FRAGMENT

TW: This chapter contains depictions of sexual assault and can potentially harm the reader mentally.

Dorhaven, 16th October 2010

”Happy birthday, Princess, ” said a man in his twenties to the little girl in front of him. He looked at her fondly as if she was the most precious being in the world. ”I know I am late, but you will forgive me, right? After all, I bought your favorite cake. Now blow your candle. ”

The man gave her a strawberry cake. He positioned the cake right in front of her face to make it easier for the girl. ”Blow the candle, Kath. ”

Kathrina felt scared every time this strange man opened her mouth. She could not see his face due to the blindfold; she could not fight him because her movement was restrained. Her feet and hand were tied. She could not do anything but obey him. She blew out the candle in haste and stayed silent, waiting for the man to give his next instruction.

”Good girl. ”

She heard the man say with a little hint of amusement in it. After that, she felt him kiss her left cheek without her permission. Kathrinas body went stiff, and her fears grew as he gave her another kiss on her right cheek. Her tears fell little by little. Finally, she felt the man touch her to wipe her tears.

”I don know if you are this happy just because of a kiss. ”

”Im not happy, ” she said with a low voice. She was trembling all over, and she was sure the man could feel it.

”No, you are happy, Princess. ”

This time the man spoke with a stern tone as if to declare that he was right and that she should not defy his words. Kathrina stayed silent after that hoping he would release her if she was obedient.

”You should eat. Here open your mouth. ”

Kathrina obeyed, and she felt the spoon enter her mouth. She tried hard to swallow the food even though she only wanted to vomit everything. The food tasted heavenly; however, she couldn stomach it.

”I have something to do, so Ill see you tonight. ” The man stated while feeding her. His eyes keep lingering on her lips. He kept reminding himself that he had to wait because Kathrina would eventually like him. He believed she would be able to understand his action.

Amidst eating, Kathrinas brain didn stop finding a solution to get out of this situation. Based on her instinct, this place shouldn be remote. She could hear the sound of a car horning in the morning. She was almost sure that the man had bought her into his house since the smelt of his room was nearly the same as his.

”Ill leave you here, ” he said while caressing her cheeks. ”Be good, Princess. ” He planted a kiss near her lips and left her alone.

***

Dorhaven, 5th November 2010

Kathrina woke up with a jolt. She felt a hand on her waist and turned her head to the right. The man had managed to sleep with her again. She forgot how often they had slept on the same bed; she didn even know how long she had been here like a prisoner. She never knew whether it was morning or night, as her eyes were always covered. The man never gave her permission to remove the blindfold. He couldn trust her, he said. She had begged him, fought, and even cried nonstop, yet the man turned a blind eye to everything she did. After that, she just lost her will to escape. There was no way for her to run away from him. Maybe she would be free once her breath stopped; thats what she thought while staying in his birdcage.

”Kath came here. ” He told her with a hoarse voice. The man gave her his brightest smile even though Kathrina couldn see it.

He felt the slight movement she made. His Princess was shy; even after being together every day, she still showed a sign of being hesitant. He embraced her tiny body, and her body went stiff as usual. ”Relax, Princess. ” He stated while giving her back a light pat. Then, he inhaled her natural scent that had been his current obsession.

”Ill make a coffee. Do you want a taste this time? ”

”No. ”

”Its okay, just accompany me then. ”

The man got out of bed, leaving her behind. For the past two weeks, his days had been wonderful. Waking up with Kathrina beside him, having breakfast, bathing, and doing many things together made him feel like they were a newly wedded couple. Nothing could ruin this moment; he won let anyone destroy his happy life.

After a few minutes, Kathrina could hear the mans footsteps getting closer. The smell of coffee penetrated her nose the moment he entered the room. She grew to hate this scent after having to spend her morning with him drinking his coffee. It made her queasy.

”Ill untie to rope, so be good and eat your breakfast. Okay? ” He uttered his instruction just like the other days.

”Okay. ”

She flinched when he unbound the rope. The man took his time doing it. She knew he enjoyed their current position, which was him hugging her. She felt his breath on her neck. He was breathing heavily. Not long after that, the man suddenly planted several kisses on her neck. Her body stiffened again. She had an inkling that something terrible would happen to her.

”Your smell Kath. God, I want to have you right now. ”

Kathrina tried to move as far as she could from his arm, which miserably failed. ”You said you won . ” She uttered with a shaky voice. ”You promised me. ”

”You also promised to let me touch you and won back away like this, remember?! ” His voice dropped, rumbling almost dangerous. His last straw was about to snap. He could devour her right now, and she wouldn have the strength to refuse him. Her only choice was to accept and succumb to him. ”Don test my patience, Princess. ” He gave her his last warning before leaving her alone, just like he always did.

***

Dorhaven, 12th November 201

”Will you ever let me go? ” Kathrina voiced the same question she had been asking since the first time she entered her cage. The only difference was that a trace of hope couldn be found in her voice. Instead, she sounded like a robot now. It was as if her soul had left her body, leaving only a vessel behind.

