just always harder to prove one would not do something than to prove one would do something…

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream that had him jump up and out of bed in the merest fraction of a second! There was only one possible source for that scream, and Taekwoon was sure the catboy would never have screamed if he could possibly avoid it! If he had, there had to be a very good -or rather, bad- reason for that!

In no time, he was out of his room and barging into the hybrid’s, not bothering to knock this time before opening the door.

He found the boy on the floor, between the dresser and the bed, shaking but otherwise unmoving. The fact that he didn’t react to Taekwoon’s entrance told him enough to know something was definitely all kinds of wrong.

He had to keep himself from rushing to his side immediately like he would have with anyone else; instead, he approached him rather slowly, taking care to make enough noise so the other one could definitely hear him. He didn’t react at all, though, worrying Taekwoon more than he thought should be possible.

“Hey… What happened?” He tried to keep his voice steady, not letting the helplessness he felt in that moment seep into it. As he expected, he didn’t get a verbal answer, but as he kneeled down by his side, it was impossible not to notice the strained way he was breathing, in short, flat gasps, his eyes darting around without focusing on anything, unseeing, while every muscle in his body tensed while simultaneously spasming, making even his back arch off the ground.

Taekwoon bit down hard on his rising fear, superficially surveying the hybrid as fast and as thoroughly as he could for any telltale signs of what had caused this state, when his gaze was soon caught by the singed skin on his neck, just where the collar was sitting!

“The collar burned you?!” He exclaimed, anger taking root in him. Even while he was speaking, still, he knew that couldn’t be all of it; just a burn wouldn’t do this to anyone.

“It electrocuted you…” He concluded rightly, already grappling for an explanation why and how that could have happened.

He had none, but he made a mental note to call the shelter first thing in the morning and demand an explanation, as well as give them a piece of his mind about appropriate treatment of living beings! For the moment, though, it was more important that he assessed the extent of the damage done and did his best to help the hybrid.

He didn't know too much about what to do in case of electrocution; he didn't even know how bad the shock from the collar had been, he could only assume given the state the hybrid was in... and that begged the question if his body reacted the same way as a human's and if the precautions to take that he knew about even applied.

He wanted nothing more than to take him to a doctor, but... finding one willing to treat a hybrid was hard at any given daytime, but at past 2am, it was sheer impossible.

Taekwoon raked his hands through his hair, trying not to let the situation get the better of him as he felt at a complete loss of what to do...

Thankfully, the cramp that seemed to have overtaken the hybrid's body started to ebb down, and his gaze no longer darted around aimlessly; it focused on Taekwoon. His breathing deepened slightly, becoming more careful than flat. Still, he didn't move.

The change in his condition shook Taekwoon out of his reverie, as if forcing him to take action.

"A-are you hurt somewhere? Other than your neck?" He asked, but as he had already suspected, and in this case even feared, he got no answer.

"I'm sorry, that's probably a stupid question... I just... I want to help. Will you let me?"

He got no reaction at all to his question, not a single muscle moved, his gaze stayed the same way, no sound came past his lips.

Taekwoon sighed, staying crouched next to him for a moment longer before standing up. He couldn't tell if the lack of reaction from the boy was because he wasn't able to react in any way right now, if he didn't react because he didn't hear him, or if he just chose not to show him any reaction, much like earlier that evening.

Regardless of what the reason was, though, Taekwoon decided to try and tend to at least the burn wound on the hybrid's neck. He just really hoped the boy would let him help him...

*#*#*#*

His gaze was only slowly focusing, but even just being able to see silhouettes was enough for him to make out that the man was rising from where he'd been crouching next to him. He wasn't relieved yet though; from what he'd been able to hear through the incessant ringing in his ears, he was sure he wouldn't be gone for long.

He wasn't sure he had heard right though. Had the man really said he wanted to help him?

Why?!

Why would he want that? What had he planned for him that made him worth enough for the man to want to help him?

