by Jon Athan
Ethan walked onto the porch and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath, conflicted by a mishmash of emotions – joy, fear, anger. He marched back to his car, determined to fix his relationship before the family dinner.
Chapter Sixteen
Till Death Do Us Part
Ethan leaned on the washing machine, his eyes locked on the door. He watched Emiko's room with narrowed eyes, lost in a labyrinthine mind filled with muddled thoughts. The basement was quiet, but his thoughts were loud. His mind was clouded with doubt, but his heart was pure. He glanced back at his black backpack, which he placed on top of the washing machine.
The backpack was filled with the supplies he needed to achieve his goal. He was prepared to work, but he wasn't emotionally ready to leap forward. There is no turning back, he thought, I won't be able to change her back. The fact that his actions would be permanent made his decision much more difficult.
Ethan shuddered as he breathed heavily. He tossed his backpack over his shoulder, then he approached the door. His fingers trembled as he turned the keys and unlocked the door. Before he turned the knob, he wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled. He wasn't happy, he just wanted to make Emiko feel comfortable. He pushed the door open and stood in the doorway.
Emiko lifted her head from the blanket. Sleepy-eyed, she gazed at the doorway – blinded by the light in the basement. Upon spotting Ethan's figure, she crawled to the corner and covered her body with the blanket. She was not given a new set of clothes after the failed webcam show. In fact, all of her clothing was removed.
Ethan knelt down in front of her. He appeared ruminative and dejected. He revealed a terrifying range of emotions to Emiko, but he was different. Again, he was impossible to read. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't form a single word. He couldn't even utter a letter. He was rendered speechless by Emiko's beauty – and his horrifying thoughts.
Shivering like a wet dog, Emiko stuttered, “Wha–What are you going to do to me?”
As a tear streamed down his cheek, Ethan asked, “Do you... Do you like it here, Emiko? Do you like my home? Are you comfortable? Are you happy here?”
“Is this a trick question? Are you testing my love? Hmm? Is it a test for... succubi?”
“It's not a test. I just have to know the truth.”
Emiko furrowed her brow and tilted her head, baffled. I hate you, I wish you were dead, I want to leave this disgusting place – she wanted to hurl every possible insult at him. Words couldn't physically hurt him, words could not stop him. An insult would only bring physical pain to her and she knew that very well.
Emiko said, “I just want to be free. I don't want to be trapped in this room like some animal. I want to leave. I want to see my friends and my family again. I want to hug my brother. I want to kiss my parents... It's not about you, okay? I just need my freedom. That's all.”
“I wish I could set you free. I loved watching you at work, school, home... Everywhere you went, you were an absolute angel. I just don't know what to believe.”
Emiko crawled forward and seized the opportunity. She placed her hands on his cheeks and gently stroked his face. She clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to gouge his eyes out.
She said, “You can trust me. I... I love you. Okay? I love you with all of my heart. If you set me free, if you show me you can trust me, I'll love you forever. That's what you want, isn't it? Love? I'm giving it all to you. Please, b–baby, unchain me.”
Ethan pulled away from her. He said, “Your love doesn't matter anymore. Everything I said, it was... it was bullshit. I realize that now. I love you and that's all that matters.” He grabbed her wrists and pushed her away. Avoiding eye contact, he asked, “Are you feeling okay? Have you felt sick recently?”
Emiko shook her head and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“I noticed some vomit a few days ago. It usually comes with sickness, doesn't it?”
“I... I don't understand. 'It' comes with sickness? Wha–What does?”
Ethan pointed at her stomach and said, “The baby.”
Emiko tightly shut her eyes and cocked her head back, as if she were punched by a boxer. An incessant buzzing sound emerged in her ears. She could feel her heart in her throat as sweat trickled across her figure. The revelation hit her like a semi-truck plowing over a deer. The word echoed through her mind: baby, baby, baby.
She tossed the blanket aside and stared down at her stomach, awed. She glided her fingertips across her moist belly and nodded. She couldn't deny it anymore. With the light from the basement and her clear mind, she could finally see her baby bump. She wasn't very large, but her belly protruded forward. An infant of rape was growing inside of her. She felt like an alien was developing in her body.
