VIII

I stand flabbergasted at the comment that Demon just hit me with.’You’re gonna be here a long time’, how long is a long time. Like I cannot die in captivity. I simply refuse to go out that way.

“I'm sorry, but what do you mean by I'm gonna be here for a long time?” I ask in the most polite way I know how. I even throw an innocent smile in to sweeten the deal.

“I mean exactly what I said.” Demon says, still not taking his eyes off of the television set.”You could be here for a week, a month, a year or even a whole lifetime.” He adds. He finally turns away from the preppy sports commentator from ESPN to give me an evil smirk. It's as if he can sense my distress and that he is taking great pleasure in my pain.

“What!” I yelp out, “I cannot spend my 25th birthday in this dump!” I exclaim while stretching my arms out on either side, indicating to the mess all around us.

“Oh I wouldn't worry about that if I were you.” Demon says nonchalantly. Hope instantly begins to swell in my chest as soon as I hear the words come out of his mouth. Maybe they are going to set me free after some time, maybe they were just keeping me to make sure that I don't tell anyone about what I saw in that godforsaken alley, where poor Louis’ head got blown off his neck. “You’re probably gonna die before that happens.”

The tiny bit of hope I had instantly gets squashed into non-existence by his words. Die?! What the actual fuck! I analyze Demon’s stoic face to see if he is kidding, if this is his sick version of a joke, but the nigga is being as serious as a heart attack.

“Please tell me you just playing.” I practically plead.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Is his reply, before turning around and paying attention to the TV again.

Okay fine, nigga might be serious but little does he know that I plan on escaping this hell hole way before next week even comes around. So imma just let him think he scared me, but he don't know that I don't scare easily. If I escaped that dungeon I woke up in earlier today, then escaping this apartment will be breeze.

I look at Demon, who is watching the television screen intently. I move closer to the couch and remove the empty pizza box that is in the other half of the two seater. I carelessly throw the box on the floor before plopping myself on the couch.

Demon glances at me for a second before watching the television screen once more. I can see that my presence bothers him even though he is trying his best not show that I am irritating him.

"Sooooo..." I start talking once more, trying to get his attention. "What's up with the name Demon? I mean, what kind of a name is that? Is that even your real name?" I ramble off, getting totally distracted. He intently stares at the screen, completely ignoring me.

"And what is up with all the beer cans? Why are there so many of them? Are you an alcoholic?" I continue speaking mindlessly. “Did you know that alcohol destroys your brain cells, and your brain cells do not get regenerated? That means once they are gone, they’re gone.”

"Can you shut up?"

"And how the heck are you so skinny if you eat so much junk food?" I ask, eyeing all the burger wrappings and pizza boxes. “Your metabolism must be on steroids for you not to be obese right now. It literally doesn't look like you have an ounce of fat on you…”

"Okay that's it!" Demon shouts, shutting the TV off at the same time. He turns his body on the couch so that he is looking at me. "Number one, I am not skinny, okay, I am muscular and number two you need to learn to shut the fuck up while you are here." At that, he faces the TV and switches it on again.

"OkAy, nUmbEr oNe." I say, imitating his voice, "It was unnecessary to switch the TV off, I could hear you perfectly with it on and nUmbEr twO you need to take a chill pill."

"I don't sound like that."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night buddy." I say, throwing his words right back in his face with a laugh.

***

I tap the dirty countertop with my fingers as I watch my legs swing back and forth on the old wooden stool. I am currently sitting in the apartment’s small kitchenette (if you can call it that). The countertops are a mess, as expected, cabinet doors are missing and the stove top looks like it is harbouring a disease of some sort. You couldn't pay me a billion dollars to lick a single surface in this kitchen, my tongue would prabably fall right off.

Like in the living room, there is trash on every single surface. It kind of bothers me that such a handsome person can be such a pig. Don't get me wrong, I am not the cleanest person myself but I could never live in a place like this. I can live in a messy place but there is a point where I am like 'Yah neh, this place is a bit too dirty.' This apartment is way beyond that point.

Demon is still planted on the couch like a potato watching some sports channel. After my little questionnaire about his life choices the dude was ignoring me so hard that I started doubting my existence, so I decided to sit by myself in this dirty kitchen.

