You slowly regained consciousness, your head throbbing and your vision blurry. As you blinked away the haze, you realized you were lying in a large, comfortable bed, snuggled under a heavy comforter. The room around you was dimly lit, and as your eyes adjusted to the low light, you noticed there were no windows. Panic began to set in as you tried to piece together how you had ended up in this unfamiliar place.

Sitting up, you scanned the room. To your left, there was a bookshelf filled with various books, neatly arranged. Next to it, a television with a stack of cassettes sat on a small table. Opposite the bed, you saw several Lego sets. Everything seemed designed to keep you entertained and occupied.

Your heart raced as you realized you were in a basement. The walls were concrete, and the only exit appeared to be a solid, heavy door. You tried to recall the last thing you remembered before waking up here. Images flashed in your mind—Mike, your long-time friend. His increasingly intense behavior, his possessive nature. You had dismissed it, believing he was just protective. But now, everything made horrifying sense.

Footsteps echoed from beyond the door, and your breath caught in your throat. The door creaked open, and Mike stepped into the room, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. He looked at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world.

“You’re awake,”

he said softly, closing the door behind him. He approached the bed, his gaze locked onto yours.

“I’ve waited so long for this moment. To finally have you all to myself, where no one can come between us. I was so worried about you. Out there, you were surrounded by people who didn’t understand our connection.”

He said in a disturbingly loving tone that hid something darker