The Silence That Surrounds

Sophia’s POV:

I stared into the darkness of my blindfold, my breathing shallow as I struggled to keep my tears at bay but for the most part, I made little effort to do even that. They didn’t seem to want to listen and I was simply tired of fighting them. If they wanted to fall, I let them. I was weak, the one thing Harry was right about. I was simply not equipped to handle being kidnapped. The callous treatment, the punishments and humiliation that inevitably came with it. The rules and restrictions. It was all so cold and unfeeling.

After Niall had cleaned me up he carried me back in the same bridal style tradition they all usually did. His walk brisk and short as he entered into the same old bedroom and deposited me onto the bed. Harry and Louis were waiting at the ready.

As soon as I hit the bed Harry was the first to pounce. He and Louis held me firm, forcing me to my side. Harry unlocked my hands before Niall was on the opposite side, forcing my left wrist into the cuff while Louis got my right.

As they were clicking my hands into my prison Harry whistled twice, which made Niall hurry and secure my wrist.

I screamed into my gag at the bruises those cuffs were bound to leave on me. The pain was almost unbearable at how tight each captor clicked them. I knew I shouldn’t have expected anything less from these monsters but despite Harry’s calm demeanor as he had walked from the bathroom before – a little hope held out in my mind that he would show me a small ounce of mercy but I had been wrong. There wasn’t any to be found and I should have remembered that a just action would receive a just punishment.

Niall took the other side of a thick leather strap on his end – the kind I had only seen in movies up till that point.

The strap was at least four inches wide and two inches thick. It looked like it could contain a forty-three stone (600 pound) person. It was reinforced and I knew once my captors got those straps on me I wouldn’t be moving.

“Nm!” I vocalized my protest.

“Too bad, Ms. Stone. You want to be difficult, you lose comforts. These have been added to your nightly ritual until further notice. You want to run your mouth and argue? Fine. I have no problem with that but you are only hurting yourself. I may not be able to physically scar you but you can damn well be sure I will make your stay here as unpleasant as I can. Three months is an awfully long time and you are only a week in. If this keeps up, luv, I will simply tie you up and put you down in the basement and whenever a thought of you crosses my mind is when I will think to give you anything to eat or drink. I can be so much crueler than this – if you keep it up, you’re going to find out exactly how dark my mind reaches.” Harry snarled, grabbing the strap from Niall and taking the other end of it, feeding it through the buckle.

I gasped faintly, the action sucking the cloth to the back of my throat and making me choke. My chest heaved as I tried catching my breath.

Harry gave the strip of leather a good pull to ensure it tightened against my chest securely before the metal prong was stuck into one of the premade holes in the strip and folded over to connect to the top of the metal buckle.

I felt the heaviness holding me down to the bed, my head laid flat. It was then I noticed my pillow was missing – along with the comfortable blankets.

“When you have proven that you know how to be civilized, I will return certain amenities. Such as the pillow and blankets. For now, you will receive nothing. I hate doing this Ms. Stone but you are trying my hand and I simply won’t have that. You want to see how truly villainous I can be? Then I am happy to oblige you that.” Harry said emotionlessly, his eyes scanning mine for some reaction.

All he saw was worn tiredness and defeat. I had stopped struggling and laid there, quietly watching him, silently listening.

Harry’s eyes constricted for a second, he seem to pause in his action but it was only for a moment, then it was gone again.

Niall cleared his throat softly, handing Harry the strap that would go over my stomach.

He grabbed it, the sound of the leather slipping through the buckle and pulling taunt.

While he was doing that Louis took the liberty to grab the straps to the third and final one, which would go across my knees.

He fitted the belt snuggly and locked it to me just as Harry had finished up with securely the second strip over stomach.

By that time they had finished I was glancing behind them out the window, my eyes focusing outside in wistful thought, a million miles from where I was at what was happening to me.

I was a dreamer and with everything happening, I forgot how to dream. I forgot what it was like to stare off and imagine something different. Right at that moment it was the only thing that was keeping me from breaking down completely.

Harry took notice of my long away stare and smirked.

