A Touch Of Man : Chapter 2

Alex’s pounding head woke him up, he had so many questions on his mind but more importantly he was in immense pain. After a few minutes of composing himself he found the strength to hoist himself up off the floor, but failed. He tried once again but with his panic he was sucked back into the concrete floor. Gradually after many attempts, he realised that a bulky metal collar was locked around his neck with a chain bolting him to the floor.

It was loose enough so Alex could sit down and go on his hands and knees but not to fully stand. He was butt naked and his clothes were nowhere to be seen, he looked around frantically in panic scanning the room for any indication of recognition and pulling at the chain to snap it but to no success. After 20 minutes of struggling like a trapped animal, he laid there with no strength gasping for air.

Without warning, thuds of footsteps sounded on the creaky floorboards above him slowly getting louder. Alex struggled pulling at the chain one last time to release himself but still had no luck, he may not be able to stand but he could still fight; “I can do this” he thought filling himself with adrenaline to fight. The thick metal door swung open and in a cloud of dust a man slowly walked in, he looked around 25, brown hair, pale skin, piercing blue eyes and a smile as bright as the stars themselves. He was wearing a expensive looking black suit and a designer watch. Alex felt a minor hesitation to fight just by the man’s respectability and position but that thought was quickly overpowered by his primal instinct.

‘COME CLOSER I DARE YOU’ screamed Alex, but even his own voice made his head scream from the inside.

The man just stood there staring at Alex and a smiled formed on his face when eye contact was formed. He came closer slowly step by step, after a while of silence he was almost close enough to attack; the man came nearer and got on one knee, but was still slightly out of Alex’s reach.

‘I’m so sorry about this mate’, the man softly said looking uncertainly at Alex’s head wound
‘I didn’t mean to get you here so ...’ he paused for a moment to structure his sentence politely, ‘please accept my deepest apology’

His accent was defiantly upper class british, Alex felt confused...was he dreaming?. He didn’t know what to say, the only words he could mutter was “What”.

‘May I help?’ he pointed carefully at Alex’s fractured head. It was still dripping with thick clotting blood, his dark hair was matted with dirt and rust. Alex silently nodded still confused trying to process this man.

‘Excuse me’, the man said standing up immediately and paced out the room; what’s just happened? Alex tried to make an answer, was he hallucinating?, did that man even do this to me? , YES I’m in his fucking basement and he needs to fucking pay with his own fucking blood and life!. The man unexpectedly came back holding a tin bowl full of steaming water and numerous soft cloths.

‘I’m going to clean your head up ok mate, you need to stay very still though?’ Alex nodded silently again, the man reached over to Alex’s head as gently as a baby. Suddenly Alex went for the attack, wildly punching anything in front of him as hard as he could. He pounced forward like a tiger only for the collar to snap his body back into the floor and with a loud crack, his bloodied head smashed against the stone wall. The man dropped the tin bowl and grabbed Alex’s hair, with one precise knee strike to Alex’s nose, his head ricocheting into to the brick wall and within seconds of Alex’s attack, his body slumped against the concrete wall. He was out cold.

The candle light and sounds of movement aroused Alex’s sensations again, this time he was tied to a metal chair bolted to the floor and ‘Johnny Cash The Ring of Fire’ was playing on an old portable radio in the background. His arms and legs were bound by old rusty handcuffs, but the collar was removed and was placed in the corner. The mysterious man was sat on chair meters in front of him sharpening a hunting knife waiting for Alex to awaken.