Dread threatened to consume him as just a couple of the possibilities played through his mind, and had any muscle in his body worked the way it should, he was sure he would have vomited yet again. He'd rather go back to the shelter and take the euthanasia!

He didn't notice the man returning until he was stood next to him again, and all he wanted to do was run away, as fast and as far as possible. Unfortunately, he couldn't even lift a finger.

"I'm just going to clean and put some ointment for burns on the wound and cover it up so the collar won't chafe in it, ok? Will you let me do that?"

He wanted to glare at the man, but it was hard when he couldn't even focus his gaze. He wanted to hiss, but he had to be careful with even just breathing or the collar would shift in the wound and that hurt even worse than the rest of his body already did. Maybe the idea of getting the collar out of the wound wasn't such a bad one after all...

He changed his mind a minute later when his lack of a reaction must have been interpreted as his consent by the man, and he touched the collar. Blinding pain shot through the wound again, not quite as bad as the shock before, but still enough to take his breath away and shoot tears into his eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I'm almost done, I'm sorry! I know it hurts, but it will be better in a second. I'm so sorry, I don't want to hurt you!"

The thought that the man could be apologizing to him was so ludicrous that it registered even through his pain. He must be delirious, a mechanism of his mind to escape reality in a feeble attempt to stay sane through the pain; something like that. Just why hadn't his mind come up with something better to distract him?

"Ok, I'm done. Don't move... I mean, if you can move again, please don't move right now. It would make the collar fall back..."

The thought of going through that again had him not daring to even breathe just the tiniest bit more than the strictly necessary, but even if he had been able to move, he wouldn't dare now, unless he absolutely couldn't help it.

"I'm going to put on the ointment... I hope it won't be as bad as just now. I'll be as careful as possible, I promise!"

Well, he hoped so, too! His jaw locked on its own when he could feel the man touching the wound again, and his hands curled into fists. It didn't hurt as bad as before as the man applied the ointment, but it still was far from comfortable and he was endlessly relieved when he was done.

"Just the dressing now, and I'm done. Please don't hurt me... I probably deserve it, but it would be easier for both of us if you didn't hurt me now. If you have to, please at least wait until I'm done covering your wound..."

What was he talking about?!

How could he hurt him when he couldn't even lift a fi-....

Oh...

He could lift a finger. He could even make a fist. And when had he started growling?!

He stopped the growling, but his hands stayed balled into fists at his sides. Could he move everything again? Carefully, he tried wriggling his toes.

Yes, that worked, too. His tail… He shifted it closer to his body. Maybe his legs-... He stopped.

No. The wound wasn't dressed yet. If he moved, the collar would fall back. He had to wait for the man to finish dressing the wound before he tried that out. He held his breath again when the man started covering the wound, but his touch didn't hurt this time. The ointment was already working, cooling and numbing the wound, and he felt himself relax a bit.

The man must have misunderstood his reaction, though.

"I'm almost done, I promise! Just be patient for a little bit longer; if you jump up now, it will all fall off and everything will have been in vain."

He hadn't even been trying to move, what did the man mean? And why was there such a stress in his voice? Was he that afraid he was going to hurt him?

In the state he was in right now, he couldn't even hurt him if he wanted to, surely the man must have seen that by now...

And if he hadn't, and he was really that afraid of him hurting him, what was he doing ignoring his growling and balled fists and invading his personal space just to dress his wound, putting himself at risk?

The man was strange.

And he was backing away!

"I'm done now. I'm sorry... I just wanted to help you... Thank you for not hurting me."

He was definitely strange. He was apologizing again, and thanking him for not hurting him?! He didn't understand him. He made no sense!

But he was done now, he had finished the dressing and had backed away, giving him room.

He watched him warily for a moment longer as his vision started focusing again, not knowing what to think of him. Would he stay away or would he come closer again? He frowned. If the man had wanted to do him any real harm, he'd had plenty of opportunities up until now. He should probably be safe right now...