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy, Ms. Stone. We need you in the here and now and if that window is a distraction, we’re simply going to have to eliminate that little interference so your focus can be best suited here with us. There are no pleasant dreams in the land of nightmares, little Sophie – you’ll come to realize that quickly.” He chuckled darkly, my attention drawn back to him once more.

He spared a glance at Niall and nodded a silent order before leaving the room, Louis hot on his heels like an annoying little lapdog.

That’s what I thought at the moment before glancing up to Niall to see he had picked up a long black scarf.

“For what it’s worth, Ms. Stone, I think you got the wrong end of the deal. It’s not easy to be in the position you have been thrown into but it’s imperative that you start watching what leaves your mouth. There is a reason why Harry is in charge of our little gang, I just pray you never have to find out what he’s fully capable of. The rest of us weren’t that fortunate. All I can say is tomorrow, if you haven’t broken – then there still maybe hope for you yet. I’m telling you this for your benefit, not mine.”

I looked at him silently, wondering exactly what Niall met. There seems to be an ever growing mystery surrounding these men, it was as thick and as dark as the silence that surrounds my own muddled thoughts now a days but instead of the loudness, it’s quieted and embracing. I felt safe in its muteness.

With the room once again hushed, he leant forward and placed the cotton fabric over my eyes, his hands going behind me to tie the scarf.

When he was done knotting it and making sure I couldn’t move it off – not that I could move much to begin with. He left me to my thoughts, standing up and padding across the thick carpet.

“Goodnight Ms. Stone. Pleasant dreams, lass.”

With that the door shut and I knew I had been left alone.

So now here I am hours later, my head turned in the direction of the window and picturing the treetops outside my prison. My tears silently falling in drubbing failure as I found myself trapped in this room unable to see, speak, move or dream. I felt like a soul trapped in the dead body of its former shell. Incapable of escape and destined to be captured in the same place for all eternity.

I let out a small muffled sob to accompany the freefalling tears. Thankful of the blindfold over my eyes to soak them up. It would be less embarrassing if one of them came in to check up on me. I simply resigned myself to my fate. I couldn’t take the misery or the pain. So I decided, when they did whatever they were going to do to me, when it was done and over with I would speak only what I needed to. It was the only way I was going to stop setting Harry off and at the same time keep myself out of trouble.

The long hours were drawing on endlessly but during that time, though it would have disappointed Harry, I managed to fall into a fitful light sleep. Not quite all the way unconscious but not fully awake either. It was enough for my body to get some much needed rest.

When morning came I heard my door unlock and the sound of footsteps approaching my bed – followed by a panicked meow.

I lifted up my head and let out a loud and muffled exclamation, recognizing it as Mister Tum Tum’s – my cat. The one I had for over ten years.

Harry laughed.

“Good morning Ms. Stone. I trust you slept well?”

I struggled against my restraints, barely able to move but not for lack of trying. Cold fear shot through me as I imagined what sick and twisted thing Harry was going to do to my cat.

“I brought you a visitor. Actually, motivation. Think of it as a learning tool. You misbehave and the cat here pays for your infraction. With you I can’t kill or leave permanent scars – Mr. Pussy here is a different story. So if you know what’s good for him, you will not give me anymore trouble. In case you’re wondering how I obtained your cat; Louis went by your apartment – which happens to have been ransacked by the way – he got you some of your clothes and toiletries but decided it would be more beneficial not to shoot the cat but instead bring him here as a learning tool. Since I know you care greatly for him as you would an animal, you will think more wisely. I hope you understand Ms. Stone.” Harry chuckled as I calmed down some, my heart still beating in my chest from fright.

I nodded. At this point, I understood perfectly. I understood Harry was a sadistic psychopathic monster and that my father needed to do whatever the hell it took to get me out of her.

“Good. Anyhow, I’m going to take Mr. Puss Puss here to the basement, get him settled in and then I’ll get breakfast ready.” Harry told me, his good mood apparent through his tone. I knew to be weary when he switched moods like that but he knew he had won and he knew I knew it so something else was definitely up. I just wish I knew what.

Notes