The Dark Forest: A Collection Of Erotic Fairytales(125)

“Want to repeat that?” The menacing question was punctuated with a tighter grip that threatened her airway and made her cough as she grabbed onto his wrist. “Hmm?”

“Pl—” She tried to beg but was cut off with a choking sound as his thumb dug harder into the tender column of her neck.

“I don’t think you understand your place in this situation. You are nothing more than a conveniently useful tool in my plans. The fact that I can fuck you while I torture your piece of shit father is just a bonus—but if you continue to piss me off I will start to really hurt you. Do you understand?” His low laugh returned from behind his mask, those tawny eyes taunting her with his clear enjoyment of her suffering. “Nod for me, whore.”

She nodded, and his crushing grip released. Her first breath was a cough, and he ran one gloved finger over her cheek.

“Now, you’re going to keep your fucking mouth shut and not irritate me anymore. Isn’t that right?”

With a painful swallow, she nodded again, and a shiver ran over her as his eyes wandered down her naked body. Whether he had meant it to be an unspoken threat or not, she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do against his strength. If he wanted to hurt her, he would. If he wanted to fuck her again, he would. If he wanted to kill her—

“That’s a good slut. I’ll be back later. We’re just waiting to see what Daddy thought of your performances.” He stroked down her neck, brushing her breast before he pushed himself up, one foot planted between her legs as he towered above her. “You should pray that you were convincing.”

Rebecca stayed still on her back as he stepped over her and moved towards the door. He scooped the tray from the floor and then yanked the heavy metal open, and she waited to hear it shut and lock before she sat up slowly. Her throat was a circlet of pain as she pulled her legs tight to her chest. Wiping roughly at the tears slipping over her cheeks, her long blonde hair forming a curtain around her, she tried to stop the shaking to no avail.

Above her, the cameras winked back on.

“I’m sorry, Dad…” she whispered into the emptiness, wondering if he would ever hear her apology, or if she had just made a terrible, mortal error.





Chapter Three





Time passed without measure except for the next two times the cameras turned off, and he slammed his fist against the door, telling her to step back.

Always masked, he would hold the door open just long enough to set a sandwich down on the concrete, no more trays. Both times she ran to the other side of the room, not interested in another clash, but he would only glance at her and then leave.

With nothing else to do, she started to watch the red dots, zoning out on them because they were the only warning she had for when he’d return. The corner was the best place, across from the door, opposite the toilet, unable to see the television if he turned it back on. It made her feel more secure, more stable. A small place as safe as she could make it that made the unending silence a little more bearable.

Then, the lights went out.

There was no stopping the scream, but she bit down on it and cut it short so she wouldn’t draw him back. Pitch black once again, nothing to see but the eight glowing red eyes peering down at her from the ceiling. Closing her eyes tight, she started to braid her hair in sections, anything to keep her hands busy in the empty space, but eventually not even that helped.

Was she supposed to be sleeping? Was this some twisted form of bedtime?

Her eyes roamed the ceiling, trying to ignore the imagined shapes in the dark. The shadows blacker than black. They were imaginary, right? Shivers passed through her as she stared, silently pleading, and then one by one the cameras started to wink out. No. She crawled forward, her breaths growing rapid as panic started to clutch her chest tight. “Wait!”

Five left.

“Hey!” Rebecca stood up and waved her arms in front of a dot, shouting, but it winked out, and she spun around.

Three left.

Two.

“PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME IN THE DARK!” The scream was pure terror, and then there was only one dot, her eyes locked on it, praying under her breath for it to stay on.

Zero.

She instantly felt dizzy, the perfect blackness making her mind warp. Was the ground tilting, or was that her? Was something crawling on her? In a panicked flurry she brushed at her arms and legs, winding her hair up and back, and then she stumbled towards a wall. She couldn’t tell which one it was, had no idea where she was in the room, but she followed it to a corner and sat down, pressing her ribs back against the concrete so she could feel somewhat grounded. “Please, please, please turn the lights on,” she begged into the dark, breaking his rule for silence, her voice cracking as she cried. “Please…”

No response. Not even to her speaking.

There was nothing.

So much nothing.

It stayed dark for hours, or at least it seemed to, her mind torturing her with imagined shadows. Each time her hair brushed her skin she jumped, whining into the empty space around her, shivering as her eyes started to play tricks. Flares of color that weren’t actually there, she knew they weren’t there. Nothing was there.

Eventually, she started to plead aloud. She begged in hoarse whispers for him to give her back just one camera light, anything real to focus on, apologized for speaking, apologized for shouting at him—but there was no answer.