Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead as she twisted and turned, entangling herself in her bedsheets. Again, that same haunting voice echoed repeatedly in her dreams, that same ghost of a touch, barely brushing against her skin, making her wonder.

Finally, she awoke from her deep slumber and realized it was all just a dream. There was no one whispering threats into her ear, no one sneering at her and telling her there was no escape.

And yet, call her daft, but she longed for her mysterious captor to show himself once more. After she had been rescued, she hadn’t done much, except lounge around her room, waiting to be
saved, or rather, kidnapped, by her Prince Charming slash masked rogue.

When prompted to lodge a police report, she had decided against it, much to her family and
friend’s chagrin. She felt like she knew her captor, they shared a special bond, other than that of
kidnapper and victim. Maybe, in some alternate world, they were actually friends.

It had officially been one week since her capture and her days were uneventful. She had taken to staring blankly into space. Her parents had called for the family doctor and she was diagnosed as traumatized. Truth be told, she wasn’t. He would never hurt her, so there was no need to be afraid.

That fateful morning, she felt a sudden urge to go outside. It was a lovely sunny day and it would do her good to breathe in some fresh air.

She pushed open the heavy oak door and almost tripped over a wrapped parcel. Peering closely at it, she realized it had small holes poked into it. Curious, she scooped the box up and settled down comfortably on her front lawn.

Carefully, she uncovered the lid and out leaped a furry brown ball of fuzz. It licked her
repeatedly, wagging its tail nonstop, letting out a meek woof. She burst out laughing and held the puppy close.

Upon further inspection, she found a note tied around the puppy’s neck.

“I swear, I’ll burn the city down just to show you the light. Well, well, well. Miss me?”

There was no need to wonder who it was from. He was back.

TO BE CONTINUED