He still didn't let the man out of his sight as he stayed by the door, watching him in turn as he tried moving his arm again. It felt weak, but it worked. Slowly, he lifted it to his neck and where the dressing went all the way around it. He'd expected it to be thicker, wetter, when his hand landed on it, and he was surprised to find it quite thin and dry all the way around, the collar already starting to slip over it again.

"I tried to keep it as light and comfortable to wear as possible. But even though the collar slips over it... if you happen to know what made it go off earlier, better try to avoid it. The dressing won't be able to hold off the current."

He froze and tensed; did the man know he tried to crack the combination that would open the collar? That that was most likely what had made it go off?

He must know to say something like that, and if he hadn't known before, the expression he was sure his face was showing right now should tell him as much!

With a gargantuan effort, he tried sitting up, standing up. He wouldn't stay laying on the floor waiting for the man to come at him if he could help it. It was always worse for him when he was at a disadvantageous point, he wanted to at least be standing-...

The world swam around him, everything spun in every direction, what was up became down, nothing focused, and he lost his balance, wobbling on his unsteady legs before they gave in and he fell back to where he'd started. Somewhere, he could see the man approaching him, and he hissed automatically. It hurt his throat and the strain on the wound was even worse, and as fast as he started it he stopped, choking on it while he tried to focus his senses on the approaching threat.

It was no longer approaching, though; the man had stopped halfway between him and where he'd been standing by the door.

"Please be careful! Don't try to get up on your own, you are going to hurt yourself!"

Confused, he sat on the floor, panting from the exhaustion. He'd noticed as much, he didn't need the man reminding him. But why was he in the first place? What did he care if he hurt himself? Wasn't he going to punish him?

"Should I help you onto the bed? The floor isn't the best place to sleep..."

White hot fear shot through him at the suggestion, and despite what he'd learned just a moment before, he hissed violently despite the pain, scrambling to put as much distance between him and the man.

The man rose his hands in surrender and took a step back as well, increasing the distance between them.

"Ok, ok! Not the bed, and I won't touch you. I promise. Can I at least get you a pillow and maybe the duvet?"

Still panting, he glared at the man, whose shoulders dropped a bit.

"Alright, no pillows and duvets, either... Fine..." With a sigh he turned around and left the room, leaving him behind as confused as ever. He returned shortly afterwards, though, again not empty-handed.

He ignored the growls that were meant to keep him away, closing the distance between them almost completely and deposited a glass on the floor not too far from him.

"You should drink this at some point. It's just water with an electrolytes powder. It tastes a bit like oranges, and it's going to help you with the cramps and take away the pains in your muscles. Drink some water, too. I don't know how strong the current from the collar was, but you should rehydrate either way. And stay warm. Since you won't use the duvet, please at least use this blanket, ok?" He placed a dark, soft looking bundle next to the glass, and then backed away again.

Once again, the man's actions had distracted him enough that he even forgot to growl at him, looking after him with a confused frown when he returned to what he was starting to consider his spot next to the door.

"Try to get some rest now, too. You need it."

And with that, he was gone.

He continued staring at the door where the man had disappeared for a while longer, unable to comprehend what just happened. Again. Then, his eyes fell onto the items he'd left there on the floor not too far from him.

Did he trust the concoction he'd brought in?

Not in the slightest! But the possibility that it could help with the pain that still lingered in every cell of his body, as if he'd just ran way further and faster than his body could take for way too long... It was too tempting.

*#*#*#*

Taekwoon let himself fall onto the edge of his bed, resting his head in his hands and wiping away a single tear that had finally escaped his eyes.

A collar that couldn't be taken off and that randomly electrocuted it's wearer into complete helplessness while also burning them severely? Why would anyone come up with something like that and build it?! How could anyone put something like that on another creature?! It was on a whole new level of cruel that Taekwoon had never thought about, and it made him sick.

It also made him sick when he thought about the burn wound that ran around the boy's neck now, and even more so when he thought about how he couldn't prevent that from happening. He felt guilty for not having informed himself properly about the collar and how it worked earlier and not having done anything that made sure the boy was safe while wearing it. He felt guilty for not knowing what the collar was capable of, and allowing for it to be put around the boy's neck, allowing it to hurt him.

