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“Hello,” a voice greeted as Myungjun opened his eyes. “You are awake.”
Myungjun stretched his neck, trying to get out all of the uncomfortable cricks and aches. He had been sleeping in a chair for two days already. He was unable to leave or move. He had pissed on himself and he was weak with hunger. The gag had yet to be removed. He wanted to cry every moment he was awake, but he felt too exhausted to do so.
His kidnapper sat in front of him, smiling brightly.
Myungjun hated him.
He had no idea why he had such a pleasant demeanor. He didn’t know if this was all some stupid game to him. The man was a psychopath, clearly; he didn’t eat or sleep. He either watched the television or stared at Myungjun.
He was scary.
Myungjun shifted. He felt gross. He was sure he smelled gross, too. He wanted to curl into a ball and forget any of this was happening to him.
The man watched him.
“I want you to speak to me,” the man suddenly blurted out. He pointed at the television, where some drama played. “They are speaking to each other on the television.”
Myungjun glanced over at it, then back at the man.
The man pursed his lips and said, “I was told to keep you bound, but I’d like to talk to you. Would you like to talk to me?”
Myungjun wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t know how he ought to respond. He looked at the man, cautious, before the need for food and a bathroom and a bed overwhelmed him. He needed to express how he felt; if the man was willing to let him speak, perhaps he could do other basic actions.
So he nodded his head, and the man’s face lit up in a grin.
Though Myungjun knew the man was only coming forward to take off his gag, he still couldn’t help but wince. He turned his head in fear.
The man paused. “I won’t hurt you,” he swore. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
His voice was gentle and sweet, but Myungjun didn’t trust him for a single second. After all, if he had kidnapped him in the first place, he was capable of much more.
He kept still as the man took the gag from his mouth. Without that disgusting thing collecting his saliva, Myungjun felt like he could finally breathe. He took a few deep breaths, then asked, “Could I have food?”
The man stared at him for a second before jumping up in surprise. “Humans need to eat! Of course! I forgot!” He looked around the room they were in and pursed his lips. “I don’t believe there is any food here.”
Myungjun watched the man cautiously as he deliberated what to do next.
“I could get you some food,” the man told him, smiling kindly. “So that way you can eat and will not be hungry. Humans become hungry when they do not have food. I was given money for that purpose. I must use it now.”
The man had kept referring to him as a human . He was disconnected from society, likely. Myungjun would pity him, except he was evil, through and through.
“But you must stay here. I am to keep you bound until I receive more information.” The man grabbed the gag and wrapped it around Myungjun’s mouth again. Myungjun whined as the dirty fabric brushed against his tongue.
“I apologize,” the man said. “I wish we could talk forever. But I will get your food, and after you eat, we can then talk!”
He was leaving. Myungjun’s heart pounded in his chest. The man was walking toward the door. He turned back once to look at Myungjun, and repeated, “You will stay there, okay? I’ll be back!”
Then he left.
Myungjun heard the door lock behind him. He heard footsteps down the hall. Then all was silent, save for the familiar sound of the television.
Myungjun had to leave.
He wriggled around in his chair, tugging at his bindings. They were rope, and they were already becoming loose from how often he had been moving. Though he was weak, determination surged through him. The chance for escape was right there; he’d be foolish not to take it.
It took a long while, but finally rope was coming free. A few more tugs and pulls and he could slide his hands right out of their bindings.
He tore the gag off and took a few deep breaths, exhilarated and scared.
The man could be back any minute. Myungjun had no clue where they were and how far away the next food source was, but it was possible that the man would return soon. What would he do if he found Myungjun trying to escape? Would he kill him? Would he just hurt him badly?
He couldn’t allow himself to be found. He would have to be quick.
He fumbled with the rope around his legs, but soon that came undone, too, and he stood shakily from the chair.
His legs trembled with the effort to walk, already exhausted from his ordeal, but he stumbled anyway to the door and opened it.
With a breath of fresh air, Myungjun had escaped.
