As I was brushing my teeth, I looked at the mirror. Looking at my reflection, that strange uneasiness came crashing into me as if my gut feeling was warning me about something. I rinsed my mouth and went inside the bedroom to get a coin which I luckily got. I locked the door and opened the tap water. With the coin, I removed the nails on the sides. Putting the mirror on the floor, lightly tapped my knuckles on the wall. This wasn't made of brick. Why couldn't I see this before?
He must keep his torture room or study something underneath. I can get proof of his wrongdoings which I already knew including what I may not know. It looked freshly covered and painted. There used to be something here not much long ago. With a single punch, I broke the wall. Pain shot in my knuckles. A small square came in sight with a digital fingerprints scanner.
I put everything back in place hoping Michaelson doesn't get to see the broken wall behind this mirror in the meantime I get his fingerprints. I washed the paint off my knuckles.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
After breakfast, I rushed to Noah at the door.
"Can I get a packet of cigarettes?" I asked him who was waiting for Michaelson impatiently.
"Sure cupcake" his voice seemingly exhausted, he didn't forget to flirt. People like him only think with their dick.
As he took his out, he handed me one cigarette.
"I only have...3 right now. I'll get you one plus something else next time" he scooted closer to me, eyeing my chest which was luckily fully covered in a sweater. He sniffed my hair, scooting his nose closer to my neck and squeezed my butt. I pushed him slightly.
"I'm out of reach of your grasp Noah"
I was angry. Angry at myself for letting him touch me that day. Though I knew I could do nothing against him.
"Are you and Ive like a thing?"
I smiled. I snatched the packet which contained the 2 cigarettes from his hand and whispered.
"I thought you had a bigger heart than that" I grazed his cheekbone and jawline as I talked.
I spun around and rushed upstairs. I was disgusted, disgusted by the way he would eye me, the transparent lust in those eyes, the way he would touch me. How would I be able to keep him away later?
Michaelson was busy typing something on his laptop again. I waited by the door. He plugged it to the charger and went out. I removed the glued plastic of the cigarette packet and placed it extremely cautiously and slowly on the charger where it had his fingerprints. I had to look at the door repeatedly so he doesn't come out of nowhere. I couldn't really locked this particular door.
Back in the bathroom
I displayed the plastics with the fingerprints on the digital scan. Please work. Please. A faint click resonated. Where was the fucking door. Fuck. Where can it be? I definitely heard a click sound. I looked around to find nothing. Can it be...
I lifted the bathtub by the side with all my might which was successful while ignoring the pain slowly creeping its way through my wounded arm. I breathed hard at the pain. A small black little handle. Pulling it up, it revealed a pitch black darkness. It felt so sick and nauseatic. Were there dead bodies inside? I have a bad feeling about this. I could only faintly see some spiral staircase going deeper into the darkness. I went down the stairs which creaked under my weight while I walked.
In some seconds, I reached the bottom of the stairs. I raised my hands from the rusty metal staircase lining to the front to feel any light source. Fortunately, I got hold of a long wire. Following the wire, my hands ended up touching another short metal wire. I pulled it and weak but enough light shone through the place to put the contents clearly into my view.
In the middle was a rusty metal chair, a man with a plastic bag tied around his head on it. His skin was undeniably cold and rigid. A fruit fly came out somewhere from the plastic bag, maybe from his eyes. I backed two steps. He must have been dead for some time now. He appeared in his middle twenties. He had three of his fingers and one of his ear chopped off with the dried blood going down his neck. With all the bruises and blood on him, he was whipped and beaten. Shock treatment equipments were present near his chair. He was equally stabbed by something between his shoulder and neck before he was cut off of oxygen supply with the plastic bag.
What did he do to deserve this torture? What was his sin? Did he deceive Michaelson? Why was he made to suffer like this? Did his family know about his whereabouts?
His nails had been removed from his feet so he couldn't run away. I used to think nobody does until I saw the must brutal form of murders of those victims. That killer deserves such a death. Torture to death. Inhumane. But not, I'm not sure.
Whips. Daggers. Knives. Silencers. Shuriken. And many more weapons of spilling blood. Everything beautifully kept and adorned the place.
The one knife's size ressembled the one which had been buried deep into a woman's vagina among the series of murders happening. What the...There were snaps of all the victims glued on the wall connected and marked red. Some had smileys while some didn't. Jules Pirama was one among them. I recognized them all. There were more pictures including mine which weren't marked on yet. Was I on the list of the victims?