I am using this alone time to think of a good escape plan. I need to get out of here as soon as possible, my family doesn't even know that I am kidnapped so if Demon or someone else kills me, my body will never be found. I can't let that happen because without my body, there won't be a funeral and I have already planned my funeral. It is gonna be so dope, an aux cord will be passed around and each person is gonna play some lit song, there will be lots of food and also lots of dancing.

Well other than the whole body thing, I just don't want to die in general. I haven't even met Michael B Jordan to kidnap him and force him to get married to me. I mean, that was even the main reason I came to America in the first place!

So back to the escape plan, I have brewed up a few ideas. One of them is that I storm in the living room now with the stool that I am sitting on, hit Demon over the head with it and hope that he collapses and passes out or something like the guy from the warehouse earlier, hopefully it works out this time as well. After that I find some money in the apartment and run away from here as fast as I can.

The second plan is that I wait for nightfall, which is about three hours away. When Demon is asleep, I will sneak away from the apartment and run away as fast as I can.

The problem with the first and second plan is that I have no idea where 'here' is. When I came to America I was in New York, but after that long drive with Jay and Alex, I have a small feeling that I am no longer in the Big Apple.

The setbacks for the second plan is that I will most probably find it very hard to sneak out of here since I am the most clumsy person in the whole entire universe, I will probably bump into every single piece of furniture on the way to the front door, and it won't help that it will be at night with the lights off. And there is the fact that I still won't know where I am going if I, by some miracle, make it out the door.

Weighing my options and looking at the statistics, it seems as if the first plan is the best way to go.

Getting up off the stool, I eye the nasty kitchen one last time. If all goes well, it will be the last time I lay my eyes on this apartment in general. Taking in a deep breath as if to steal my nerves, I pick up the stool and tip toe my way into the living room.

Still on the couch, with the voices from whatever show he was watching on the TV playing softly in the background, Demon sleeps peacefully.

He looks so angelic in his slumber. He lips are slightly pouting and his gorgeous greens are out of sight, cover my his eyelids. Before I start drooling again, I look away from his face.

The Demon sleeping peacefully on the couch? This seems almost too easy. But I'm not one to spit on a gift, so I shrug my shoulders and continue with the plan.

If I could, I would probably release my signature evil laugh at the sight in front of me, but if I do so I will be sure to wake Demon up from his slumber.

Wasting no time, I tip toe closer towards the sleeping man. When I am about a foot away from him, I lift the stool above my head, trying to get as much momentum as I can for when I clout him over the head.

Just as I am about to bring the stool down from above my head to hit Demon, I stop right in my tracks when I hear him speak.

"What are you doing?"

His eyes are still closed as he speaks. I don't know if he is talking in his sleep or if he is speaking to me. How could he possibly know I was in the living room, I mean his damn eyes are still closed.

"I asked you a question." He speaks one more time, this time he opens his eyes and looks right at me.

"Nothin" I answer quickly, maybe a little too quick.

"Then why are you holding a chair?" He lifts his brows quizzically at the chair.

"To sit on?"

"Then why are you holding it over your head like that?"

I look above me and see that the stool is in fact hoisted over my head still, ready to strike Demon over the head.

"Ummm..." I drawl out, thinking of an excuse to give him. "There...there was a moth flying around I was trying to kill it."

"Are you sure that it was a moth that you were trying to kill?" He asks, raising his left eyebrow.

Damn, I think that he is on me!

"Of cause." I lower the chair and place it next the arm of the chair. Placing my butt on the chair, I face Demon and smile in an angelic way. "Just a moth."

"So Demon," I say, emphasising his name. "Wouldn't you like to give me a tour of your beautiful apartment?" I say trying my best to change the topic and shift his focus away from the fact that I was just about to spilt his head in half with a kitchen stool.

"No."

"Please," I beg, "I wouldn't want to get lost in this gigantic place of yours."

"Will you stop being so sarcastic if I give you the stupid tour?"

"Yes!" I excitedly exclaim.

With a grunt, Demon gets up from the couch and stretches his muscles. At his actions, his shirt lifts up a little bit and I get a glance at some six pack action.

I look away before I get caught ogling the man for the umpteenth time.

"Well let's get started, we have a lot of ground to cover." I smile at his use of sarcasm.

"To infinity and beyond!" I yell out, pointing toward the hallway that Demon is walking towards.