Just how and why had the collar gone off in the first place, though? Was it remote controlled and some sadistic was using it to torture the hybrid? Was it timed to go off at specific times? Was there something else he didn't know and he'd made it go off accidentally?! But he hadn’t been doing anything!!

Or was it something the boy had done that had triggered it?

He hoped it was the latter. If it was, there was a good chance the boy knew what not to do again now and should be safe from harm from the collar in the future.

Still, he had to find out for sure, first thing in the morning.

Glancing at the clock, he yawned. It was definitely past bed time, and he'd gotten nowhere near enough sleep so far. Had the hybrid gotten any sleep? He must be exhausted, especially after getting electrocuted. But was he sleeping?

Taekwoon worried his bottom lip, indecisive. Should he go check on him? Would he be OK at all after that earlier episode? He probably should go check on him, just to make sure... But what if he was sleeping and he woke him up when he went to check? That would be extremely counter-productive. But what if something had happened again and he was once again struggling, all on his own, helpless? He had to check!

His resolve set, he got up from the bed and out of his room as quietly as possible, taking care not to make any noise while approaching the hybrid’s room and opening the door.

To his relief, he found him sleeping after all; curled up on the floor next to where he'd left the blanket and glass earlier. The blanket still lay where he'd left it, untouched, but the glass was almost empty.

Well, that was at least something... But still, he should have taken the blanket. He should have made sure to stay warm after that shock!

Still without making any noise, or at least as little as possible, Taekwoon approached the sleeping figure and picked up the blanket. Unfolding it, he silently shook the soft material out, and without getting any closer than necessary, let it fall and settle over the frail form of the hybrid.

He held his breath as for a second it looked like the boy would wake up, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled the blanket closer, shifting a bit and accommodating it so it wrapped around his body.

Taekwoon bit his lip hard as the innocent gesture sent a painful ache to his heart. The boy might not have accepted the blanket while he was awake, probably didn't dare to, but his unconscious actions belied what he really craved. But, just why would he deny himself even such a small comfort like a blanket to sleep under? It was unfathomable for him...

Fearing he'd do something that would end up waking the boy up after all, he left the room as quietly as he could, but with a heavy lump in his throat. He just hoped that one day, the boy wouldn't hesitate to accept something as simple as a blanket anymore. That he wouldn't deny himself any and all comfort anymore, and accept the help he offered him.

But even if that took forever to achieve, Taekwoon didn't have a single doubt that it would be worth it. Everything would be worth it -all the work he would have, all the emotional pain he would no doubt have to go through until the day came- it would all be worth it.

He wanted to give the boy the life he should have had all along, wanted him to have everything he needed and could possibly want, wanted him to find happiness. He wanted him to have everything he deserved, just like any other being, and more if possible.

It felt like hours passed while he lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep as the thoughts chased each other in his mind, and always ended up worrying about the boy. Now that he had the blanket, was he sleeping well? Was he comfortable enough, laying there on the floor? Was he warm enough? Was the pain going away, or was it still bothering him?

He turned around once more, sighing and opening his eyes, giving up on sleep. He had to check on him again. Just to make sure... of what exactly, he couldn't explain. But he had to.

Once again, he got up, traipsing to the other's room and just peeking in through the just a crack wide open door.

The hybrid lay where he had earlier, but he had curled up under the blanket and wrapped it tightly around himself. All Taekwoon could see of him was the tip of one ear peeking out from underneath the blanket, the rest completely hidden by it. He could see him breathing steadily and calmly, though, and allowed a smile to bloom on his lips. He was cute!

Closing the door quietly, he made his way back to his own room and bed, and finally, now that he knew for sure the boy was sleeping rather peacefully, his own tiredness won and lured him to sleep, too.

He didn't sleep for long, and he felt far from refreshed, but he didn't go back to sleep when he woke up just shortly after the time he'd normally wake up at when he had to go to work. For a Saturday, it was stupid early, though.

