Written as part of Wordy Wednesday at Blog-a-Rhythm, which offers the word “Scream” as inspiration, Quoted #1 at A Prompt Each Day, which gives a quote from Pablo Picasso as inspiration for a post AND 3 Word Wednesday #430 which offers the words Frantic, Absorbed and Deeply to use in our post.
Captive
It was dark when she woke. She was alone. Looking around, she saw the room around her was empty but for the bed that she was lying on. Her hands were tied above her. A breeze blew into the room and she felt cold, like there wasn’t a stitch of clothing on her. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her head and, after hanging for a moment, fell from her chin. She tried to move her feet, but she could feel a rope cutting into her ankles. Her frantic struggle only managed to make the knot tighter.
From her right side, she heard the slow creak of the door opening, and light entered the room along with her captor. Try as she did, she couldn’t turn her neck to see his face. The door creaked again as it closed and darkness fell upon her again. She heard the sound of his feet as it approached her, and felt the bed sink as he sat near her hips.
She felt a finger, cold as ice, touch her neck, and move slowly downward, between her breasts and past her navel. Finally finding her voice, she screamed…
… and felt him shake her. The lights came on, and she stared into the eyes of her father. The stranger had vanished, and her room was back as she knew it. She was in her pyjamas. The book she had been reading in torchlight was lying open on the floor. So deeply absorbed was she in the story, that she had become a captive in her imagination, and everything had felt real.
“No more reading by torchlight, Annie,” said her father, sternly. Then seeing her look sheepish, he added with a grin, “I can’t have you waking up the neighbors shouting for help, you know.”
(© 4th June 2015)
Vinay Leo R.
Poetry & writing are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world.
Voila! Loved it!
Happened with me many a times- except that my Dad wasn’t as sweet as this. He just screams back 😛
(Shalini recently posted…Simple)
Likewise 😛 I once woke up screaming that some monsters are chasing me. Goosebumps might have been the wrong reading choice before bed 😉
Glad you liked the story and thank you for dropping by, Shalzz 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
An ominous ending… one which raises questions..is the nightmare in the book or reality..i think i know
(Jae Rose recently posted…Trouble)
Ah. You might know, but then again, you might not too
Glad you liked the story and thank you for dropping by, Jae Rose 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
the ending shook me. I feel sad for her! Brilliant twist though.
(rajlakshmi recently posted…Numb)
Yeah. Poor girl banned from torchlight reading! sad indeed.
Glad you liked the twist and thank you for dropping by, Rajlakshmi 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
OMG!! That was scary! Loved the twist you gave to the story! Good one 🙂
(Shilpa Garg recently posted…Witness)
Thanks 😀 I was going for that only! 😉
Glad you liked the twist and thank you for dropping by, Shilpa Garg 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
Oh what a nightmare that must have been.
(Soumya recently posted…Finding Closure)
Yep. But being banned from reading in torchlight might be more saddening for her. 😛
Thank you for dropping by, Soumya 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
Whew. This is chilling.
Glad you felt so and thank you for dropping by, De Jackson 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
Hi Vinay.. How r u!!
Good to see this webpage..been long time! hope everything is going good 🙂
Hi Pramoda 🙂 . So far so good. Yes.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
Glad it was only a story! Well, you certainly had me captive too…with your story! 🙂 <3
(elly stornebrink recently posted…Wordless Wednesday: SCREAM!)
Good that I held your attention with the story 😀
Glad you liked the story and thank you for dropping by, Elly 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
Yes an imagination can take us near and far. Well done
(L. Moon recently posted…It Happens in Spring #haiku)
It can take us to scary places too, I think!
Glad you liked the story and thank you for dropping by, Moon 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
Excellent!
I loved the way you made my heart stop when the captor walked in.
Beautifully weaved. Excellent descriptions 🙂
Yes yes. That was the effect I was looking for when I wrote. 😀
Glad you liked the story and thank you for dropping by, Pooj 🙂
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…Captive)
The way you have written builds up anticipation and a cold chill.
(Jaibala Rao recently posted…Voices)
Glad it worked out that way! 🙂 I was going for that, Jb!
I had nightmares but never gathered courage to scream out. I felt the helplessness as the protagonist was held captive.
Glad you could feel the helplessness, Kalpana. Thank you!
Whenever I feel like reading quality stuffs, I know where to go. And you never disappoint 🙂
(Amrit Sinha recently posted…I Hereby Declare You Man And Wife)
Thanks, Amrit 🙂
I know the feel of living the story I just read in dream. *shudders*
You truly captured the essence of it!
(Ph_ recently posted…STRANGER (prompt #7))
Thanks, Ph_ 🙂
eh Gads!
That was scary!!
nicely done Vins! 🙂
(Pixie recently posted…back? or not yet?)
Oh yay! 😀 The Pixie is back. Glad you liked the story da.
Two takes on the prompt and both equally good!! This was quite creepy, could have gone anyway!! Thankgod she woke up.
(Inderpreet Kaur recently posted…SCREAM @blogarhythm1)
Thank you, Inderpreet, the poem was inspired by the Scream prompt, this one came out more with the 3words post 🙂 Glad it held your attention, even if it was creepy.
I do torchlight reading some times 😛
Nice read 🙂
(Sims recently posted…Wordle#2 Blessing in Disguise)
Be careful not to spook yourself then, Sims 😛 😉