7:45 AM: Nona woke up on the empty bed with the sound of the door closing. She stretched her limbs and blinked her eyes open. The sunlight filtered through the newspaper, casting soft shadows across the room. Despite the cosiness of her surroundings, she couldn''t shake the feeling of imprisonment that clung to her every day.
8:00 AM: After Day left for work, Nona prepared a breakfast of cereal and fruit. She tried to appreciate the small luxuries she had been provided with. Still, it was challenging to feel grateful when she was trapped against her will. And the food tasted like lentils and wood. Her appetite failed entirely. Her mind seemed incapable of focusing long enough to make any sense of what little food remained inside her body.
9:00 AM: Nona spent her mornings taking care of the apartment, cleaning and organizing. Even though she didn''t have much, she tried to make the space feel as much like home as possible. It helped distract her from how alone she felt in this strange place.
10:00 AM: Nona exercised in the living room, doing her best to maintain her physical health despite her circumstances. In between sets of push-ups and sit-ups, exercise also distracted her thoughts away from their usual dark paths into despair.
11:00 AM: She took a shower in the bathroom. Again, no door. She tried to wash away the feeling of confinement that seemed to cling to her skin and the taste of Day''s tongue trailing each piece. But even after scrubbing herself clean, she still carried the sensation around with her wherever she went.
12:00 PM: Nona prepared herself a light lunch, sitting down at the small table to eat her meal. Still tasted like lentils and wood, and she couldn''t eat it.
1:00 PM: After cleaning up from lunch, Nona settled down on the couch with a book she had found in the apartment. She tried to lose herself in the story, hoping to escape her reality, if only for a moment. A short while later, she drifted off to sleep, the last thing she remembered before falling asleep being the words ''I love you'' floating through her mind and the memory of peppermint flavour.
4:00 PM: Nona woke from her nap, feeling restless. She paced around the apartment, trying to think of a way to escape her situation. There must be some other option than simply waiting until he decides to kill her.
6:00 PM: Nona prepared dinner. Cooking had become a small pleasure in her confined life. She couldn''t explain why the act itself had a strange taste of pennies and rust.
7:00 PM: She set the table, awaiting Day''s return. Despite her resentment toward him, she had no choice but to maintain a semblance of normalcy in their interactions. If she acted too angry or upset, there would be consequences. He might not hurt her directly, but she knew better than anyone else just how many ways one could manipulate another person without resorting to violence.
7:46 PM: The sound of Day unlocking the door filled Nona with a mixture of dread and resignation. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for another evening with her captor.
Day stepped inside. ''Hey!'' he said cheerfully as he walked past Nona. His gaze lingered briefly on her face, lingering longer than necessary. She resisted the urge to look away.
''Hi,'' she replied.
He looked back over his shoulder at her. ''You''re looking good.''
Nona forced herself to smile. ''Thank you, I''m glad to hear it.''
Day sat himself down at the dining table. ''What did you do today?''
''Not much. Just cleaned up and read my book. What about you? How are things going in the lab?''
''Oh, well, same old stuff, really. Nothing exciting. You know me. I''ve got nothing interesting to report.''
The conversation continued in this vein for a few minutes, neither of them willing to bring up the elephant in the room, Nona''s current state of captivity.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.After dinner, Day helped her with the dishes.
As they stood side by side at the sink, Nona couldn''t help but feel a fake sense of intimacy with Day, staining their twisted relationship. They washed the dishes in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.
8:30 PM: After the dishes were done, Day suggested they watch a movie together. Nona reluctantly agreed, knowing that refusing might arouse suspicion or anger. They settled on the couch under a blanket. Day chose a lighthearted comedy to pass the time. He put his arm over her shoulder, pulling her next to him. She allowed it. She had no choice. He leaned forward several times, kissing her neck gently. Nona froze for a moment, unsure what to do. She let him while he unzipped her pants under the blanket. Nona felt a wave of panic sweep through her body, fear and shame warring within her. She didn''t move. She didn''t react.
10:00 PM: The movie ended, and Day turned off the television. They sat in silence for a moment before Day spoke up, ''Did you enjoy the movie?'' He wasn''t talking about the movie.
''It was fine.'' Nona replied, her voice neutral. She didn''t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking she enjoyed anything in her current situation.
''Good,'' Day responded, brushing her hair behind her ear. They sat quietly again. This was becoming routine now, and Nona wondered if it was always, thus, whether Day used sex as a method to control her, keeping her docile so he wouldn''t have to exert himself physically. Day seemed to sense her thoughts and let out a small sigh. ''You grew up so beautiful.''
Nona couldn''t help but scoff at his words. But she said nothing.
He looked at her, pain flickering in his eyes. ''You should have stayed with me. I would have taken care of you, and you would have been protected. Loved.''
Nona stared back at him, unmoving.
''I''m sorry,'' he whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek. Nona didn''t flinch, didn''t move. ''I''m sorry I failed you.''
Nona felt tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. She wanted to tell him she never needed protecting, that she had made her own choices. That she was stronger than he thought. Instead, all she could manage was a weak whisper, ''I don''t believe you.''
Day caressed her lips with his thumb. ''I''ll show you.'' he whispered. ''And one day, I know you will love me again.''
They sat in silence for a while longer before Day stood up, announcing that it was time for bed. Nona reluctantly followed him, knowing that she had no other choice.
As she lay in bed that night, her thoughts raced through the day''s events, from the taste of wood and lentils to the feeling of Day''s tongue on her skin. She closed her eyes, praying that sleep would come quickly and bring with it a temporary escape from her nightmare. But no, He had to lay over her, touching and licking everywhere he shouldn''t. He forced his way inside her body, pulling her hair and forcing her to stare at his face while he moaned her name, an empty promise of love. Nona didn''t say a word, didn''t move. Eventually, he finished and rolled to the side, still pulling her next to him. Still forcing his tongue in her mouth. ''Goodnight, sweetheart.'' and it finally stopped.
2:00 AM: Nona woke up shivering. She went to the bathroom and tried to wash away the feeling of confinement that seemed to cling to her skin and the taste of Day''s tongue trailing each piece. Once she turned off the faucet, a strange memory of peppermint was on her lips. Nona finally cried. In the burst of despair, she realized Day was a very heavy sleeper.
7:45 AM: Nona woke up on the empty bed with the sound of the door closing. She stretched her limbs and blinked her eyes open. The sunlight filtered through the newspaper, casting soft shadows across the room. Despite the cosiness of her surroundings, she couldn''t shake the feeling of imprisonment that clung to her every day.