The first thing he did, of course, was check on the hybrid, who was still sleeping. He couldn't help but shake his head at himself over his own actions; in no time, he'd become worse than a worrying mother hen! If Hakyeon saw him like that, he would never hear the end of it!

He sighed as he made his way to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. Hakyeon. As soon as he found out he'd brought a hybrid home, he would jump him and scream his head off. He was not looking forward to it... And he better made sure he got enough sleep Sunday night before work, or else he might just accidentally bite his best friend's head off if he was too tired for his antics, and for some unexplainable reason he was sure he might regret that in the future.

*#*#*#*

When morning came and he woke up, it was to the sound of voices talking heatedly, but not close enough for him to understand what they were saying. Opening his eyes didn't help bring clarity to the situation, either, as he didn't recognize anything about his surroundings and a new wave of panic washed over him, momentarily not knowing where he was and how he'd gotten there!

Scrambling to get up from where he'd been laying curled up on the floor, he took in his surroundings, and slowly he started to recognize the room. In daylight, everything looked even brighter and cleaner than it had last night! He just hoped he didn't get any dirt on anything while sleeping... Why had he been sleeping under a blanket?! He was sure he hadn't touched the blanket before falling asleep! He threw it off him, out of his immediate reach. How had it...

Of course. The man -the one who'd taken care of the burn on his neck and who'd gotten him out of the shelter- must have put it over him while he'd been sleeping. But why hadn't he woken up?!

He should have woken up, and he should have pushed the blanket off. It was a way too nice blanket, it was so warm and fluffy and smelled so nice... Well, not anymore, probably, since he'd been sleeping with it... At last it was dark, dark blue, and the stains wouldn't be too apparent... It didn't change that they would be there, though, and so would his stench. It wouldn't be nice anymore... But if it wasn't nice, he could probably have it, right?

Reaching out, he managed to get a hold on a corner of the blanket and pulled it back to him. He really couldn't see any stains on it, and when he buried his face against it, it didn't stink. It smelled nice, like laundry soap. And it was so soft...

It was still nice. But once, just once... Was it that wrong to want something nice just once? It would probably be taken away soon enough; but while it lasted, surely he could hold on to it just for that little while, right?

He wrapped the blanket back around himself, pulling in even his bare feet to hide them under the blanket, too. He curled in on himself even further, wrapping his tail tightly around his pulled up legs and pulling the blanket even higher when the heated voices outside rose in tone until they were straight out yelling.

He wanted nothing more than to put as much distance between himself and the yelling, but he couldn't. In the apartment, he was already in the room furthest from the front door and where the yelling seemed to take place, and thanks to the stupid collar, he couldn't leave... Never mind that to leave he would have to get closer to the definitely angry people, and he had no desire to be caught in the crossfire.

He couldn't just hide, though, even if that was what his whole being was telling him. He had to find out if he was the cause of the anger of the people, and if they posed any threat to him. Slowly, he approached the door, careful not to make any sound, and also not let go of the blanket. The closer he got to the door, the better he could make out the words that were being said.

"No I am not having any problems with the hybrid...! The only problem I have is your stupid collar hurting innocent people!! ... You should have told me that would happen! Do I look like a collar specialist to know that kind of stuff?! ... Oh of course you couldn't, because no one would try to get rid of the one thing keeping them from freedom, surely! ... You know what you are?! Monsters, that's what!! Sadistic, soulless demons!! You have to be a special kind of vile and disgusting to enjoy inflicting that kind of pain on anyone!! Did you just hang up on me?!"

The sound of something being slammed on a surface, probably a phone on a table, had the boy jump behind the door, recoiling a bit just to get closer again when the tirade continued, only much quieter.

"Yeah, you better hang up on me... Cowardly bastards...! You didn't tell me that on purpose, you son of a stinking pile of..."

The muttering became too quiet for him to understand anything and was soon replaced by the sound of pots and pans clanking against each other.

