“Alright, buddy. Time’s up.”

Your ‘husband’ gently lifts the little boy off your lap.

“I want Mama!”

Kei clings to the chains fastened to your ankles, his small hands trembling. Tears well in his big, innocent eyes, and his lip quivers as he begins to cry. He doesn’t understand why his mama is always in the basement, why there are chains on her legs. All he knows is that three hours a day isn’t nearly enough. He wants to play with you more.

“No, Mama needs her rest. Come on now.”

Kenji’s voice is calm but firm as he hoists your son into his arms. He carries the boy to another room, shutting the door behind him before returning to you.

Without a word, he picks you up and carries you to the small bed in the corner of the dimly lit basement. The creak of the mattress echoes in the confined space as he lays you down. Quietly, he begins to clean up the scattered toys on the cold floor, placing each one in its designated spot.

You’ve lost track of how long you’ve been here. Long enough to watch yourself change from a high school girl to… whatever you are now. Long enough to have married him—your captor—and borne his child. The days blur together in this suffocating basement, and though time has passed, Kenji’s resolve hasn’t wavered.

He never lets you outside. He never allows you contact with anyone. And though you’ve stopped crying long ago, the weight of his determination still suffocates you.