It wasn't right.
Tears streaming down her cheeks, Emiko stuttered, “B–Baby? I–I'm pregnant?”
Emiko wheezed and wept, shocked. She violently trembled due to an anxiety attack. Ethan couldn't hold a steady face. He grimaced and sniveled. Tears leaked from his eyes and mucus dripped from his nostrils. Hoarse groans escaped his chapped lips as he released his sorrow.
Ethan explained, “I... I did this to you before I brought you here. I went into your apartment and I... I impregnated you. That was almost sixteen weeks ago, Emiko.”
“You raped me,” Emiko sternly responded.
“No, I didn't. I swear, I didn't rape you. I didn't penetrate you like that. Not that time. I... I used a needle and a tube. It was a–a medical procedure. It was professional... You knew you were pregnant this whole time, didn't you? You felt it, right?”
Emiko screamed – a war cry. She swung her arms and kicked her feet as she yelled and cried. Her anger, which she bottled for weeks, burst out of her. She was shocked and disgusted by Ethan's confession. However, at heart, she suspected something had happened. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew it was true. Her screaming changed into a delirious giggle.
In a sense, the situation was ironic.
For weeks, she was accused of being a succubus – and she was beaten and raped due to those accusations. Ethan was the incubus, though. He was the evil entity who entered her home as she slept in order to impregnate her. As she giggled, Emiko hammered her stomach with her fists – using her belly as a conga drum. Her goal was simple: kill the unborn child.
Ethan grabbed her wrists and pushed her to the wall. He straddled her thighs and tried to stop her. She was determined to abort the pregnancy, though. Ethan pulled his head back, then he slammed his forehead on Emiko's brow – a skull-rattling headbutt. He smashed his elbow on Emiko's face, striking her jaw with another vicious hit. With the hit, the woman was knocked unconscious.
Between breaths, Ethan whispered, “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... After tonight, we'll never fight like this again. Everything's going to change.”
***
Emiko rested on her back atop a soft blanket. Her eyelids flickered as she awoke. Her vision was blurred due to a blinding light. She sneered in annoyance, irked by the sudden awakening. She tried to move her arms in order to sit up, but her wrists were shackled. She lifted her head from the blanket and stared down at her feet. Her ankles were shackled, too.
Her limbs were spread away from her body and the shackles were chained to the walls. She could not stand or wiggle away from the center of the room. Halogen lamps on tripods sat at each corner, brightly illuminating the room. Her captor knelt down near the doorway, rummaging through a backpack like a student looking for a pencil.
Emiko stuttered, “Wha–What's going on? What... Oh, no... What are you doing to me, you psycho?!”
Ethan glanced back and smiled. He said, “You're awake. Good, good. I was starting to worry about you.” Still crouching, he turned around and faced his captive. He said, “I went to visit my parents earlier. I spoke to them about our relationship and about love. It was a very insightful conversation. You can learn a lot from your elders. Do you want to know what my mother told me?”
“Don't be silly, Emiko. She explained love to me – modern love. You see, I was obsessing about old love. The classical stuff, like Romeo and Juliet or... or Titanic. That lovey-dovey stuff, you know? My mom gave me a wake-up call, though. She let me know: only my love matters. I don't have to be afraid of the succubi anymore.”
Emiko shook her head and stuttered, “Wha–What the hell are you saying? What are you going to do to me?”
Ethan sighed as he rubbed the nape of his neck. His mind was swamped, crowded with a million thoughts. He had a lot to explain, but his time was limited. He reached into his pocket, then he pulled out a ring box.
He wagged the box at Emiko and said, “I'm going to fix our relationship, princess. I finally realized what was missing. I found the missing piece, you know? I found hope.” His eyes glistened with tears of joy. He said, “Emiko, I'm going to marry you.”
Emiko glared at Ethan and said, “You can't just marry anyone you want, you psycho. It doesn't work that way! Damn it, let me go!”