He still didn’t know where he was. From a quick look around, it was a hotel of some sorts. He knocked on a few doors nearby, but no one answered. The walls weren’t in great shape, and some of the hallway lights were out. Was it abandoned?
There were too many questions and not enough time.
He stumbled down the hallway, reaching out against the wall for support. Just a bit further, he hoped. He would find an exit somewhere. He would escape and be free. He would file a report with the police, go to a hospital to get checked out, and hopefully Jinwoo would be allowed to come back to him. Once Jinwoo was back, things would be okay. Jinwoo would calm Myungjun down. He would ensure Myungjun was safe.
He turned the corner, but stopped in his tracks.
The man was there.
The man, too, stopped when he saw Myungjun. He had bags of food in his hand and his eyes were wide.
“You’re not supposed to be out,” he stated.
Myungjun spun around. He would run. He would go the other way. He would escape this abandoned building and find someone to help him before his kidnapper caught him again.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t as fast as he thought he could be. He ran, but the man was faster, and the man grabbed his arm with ease.
Myungjun was jerked backwards. He gasped from the sudden movement and struggled to pull away.
“I told you that you had to stay,” the man scolded him, tugging again. “I will have to do your bindings tighter.”
He didn’t want to go back. He couldn’t go back. While he was still alive and free, he would fight to the last.
He dug his fingers into the man’s skin, then bent over and bit.
He bit hard. His teeth pulled and tore, and all the man said was, “Ow.”
But then his teeth hit something hard. The pain shot up to Myungjun’s head and he stared down at the damage he had caused.
There was no blood. The skin had ripped back and there was metal.
Myungjun glanced up at the man in horror.
“Oh, no,” the man said, examining the wound. “I do not know when I can get that fixed. My owner is not present.”
He wasn’t human.
Myungjun had heard horror stories of robots, of androids. Portrayed in science fiction novels and movies, they were more powerful than humans. They were more destructive than humans.
He had been captured by one of these robots, and he was going to pay the price if he stuck around.
“No!” he screamed, trying to yank his arm away from the robot. “Let me go!”
“I cannot.”
He yelled for help. He screamed in a frenzy, crying and pleading for someone to hear and come save him.
The robot reached his other hand out and gripped onto Myungjun’s jaw. His grasp was strong, too strong, and Myungjun felt pain.
“You cannot yell,” the robot fussed. “Let’s go back to the room now.”
Myungjun decided to fight to the last.
He kicked out. His foot made contact with the man’s shin, but it did little except hurt Myungjun's own foot. Still, he continued doing that, hopeful that if he struggled enough, the robot might accidentally let go.
Instead, the robot spun him around and slammed him into one of the doors.
It knocked the breath out of Myungjun. He gasped for air as his head throbbed. He knew there would be bruising and swelling, but even that could do little to stop his escape plan.
He tried opening the door, hand scrambling for the doorknob, hopeful he would fall inside and then he might have a chance.
The robot smacked him. Hard.
Myungjun’s head spun. He was shoved against the door again, harshly, and this time he could feel blood dripping down his skin.
He wondered where he was bleeding from. Above his eye, maybe? His chin, perhaps? Multiple places, likely.
His knees gave out. He went limp in the robot’s grasp, and then cried loudly, knowing that he could no longer fight. He wouldn’t win the battle. He was stuck.
“Stop!” he begged, trying to slide down to the floor. He was so tired. He wanted to sit. “Pl-Please, stop. I wo-won’t leave, just...please.”
The robot stared down at him as Myungjun sobbed. His plan had failed. He would remain kidnapped. The robot likely wouldn’t leave him alone after this, either. His one single chance at salvation was ruined.
“You’re bleeding,” the robot observed. He carefully picked Myungjun up, carrying him as if he were a bride, and murmured, “I apologize. I did not realize I would hurt you. Seeing you hurt makes me feel sad.”
Myungjun sniffed pathetically. He wanted to sleep. He just wanted to close his eyes and never wake up from his bad dream.
Death, perhaps, would be preferable to this.