”I will, Princess. ”

His short answer made her turn her face to him. ”When? ” Her voice was getting smaller, afraid if he sensed a tiny hope in her voice, he would take his words back.

”Soon, Princess. ”

Hopelessness could be heard in his voice. This was the first Kathrina had heard him speak with no enthusiasm. She assumed something had gone wrong with his plan, but she didn care about him. She just wanted him gone; she needed freedom like she needed oxygen to breathe. Whatever happened to him was none of her business. He bathed in her misery, so she would do the same.

***

13th November 2010

The moment Kathrina felt someone touch her thighs, she woke up. The touch sent a shiver down her spine. It made her skin crawl. Her stomach felt like it wanted to pour everything she had eaten. She tried to be calm but to no avail. Her fear just grew more with every passing minute.

”Easy Princess. ”

That voice. Full of malice, there was no kindness in it. Kathrina could feel that this was the monster he had tried to hide from her. She just knew this time, nothing could save her from him.

”Do you like your new cage? ”

Startled, Kathrina only realized that there was no sound of cars. Instead, it was the sound of chirping birds and buzzing insects that she could hear. Kathrina fought a rising panic in her heart. They were not in the city anymore. Her heart dropped at the realization that no one would hear her even when she screamed her lungs out.

”Youll be staying here for two days. Alone, Princess, ” He stated while stroking her inner thighs. ”You know what? It will be a month since you were with me in two days. ” His hand kept moving towards her core. ”Before you go, Ill give you a present. Believe me, you will love it just as much as I do. ”

Nothing could prepare Kathrina for what was about to happen. Her body went rigid just as soon as the man touched her most private part. Her heart hammered in her chest; it beaded so fast, so she believed it would stop working soon. The color drained from her face, and horror could be seen in her expression every time the man gave a gentle stroke to her. She kept shaking her head to resist him, she tried to move her whole body, but it didn affect him. Her refusal only made him crazier.

”No, no, please. ”

”Its okay, Princess, youll love it. ”

He turned deaf to her plea. She was crying and screaming uncontrollably. Her face was filled with tears, and saliva dropped from her mouth. ”Please don …please…. ” She shuttered; it was hard to form a complete sentence.

As the man played with her body, Kathrina wished she was dead. She wanted to vanish from this world. Her tears couldn stop flowing from her eyes as she gave in to fate. She shut herself down. She couldn hear anything. She just wished he would be done soon.

”Don worry, Princess, I won do it right now. Im just touching you. ” The mans voice sounds hoarse. He looked at Kathrina with eyes full of lust. His Kathrina stayed still just for him. So beautiful, like an obedient Princess.

Kathrina didn care what he would do to her. She ignored him while trying to remember her happy memories with her family. They were so happy; she was so happy. So how did it happen? What went wrong? What did she do to deserve this kind of treatment? All her life, she was protected, and suddenly the world decided for her to learn the hard way. Maybe after this, she should die. After all, nothing was left for her.

”Lets wash you up. ”

Kathrina felt him lift her body from the ground. She lets him get everything he desires. Not long after, the water touched her naked body. It was cold, but she was unfazed. He helped her to bathe. She knew he tried to destroy the visible mark of his sin on her body, but the print he left on her soul would never fade. It would stay with her until she exhaled her last breath.

After some time, the man finally helped her to get dressed. The man still touched her body, but unlike before, his hands were not bare. He wears gloves.

”You look pretty, Princess. ”

His compliment made her sick. He took her for a walk, she didn know where maybe his new room. To her surprise, he bought her to another bathroom.

”You will stay here until someone finds you, Princess. ”

I will die before it happens. Thats what Kathrina thought, but she kept it in her heart.

”Don be too sad. Ill come to you again, and you will be completely mine at that time. ”

That was his promise to her. No matter what, he would make it happen. He just had to wait for Kathrina to be ripped then he would claim her again.

”See you soon, Kath. ”

With that, he left.

***

15th November 2010

Kathrina never slept after he left. She terribly wished to fall asleep, but God couldn even grant her a small wish. If she wasn wrong, it had been two days since he left, which meant this was precisely a month since her 15th birthday.

A month ago, she was just a kid ready to spread her wings, but now her wings had been clipped brutally by someone who claimed he loved her. The innocent her was long gone. Now only her dirty body remained in this world.

She was shivering due to the cold water, or maybe alcohol or something else she didn know. She stayed in this bathtub for two days, just like the man instructed. She didn eat or drink anything for the past two days, yet she didn feel hungry or thirsty. Maybe she lost the ability to feel everything.

She waited and waited until her body gave in to deep sleep. Then, she finally slept with a peaceful face, as if she had found her peace.

The sky lost its color to black, and rain started to fall bit by bit. The sound of rain mixed with the ambulance siren could be heard. Not long after, several people entered the cabin in hasty. They searched the whole place carefully.

”Here. ”

Someone else shouted from the bathroom to alert his team. He looked at the young girl who slept in the bathtub. Her face was pale, her eyes were swollen, and her lips were purple. Her hands and feet were tied with rope. Her clothes were intact, as if nothing had happened to her, yet he believed they came too late.

”Kathrina Reed, we found her. ”