“You're still talking about old love, sweetie. You're talking about that consensual crap. Like I said: only my love matters! You hear me?!”
Ethan deliriously chuckled as he tugged on his moist hair. He was breaking down, crumbling before Emiko's eyes.
He continued, “So, we're going to get married. You're going to have our baby and we'll raise him, or her, right. You're probably asking yourself: what's the point of getting married? Well, silly, let me explain it to you. One: I think most of our issues stem from a lack of commitment, and marriage will fix that. Two: a baby can't be raised without a mother, so you have to stick around. And, three: I want everyone to know you belong to me. After we're married and as we raise our child, I believe you will truly love me. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I'm sure this will work.”
With a cracking voice, Emiko said, “Please, don't do this. I just want to go home.”
“You're already home and we're going to keep you here forever.”
As Emiko sobbed, helpless and hopeless, Ethan opened the box. He showed the ring to Emiko, trying to showcase his dedication. Emiko stared at the ring with sorrowful eyes. Prior to her kidnapping, she had envisioned a beautiful marriage with a wonderful man. Those dreams were destroyed and replaced with nightmares.
The box held a princess-cut diamond wedding ring. The ring sparkled with the bright light.
Ethan said, “I bought this for you. It's beautiful, isn't it? That's 27 diamonds. I had to sell the rights to some of my books to afford this, but... Well, I'd do anything for you.” He closed the box, then he returned the case to his pocket. He reached into his bag and said, “Unfortunately, we won't be able to put it on your finger so it will only serve as a symbol of our marriage. An expensive symbol, but a symbol nonetheless. You won't be able to wear it when I'm done with you.”
Eyes wide with fear, Emiko lifted her head from the blanket and stuttered, “Wha–What? What are you–”
Ethan lunged forward and covered Emiko's face with a moist cloth. Her muffled screams barely seeped past the fabric. She squirmed every which way, trying to escape her captor's grip, but to no avail. The chains restricted her movement. With each passing second, her vision blurred, her heartbeat slowed, and her muscles relaxed.
Ethan leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “It's just a little ether. It won't kill you. It's just so I can work in peace. Don't worry, you won't feel any pain, either. I've got something for you.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a needle filled with a clear liquid. He said, “This is a bupivacaine and epinephrine injection. You may have heard of it before. It's usually used by dentists, but this is a little different. It should still have the same effect. It's an anesthetic. You'll need this...”
***
Ethan put a particulate mask over his mouth and nose. He leaned forward, then he injected Emiko's left leg at the upper thigh. He wrapped a belt around the top of her thigh, then he tightly secured it – a makeshift tourniquet.
He rubbed the moist cloth on her face and said, “Everything is going to be fine, darling. When you wake up, everything will be better.”
He tossed the cloth aside, then he reached into his bag. He retrieved a hacksaw with a 12-inch blade from his backpack. His eyes watered as he stared at the tool. A diamond couldn't make his eyes glisten like the saw.
He placed the blade under the belt, pushing the teeth into her flesh, then he tugged on the saw. A squishy crackling sound emerged as he pushed and pulled on the hacksaw. Blood poured from the grisly gash on her leg, streaming across her thigh and dripping onto the blanket. A few droplets even splattered onto his forearms, shirt, and face.
Yet, the man did not stop sawing into her leg. The exercise required more effort as he sawed deeper into her flesh. The blade jammed every once in a while, forcing him to violently yank and shake the tool. Sweat dripped across his brow as he vigorously sawed through her bone. More blood oozed from the crevice on her leg, spewing like lava from a volcano.
Dazed, Emiko moaned and mumbled, “What... What are you... Don't...”
“Everything is okay, sweetie. It's under control.”
He grabbed the moist cloth, then he tossed it over her face. The cloth was bloodied by his hands, but it didn't matter. He continued sawing into Emiko's leg. Squelching, crunching, and groaning echoed through the basement. Blood also squirted from the severed arteries, spraying on the captor like garden sprinklers.
