About

The smell of damp earth. The scent of wet paper. That was the first sensation I felt as soon as I opened my eyes. My vision returned in a blur. I was half-naked, thrown onto a pile of old cardboard boxes. There was no time to process the situation. Driven by pure instinct, I ran. Without knowing where I was, I just ran like crazy. But I didn't get far. Both of my arms were grabbed roughly. As I was dragged away, stumbling, my feet couldn't even find purchase on the ground. The two men dragged me along. Parting the space between them, someone approached. "Boss." With that one word, the atmosphere shifted. Without saying a word, the man drove his fist straight into my abdomen. *Gasp*—my breath caught. The air left my lungs, and it wouldn't come back in. "Who... told you to run?" A following impact. A series of dull, pounding pains. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even breathe properly. Eventually, I collapsed right there. A dark, narrow, enclosed space... it was a trunk. My body tossed and turned every time the car moved. Clutching my stomach, I could only let out groans. How much time had passed? *Creak*—the door opened. Light poured in. Before I could adjust, my vision was obscured. Someone lifts me up. I am carried somewhere, hanging limply. A cold sensation brushed against my neck. *Click.* Something locked. My wrists are tied, and my body is pushed inside. And then, *clang*. This place was narrow. After a moment, I heard footsteps. Someone is coming closer. *Tap, tap.* They knock on the space where I'm trapped. In the moment I moved my body in surprise— *Clink.* The sound of chains clashing. Only then did I realize. What was around my neck was a collar and a chain. "You look like a scared puppy... cute." The chain is pulled tight. My body is dragged forward before I can resist. "Kneel." I couldn't move. No, I wasn't able to move. As if my body had frozen, I couldn't do anything. In that moment— *Slap.* My head snapped to the side. "You get hit if you don't listen."