He stayed in his place behind the door for a while longer, trying to make out anything else that could tell him if he was in immediate danger or not, but there was nothing. After a while, the smell of cooked food started to filter into the room, and he left the spot by the door in favour of the far corner of the room, where he sat down with the blanket wrapped tightly around himself.

By then he had figured that the man had only been talking on the phone and was the only other person in the apartment, but even just one angry man the size of the one outside this room was enough to inspire fear in him when he felt as weak as he did right now.

The smell of food intensified, and despite the large meal he'd had the night before, his stomach growled, longing for more food. He sighed. Would he get something to eat, too? Would the man remember to bring food to him, too, when he was done cooking for himself? Or was he actually mad at him and wouldn't give him anything to eat as punishment? Or... had he maybe planned something for him that didn't involve him getting fed first?

He shivered in fear at the thought, hiding in the blanket cocoon he'd wrapped himself in even further. He had yet to find out even a hint of what the man had planned for him, and suddenly the thought of food was the last on his mind as endless possibilities played through his mind, each more horrifying than the one before.

He was close to hyperventilating when a knock sounded on the door a while later, and he would probably have passed out soon if it hadn’t been for that distraction. Hastily, he tried disentangling himself from the blanket and stand up, but the door opened before he could finish and he froze. The man pushed the door wide open, carrying a tray laden with food inside and putting it down on the chair next to the door before he surveyed the room, looking for him.

Without thinking about it, he tried making himself as small as possible, as if to hide where he was sitting in plain sight. Of course the man found him without any effort, and to his surprise a small smile played on his lips, before his face showed an emotion he really hadn’t been expecting. Embarrassment?!

It definitely looked like it, especially when he averted his eyes to the floor and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head.

“You heard me yelling, didn’t you? I’m sorry… I called the shelter and asked about your collar… They failed to tell me how it really worked yesterday. Apparently, if the wrong code is selected three times in a row, it discharges a current that paralyses the wearer… And after that, it takes 24 hours before a new code can be selected without the current discharging again. I didn’t know that, or I would have told you that before you tried getting it off. I’m so sorry… As for the yelling you must have heard earlier… They were really rude about my questions at the shelter and seemed to relish the fact you got hurt. I… I couldn’t stand how smug the guy was and how nonchalant about it, I… I’m sorry if I scared you by getting loud. I’m not usually like that, I promise…!”

He trailed off somewhat, rubbing the back of his neck again before changing topics, pointing at the food.

“I made breakfast. I didn’t know what you like to eat in the morning, so I made a couple of different things. Just eat whatever you like. I’ll just… uhm… yeah…”

The man trailed off again, lingering for a second longer before leaving the room without another word.

He could hear the man’s footsteps leaving, and then a chair scraping over tiled floor in another room, presumably the kitchen. Only then did he venture out of his corner and approached the food.

He honestly hadn’t been expecting any food so soon after the last meal anymore while thinking about all the possible scenarios the future could hold for him, and it was a pleasant surprise. When his eyes roamed over the vast display of different dishes the man had managed to fit on the tray, he almost couldn’t believe it. There was so much food!

Not waiting any longer, he started digging in, even more delighted at how delicious every single dish was. He was only halfway through all of it when he already felt full. Still, he kept eating. It could be his last meal, after all, and the more he ate now, the longer it would last before the hunger pains set in again…

He started regretting his decision when he fought to swallow the last couple of bites left on the tray, and his stomach felt incredibly uncomfortably full; so much so it bordered on nausea.

Slowly, he made his way back to the far corner, pulling a face at how tender his stomach felt. It really wasn’t nice, and he lowered himself to the floor carefully, trying to find a comfortable position to lay in that didn’t put any pressure on his belly and finding none that left him completely satisfied.

There was one that wasn’t as bad as all the other positions, and he didn’t dare shift again when he’d found it until he heard the footsteps coming closer to the door again. Only when the knock sounded, he sat up again, just in time as the man came in.

The man’s eyes widened when he took in the empty tray.

“You ate all of it? In one go? You must have been really hungry, huh?”