Ethan sighed upon cutting through the entire leg. He pushed the leg aside. The limb was still chained to the wall due to the shackle on her ankle. He grimaced as he stared at her bloody tissue. He had seen it all before, but it still made him uncomfortable. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a gauze roll. He bandaged the wound on her leg with a gauze and left the tourniquet on her thigh.
As he pulled another syringe out of his bag, Ethan smiled and said, “Three more to go, Emiko. After that, you'll be with me forever. Don't worry, I have plenty of anesthesia for the procedure.”
Ethan repeated the process three more times. He injected her other leg at the upper thigh, tied a belt around the top of her leg, then he sawed her thigh until he severed the limb. Afterward, he bandaged the wound with a gauze roll in hopes of stopping the excessive bleeding.
The process hardly changed when he moved up to her arms. He injected her upper arm, tied a belt around her shoulder, then he sawed the limb. The wet, crackling sound of flesh tearing and the crunching noise of bones cracking was like music to his ears. The deranged man even bobbed his head and occasionally wagged his finger as he listened to the sounds of death.
Upon severing all of her limbs, Ethan staggered to his feet and sighed in relief. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm, inadvertently smearing blood on his forehead. He unlocked the shackles and grabbed the limbs, then he tossed them into a durable black garbage bag. He walked into the main basement and placed the bag into the washing machine.
He kept all of the fresh human remains in the washing machine until he was ready to dispose of them. He grabbed a towel from the cardboard box, then he wiped the blood off of his hands, arms, and face. He couldn't wipe all of it off, though. His clothing was still drenched in blood and his skin remained pink.
He returned to the small room and stopped at the doorway. A lump of anxiety materialized in his throat as he stared at Emiko. The young woman lay on the bloody blanket, limbless. The bandages wrapped around her wounds were soaked in blood. She was freed from her shackles, but she did not appear conscious. Her eyes were closed and her chest and stomach did not rise.
Ethan swiped at his eyes and said, “You're okay, you're okay. You just... You need some rest, right? Everyone needs rest after a significant operation. Everything is fine, right? Yeah, you didn't feel a thing, did you? I did good...”
He smiled and nodded, convincing himself of a fallacy. He knelt down beside her and stroked her hair as he gazed at her face. He kissed her – a gentle kiss
on the lips. A kiss from her prince should wake her, he thought. To his dismay, Emiko did not awaken. A person could only lose so much blood before they passed away.
The young man caressed her cheek and said, “I'm going to let you sleep, princess. I'll be back to check up on you later. Okay? S–Sleep tight. I... I love you.”
Ethan kissed her again, then he exited the room. Despite Emiko's condition, he still locked the door behind him. He held his hands over his face and sobbed as he shambled out of the basement, hoping Emiko would survive the night.
Chapter Seventeen
A Happy Family
The home was deafeningly silent. Floorboards creaked, pipes groaned, and water swirled, but no one spoke. Bloodcurdling shrieks and desperate cries for help did not seep into the living room from the basement. Everyday conversations did not escalate into full-blown domestic disputes. The surrounding world moved at the same pace, conflicted by the same old political and social issues, but the house was different. The couple were abandoned by society, left to fend for themselves.
Ethan sat at the top of the stairs. He stared down into the basement – anxious, curious, frightened. He was unnerved by the silence and flustered by his actions. He didn't feel any guilt when he sawed into Emiko's legs during the previous night. The guilt hit him when he realized he was severely harming his true love. He never planned on pushing her to the brink of death.
He said, “Everything is okay. She's fine. She's just waiting for me to wake her.” Strolling down the stairs, he whispered, “I did this for both of us. I did it so you would love me.”
Ethan stood in the basement and stared at the door, paralyzed by his fear. The truth waited beyond the barrier, calling his name with a honeyed voice – Emiko's voice. He turned the key and opened the locks, then he shoved the door open. The basement light poured into the modified room.
Emiko still lay on her back towards the center of the room. She appeared to be in the same position, too. She didn't move an inch overnight. Blood leaked past the soaked blanket and stained the concrete floor. A rotten stench lingered in the room.