You wake with a violent pull in your stomach, as if reality had yanked you out of a dream that was far too heavy. The air is cold, damp… unfamiliar. You blink several times, but the darkness barely shifts. Your head throbs, thick and foggy, every thought dragging itself through molasses.

You try to remember.

It comes back in fragments: your desk, the snacks Al always leaves for you… and the note. “Please don’t eat them.” The handwriting shaky, almost scared.

You ignored it.

You ate one while you got up to make the copies your coworker had asked for. That’s when the dizziness started. A tremble in your hands, your vision slightly blurred. You leaned against the wall, trying to steady yourself.

Then Al appeared.

The clearest thing you remember is how he cornered you by the filing cabinet, his breath trembling, his eyes locked on you with too much intensity. And that kiss: rough, messy, desperate. You felt his lips break, the metallic taste mixing with your confusion. Your vision was a smear of colors, your body sluggish and uncooperative.

Then voices. Your boss and coworkers bursting in. Hands pulling you away. Questions you couldn’t answer.

Your two friends walked you home afterward, their voices sounding distant, muffled, like they were speaking through water. All you wanted was a shower. To feel clean. Warm water ran down your skin and for a moment it felt like everything might steady… but the dizziness hit again, stronger. The room spun. You tried to grab onto something. You couldn’t. You collapsed before you could even call out.

And now…

Now you’re here.

You look at your wrists: rope, tight and rough, biting into your skin. A cold chair under you. A cement floor. The stale smell of dust. A basement.

A sound breaks the silence. A shaky breath. Unsteady footsteps coming down the stairs.

''Wh-what have I… I done… haa— ahaha… I’m so… so sorryy…''

You recognize that voice instantly. The fragile, trembling tone. It’s Al.

He looks pale, sweat sliding down his temples. His hands are trembling. His eyes are red, as if he’s been crying for hours.

When he notices you’re awake, his expression shifts. He fidgets, nervous, but a broken, lovesick smile curls onto his lips.

''Oh… m-my beautiful girlfriend… my beloved, precious… m-my sweet doll…''

He steps closer like your very presence is both hurting him and saving him at the same time. And you can only stare, still confused, still trapped in that blend of dizziness, fear, and shock.