Alex couldn’t help but to moan in pain and confusion, he felt like all the energy had been drained out of his body.
The man stood up, ‘open your mouth’ he commanded, presenting some white chalk colored pills in his hand showing them to Alex.
‘What the fuck are they’ he mumbled struggling to talk
‘Painkillers’ he replied with a slight grin, at this moment Alex didn’t care if they were poison or if he would die; he would do anything to stop this torturous head pain, he opened his mouth slightly

‘Oi I said open, don’t want you hurting me again...Put your head back’, Alex obeyed and opened his mouth as the pills dropped into his mouth and disappeared down his throat.
‘Now seriously mate if you don’t want this to get head to infected then keep still!.’
‘Please let me go’ Alex mumbled trying his best to maintain eye contact

‘All in good time’ the man softly said picking up the bowl of warm salt water. He soaked a rag and started to dab it on Alex’s head, the water stung slightly and Alex’s face cringed in discomfort; but strangely it felt more relieving.
‘Why did you kidnap me?’ he said, ‘I mean why me’, ‘what are you going to do to me’
‘Do you want the truth or a lie’ the man said, now grabbing another cloth and putting it in the bowl

‘What do you fucking think’ Alex snapped
‘Ok well here’s the truth, if you’re a good lad’ he smiled focusing on cleaning every part of the wound ‘then no harm will come to you I promise, but if you disobey me or be violent like you were before then punishment will occur, do you understand?’
Alex paused.

‘Do you understand Alex’ he said louder with more authority,
‘Yes’ Alex muttered in a sulking manner, ‘but why did you kidnap me’
The man smiled ‘like I said all in good time’, to Alex’s annoyance there was no reply

‘Please, at least tell me your name’ he begged
‘It’s Jamie’; He was now grabbing the third cloth soaking it in the warm water. This time he washed Alex’s body, every inch from Alex’s chest to his blood stained baby face.
‘Why are you being so’ Alex Paused

‘So what?’ Jamie responded inspecting and admiring every inch of Alex’s body closely

‘Caring’ he said, scared to be humiliated by that quote,
‘Why shouldn’t I?’ Jamie laughed, a tingling sensation went through Alex’s muscles as the cotton cloth glided over him leaving a warm clean trail. All of his sweat, blood and whatever other shit that was on the floor simply washed away. Jamie finally put the rags in the bowl and knelt in front of him to get eye contact,
‘How does that feel’ Jamie whispered placing his soft manly hand on his cheek and smiled.

‘Good’ Alex muttered fighting not to relax, determined to keep that adrenalin pumping.

Without warning Jamie took out a folded steel straight razor from his pocket, it glistened in the candle light and Alex’s eyes widened in fear.

‘What the fuck’s that for?’ he stuttered in anxiety fighting against the restraints,

Jamie smiled and said ‘I’m not going to have you looking like a fucking tramp the first day I get you, Now stay still’. Alex closed his eyes as lather was painted on his face with a badger brush, the smell of sandalwood overcame his senses and it felt incredibly soft against his stubbly skin. Alex closed his eyes closed tight like a child as the steel blade started too glided across his skin removing all the imperfections in its path. Each movement that cleared Alex’s skin made him fall deeper in a relaxed state. After 30 minutes Alex’s face was baby soft and he was almost asleep in his restraints.

‘Ok that’s looking good’ Jamie said softly inspecting his work smiling, again without warning he took out a syringe from his pocket containing a cloudy liquid.

Alex’s eyes darted on the needle and instinctively tried to break against his bonds once again and get the fuck from the object,
‘What the fuck is that’ he shouted struggling so much the chair was almost rocking against the bolts that anchored it.

‘Well after you hit me’ Jamie muttered while checking for air bubbles into the syringe ‘I need to be safe, this Ben make you fall sleep so I can transport you safely’. Alex fought against his bonds and struggled more and more.

‘Please don’t I beg u, if you have any mercy’ but before he could finish his sentenced the steel needle pierced his soft baby skin on his neck. He could feel the cold liquid being forced inside his veins, helpless to do otherwise. The needle was swiftly pulled out and immediately and within seconds the world went blurry and Alex went dizzy. The room was falling through space and he was Alice in wonderland, within 30 seconds Alex was fast asleep in the chair helpless and alone. Not having a clue what’s to come.