He turned to look at him just in time to see the hybrids face go pale.

“Are you ok? You look-“

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before his body convulsed.

“Oh no, again?!”

The man reacted in the fraction of a second, taking the bucket that had been left to the side the night before and rushing towards him. He managed to place it in front of him just in time before his body rejected the unholy amount of food.

He didn’t even notice the man hovering nearby until he was done and turned his head, disgusted and ashamed.

“Ah, seriously…” The man shook his head as he observed him scooting back, leaning his still trembling body against the wall. “You shouldn’t eat that much… And you should probably eat slower, too. No one is going to take the food away from you, and there is always going to be enough. There is no need for you to eat like that…”

Those words should have been like music to his ears, but did he believe them? Not for a second.

The man sighed, taking the bucket and leaving. He could hear him in the next room over; the bathroom, as he’d been told. It didn’t take long for him to return, though, carrying a fresh jug of water that he replaced the one from the day before with, and then picked up the cups and tray. Just before leaving again, he stopped, though.

“I’m going out, shopping. Is there anything you want that I can bring back for you?”

The right code to take off the collar. But that would hardly be found in a groceries store. He didn’t want to think about food right now, though, and he wasn’t a fool to believe the man meant what he’d said for even a second. He wouldn’t disclose anything he liked particularly to him; giving him that information only meant he would know what to take away from him in the future.

“Well, maybe next time. I’ll be gone for a few hours, possibly. Feel free to explore the apartment if you feel like it.”

With that, the man left. For a little while longer, he could hear him rummaging in the kitchen, but then the heavy front door opened and closed, and he could hear the lock clicking.

He was trapped.

Well, he’d been trapped before, with the stupid collar on, anyway. At least this way, no one without a key could get in, either. For as long as the man was gone, he would be safe in here.

He waited a little while longer, just in case the man had forgotten anything and came running back, but everything stayed silent. Only then did he venture out of the room. He was curious about the rest of the apartment!

Still, his first stop had to be the bathroom.

He pushed the door open slowly, as if expecting someone to lurk behind it. Of course, it was empty, though. The only thing he found behind the door was another pristinely clean room, and he was instantly wary of touching anything. He really had to, though…!

He rushed, taking care to not leave a single trace that he’d been there, and made to leave the room again when he caught his reflection in the huge mirror above the sink.

He looked hideous. He had looked hideous in the dim light of the room the night before, but right now, in plain daylight in a sparkling clean room, he stuck out like the sorest of thumbs. He felt incredibly disgusted with himself, so much so he felt like crawling out of his own skin.

He couldn’t do that, though, but… There were towels next to the sink…

He didn’t know what possessed him in that moment, and he didn’t stop to think about it as he lurched forward and took the towel off its hook, starting to scrub at his face with it.

Much to his chagrin, it barely made a difference…

His eyes fell on the faucet, and he flinched. He really, really hated water…! But if it was warm…

Trying his best not to get even a single drop of water on his skin, he tried working the faucet into releasing warm water. Somehow, he managed, and wetted half of the towel with it.

Cringing, he squeezed the excess water out of the towel before bringing it to his face. His attempts at ridding himself of the grime sticking to it were much more successful now, and as soon as he was satisfied, he took great care in drying his face and hands on the dry part of the towel.

It was then that he registered what he had done. The towel… It was so dirty, it would probably never be white again! When the man came back and found it…! He was dead. He was so dead! He had to hide it, somewhere… Somewhere where the man wouldn’t find it, or where it at least didn’t stick out!

His eyes searched the room frantically before they landed on the dirty laundry hamper in the corner. He rushed towards it, glad to find it relatively full of laundry among which he could hide the towel.

At least for the time being, he should be safe, right? He didn’t believe his own attempt at calming his nerves, and every wish to explore the apartment further died right there.

Despite being alone, he took the greatest care not to make a sound as he returned to the room, finding the far corner and the blanket again, which he wrapped tightly around himself again as he waited for the things that would inevitably come.