But why didn't he kill me yet? Maybe because he didn't see that dread in my eyes which he wanted to see. I heard someone's footsteps. I was pretty sure I locked the doors. Michaelson! His silhouette came into view. My heart raced as he came closer. His face was shrouded in the darkness, menacing as ever. He never looked this much as a monster. The planes of his face looked sharper and harder. The fathomless eyes never leaving me. He looked as the predator he was as he was waiting for the perfect time to strike his prey and rip me with his claws and teeth.
I started to shake, thinking of what he was capable to do. His presence was weighing down on me as a weight suffocating me. I could feel the excruciating heat of his body as he came closer and was looking at me. It made the air suck out of my lungs. I could hear his breathing, the puffs of his breath on my face.
My lips quivered. Why am I letting him get over me? His eyes ranked over the dead body and back to me. I was in the mist of panic and fear. My mind was wild with all the terror rummaging. His pupils dilated. In front of me was a sadistic man who absolutely loves to torture humans in his free time and keeps predators as pets. I can't let him dominate me. Where has all your determination to finish this man gone Sefa?
I stayed in my position. And I could breath again allowing the air to seep through my lips into my lungs.
"So you are behind all these murders and rape cases" I said, aghast by his cruelty.
My hands tight into fists, I noticed how he now seemed relaxed. Can someone be so immoral and selfish? He was the perfect example of the walking corpse feeding on blood or even better the Jeepers feeding on people's fear. He could have killed them in a snap but no. He wanted to make them live their death numerous times until they begged for death themselves.
"What was his crime?"
He is so pathetic. Confidence and courage were building back into my veins with my anger and thirst for his blood overshadowing my fear for him.
"I stabbed him, there... near his shoulder in a perfect spot so he would die of blood loss as soon as it is removed"he laughed.
"And yeah... I even chopped off his buddy in those pants! Lol"
"Answer my question" my voice pierced throughout the room.
He sighed.
"I should just kill your brother since you don't care much about your life" he snickered.
My hands came crashing into the air to hold the back of his neck scooting him closer to me with all their courage and strength in an intimate way that repulsed me. But I had to break his dominance over me. I felt my heart beating so fast and loud as I stared at him with all the disgust and hatred I had for him.
"Fine."
He was surprised.
"Kill him then nobody would stop me from getting to your neck. Ben is your shield. As long as he is alive, you are safe. He is my weakness but at any moment I can overcome it."
He smiled.
"Blah blah" he stood straight pushing my hands away, his head up with hands in his pockets.
What is he so proud and arrogant about?
"You can't suck out life out of poor innocents for the pleasure of showing your dominance over the world. This arrogance and overconfidence will crumble down your empire"
All I earn in return was a laugh, a mocking laugh from his side.
"Mark my words Mr parasite. I challenge you to get on the same level with me and not use your cheap tactics to overpower me."
"Challenge accepted mother Teresa."
"You raped them. Teared their body parts. Using tools and metals and drew that fucking smiley on their faces. You knew all the sensitive spots. What more worse can you get? You are a freaking monster. Did you really enjoy yourself-"
"Aw. When it hurts. It hurts so good. Can you feel it?" he sang.
I couldn't believe him. The tears came running down my cheeks. I was hurting for the ones who suffered. I couldn't bear to think about them. How could I be under the same roof as this creature? Eat on the same table. Drink the water here. I was right here, still I didn't get a hint there was someone dying in here. How could I be this clueless?
"I don't remember the lyrics by heart."
On one hand, he saved me from being raped and on the other, he brutally raped people. Who was he? The crime lord or someone who eats, breathes and sleeps as a normal human being does.
"I am worse. I'll do way worse than this." He winked at me.
"So, coming back to your question. I raped them. I tortured them to death. Honestly, yes I really, really and seriously enjoyed it. What you gonna do about it? What can you possibly do! You guys couldn't even get a sniff it was my doing."
"So dumb" he breathed out dramatically.
He was right. I was dumb. I should have known better.
"You didn't even respect the young and elderly ones."
"You mean the middles don't deserve respect. Get your values straight ma'am. Don't be-"
"Shut up. Shut...the...fuck...up" I shouted.
I hated to breathe in the same air as he did.
"You think you are too smart. I have eyes everywhere darl. I touched the charger purposely. I wanted you to see this room and know how much of a failure FBI cop you are. You couldn't even save... Lemme count. Usually I don't murder and count... Around 15 people died. Where were you and your departments' people where most have sold their dignity and duty?"
"How dumb of you!" he gave a little push with his index finger on my forehead.
Just by listening to him, my anger was fuelled. I couldn't bear it. My hands inched to bury him seven feet underground right there, on that spot.
"I give you freedom to gather proofs against me and challenge you to get them out of Paradise where I rule."