Chapter 6

I awoke to find myself in total darkness, with no remembrance of where I was. My first impression upon feeling my surroundings was that I was in a jungle. How did I even arrive to be here? I didn’t know the answer.

But then, I heard him. “I will break you,” his words echoed in my mind. Immediately, I didn’t think of where I was or how he got there. My instinct was to run. And I ran as fast as I could, but the next thing was that the Master was right before me. I saw his face as clear as day. His venomous laughter instilled fear in me.

I was like the little pig running from the Big Bad Wolf in the stories I heard as a child. Scared out of my wits, but unable to run from him.

“What do you want from me?” I trembled so hard that my teeth chattered and took a few steps backwards. I sought the courage inside me, telling myself repeatedly, “He can’t hurt me again! I am free now!”

“You’re broken, Piper. What do you think you can do now, with nothing in your life? You are ruined and beyond repair,” the Master grinned sinisterly. He was the devil in my mind, and just the sight of him proved torturous to me.

“No! You will not touch a single hair on my body,” I screamed. “You’ve done enough hurt to me-”

“Slave, you’ll never escape my clutches,” his loathsome voice sounded in my head, before he gradually vanished into the darkness. Although I couldn’t see him, I knew ‌he had to be near. I struggled, stumbling as I tried to escape, relieved that there was no sign of the Master chasing after me.

Had I escaped? My surroundings were gradually fading away. What seemed so real earlier was now turning unreal. Suddenly, I felt a warm touch on my arm, causing me to let out a piercing scream.

“Piper, it’s me! Jacques!” Jacques’ gentle voice probed my ears.

“He’s going to get me! He won’t let me go!” I screamed hysterically, ramming my hands into the nearest surface uncontrollably. I was shaking so terribly that my arms felt wet from my sweat.

“Piper, open your eyes! You’re having a nightmare!” I heard Jacques shout. Was I still dreaming?

Despite that, I opened my eyes, and I was glad I did. I welcomed the reality that we were away from the prison and back in Jacques’ apartment. It was the first time I had ever been to the place he lived, and sadly, I couldn’t enjoy myself while I was in it.

“You fell asleep in the car,” he explained softly. “I didn’t want to wake you, so I carried you into my room.”

“Thank you, Jacques,” I said as calmly as I could.

“Piper, trust me. You’re in a safe place now, and nobody is going to hurt you. I promise.”

I sobbed again, and he curled his arm around me. It granted me that small sense of security that I needed. All I knew was that everything still petrified me.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered softly. “I should have come sooner.” In my heart, I knew Jacques was the only one who I could trust during this time. But what was it he had given the Master for him to have readily let me go?

But there was nothing I could say but mumble a ‘thank you’ and then I collapsed into Jacques’ arms once more, feigning that I had fallen asleep from my exhaustion. I dreaded the phase that one called ‘dreaming’. Because I knew, once I closed my eyes, I would see him once more.

I could not sleep, lest my dream became a reality. But having Jacques at my side actually helped. He became that light in my life, an angel that protected me. Even though I knew I would never return to becoming that Piper of the past, I was content having him at my side.

Without realising it, a month had passed quickly. Jacques brought me breakfast in bed that morning, reminding me that the day we were waiting for had approached.

“So, Piper, are you ready to do this?”

I was suffering from another nightmare when Jacques popped the question. This one month, I had been hiding in his apartment, fearing that I would get kidnapped again. Not once had the harrowing images not exacerbated the injuries that I suffered. Every single time I stripped down to my underwear, the sight of those reminders of my torture haunted me.

It was the harshest time of my life. Jacques was aware of everything I had gone through. In actuality, they had even sent him graphic images of me in my cell to pressure him to hasten him in carrying out the Master’s task. He had knelt before me and begged for forgiveness one day, telling me they tempted him so badly that he had sinned.

He hadn’t known that I was aware of what happened that night. They drugged me and I took him for Syl. We had made love madly, but just because I thought he was Syl. He didn’t know what happened next, since he had fallen asleep and wouldn’t wake easily. The drug imposed on me wore off, and the Master entered the room.

And the rest of what happened, I don’t wish to think of it ever again.

After we had our breakfast, Jacques helped me change into the new outfit he had bought me for our meeting later with Sherry. The scars had taken their sweet time to subside, but I was fearful of seeing my ‌body. All this while, Jacques helped me dress.

“Close your eyes, Piper. I’ll handle this.”

Of course, I didn’t. I just narrowed my eyes so that I still could see a wee bit of what was going on. He unzipped my nightdress and peeled it off my body slowly, before working on the clasps of my bra.

Jacques sported a spiky hairstyle. He was fit and his skin exhibited a mild glow on top of his tan. In contrast to the dull, down-to-earth young man who was my former colleague, I felt him emanate a mature vibe. Looking at him triggered a glimpse of the past.

I missed those days where the three of us were together, but nothing would ever bring back the Piper of the past. The agony of my tribulation would always live within me. I vowed one day, once I found my strength once more, I would return to seek my revenge. There would be no rest for me until I returned to him what he had done unto me.

“Piper?”

I came out of my daze and responded to him with a blank expression.

“You were distracted earlier. I was asking, would you like to take a bath?”

I couldn’t remember the last time I took a bath, but it was possible that my last time was on the day he brought me to the apartment. The moment I stepped out of the tub, I saw my reflection. It had driven me into apprehension that after that, I could never find the courage to take a bath again.

“I don’t think…”

“I’ll help you with it,” he said in my ears softly and, lifting me up in his arms, he carried me meticulously into the bathroom and set me down on a reclining chair. It surprised me to realise he had drawn a bath, and all I had to do was get into the tub.

“Could you..” I hesitated, clenching my fists as hard as I could.

“Could you get inside with me?”

He looked at me with a quizzical expression.

“Are you sure…”

“I just need you to accompany me.”

He seemed to get the idea and climbed inside the tub without a further question.

Without thinking, I leaned over and kissed him passionately.