Hopeless

Warm tears ran down Skye's cheeks as she woke up, she finally remembered him. She remembered everything, their first encounter, the time they spent together as children, and the sadness she felt when they got separated.

"Ashy..." She called out the nickname she gave him while they were kids.

Despite it all happening ten years ago, the memory was so vivid that it felt like just yesterday when they had met.

Skye clenched her chest in pain. It felt like a building had collapsed on her body and she couldn't breathe.

The worst part was knowing that while she was oblivious to their past, Ash remembered everything, and the nostalgia in his eyes the night they met at the parking lot finally made sense.

"How could I forget?... How could I?" 

She felt so guilty. Ash was the one person who made her feel happy after her parents' death and yet she forgot him... just like that.

Ash treasured their past, remembered her even after a decade had passed, and still showed her love and utmost care. She thought of how hurt he must have felt to know she didn't remember him.

"Why now? Why did it take me so long to remember?" She cried out.

Her determination to leave that place got stronger. She had to make it out alive and run into his arms, she had to tell him she remembered everything so everything could feel complete again.

Just then the door swung open and Theo walked in with his head held high. "I hope you're enjoying your stay here." He mockingly said.

Skye ignored him, she had no energy left in her to entertain his annoying behavior.

"Cat got your tongue?" he walked closer to her, "Just two weeks ago you were spitting threats at me as if you had the power to take me down, a LANE! And yet here you are, at my mercy with your life in my hands." He exploded into a maniacal laughter.

Skye still said nothing, she knew getting worked up over his words would give him the satisfaction he wanted.

Seeing Skye's nonchalant attitude to his taunts, Theo got annoyed. "Where's your precious Ash now, huh? It's been two weeks and he still hasn't made any attempts to find you... I warned you, a man like him doesn't care about someone like you, he just wanted to use you while I... I decided to forgive you despite your faults, to give you another chance but you stubbornly refused. I didn't want to hurt you Skye, but you left me no choice."

Skye felt like slamming him against the wall as she listened to his words. He thought he could manipulate her back into his control by acting like the hero in her story. "I don't need your forgiveness." She spat on his face.

Theo angrily grabbed Skye's shoulder and shook her violently. "Who do you think you are?!... Need I remind you that the man you're being stubborn for doesn't care about you- No, he's probably dead by now, after all, no news about his health has been-"

"Get out." Skye slapped him across the face. She could bear with all the insults he threw at her but talking about Ash dying casually, was more than crossing the line.

Theo laughed with a crazed look in his eyes, a look that scared Skye. "You're a hostage here and you're telling me to get out?" He kicked her legs angrily, "You should be begging for your miserable life instead of making me angry... I'll make sure you never see the light of day."

He stormed out of the room after threatening Skye and kicking her as much as he wanted.

Skye lay down on the floor and continued crying as she hugged her legs. She felt no pain from the places where Theo had kicked her but the thing that made her hurt more were his words.

'...he's probably dead by now...'

Those words scared her.

All the while she was held hostage, Skye tried to push that thought to the darkest place of her mind. She didn't want to think of Ash not surviving even after the wounds he suffered.

"He's alright."

"He's a strong man so there's no need to worry."

"He'll burst in through that door any moment from now looking sound and healthy."

Those were the words she used to comfort herself. She tried convincing herself that Ash was alive and well but Theo's words made her optimism waver.

"What if something went wrong?"

"What if he's not alright?"

"What if I never see him again?"

Her head was now filled with the 'what ifs' as she cried. 

Skye wasn't even concerned for her safety, all she could worry about was Ash. She blamed herself for him getting shot that night.

"If only I hadn't caused all that drama with Theo."

"If only I wasn't with Ash when I got kidnapped."

"If only I left with no complaints."

"If only... we didn't meet again."

The 'what ifs' were now replaced with 'If only' and for a moment she wondered if she surrendered and let Theo have his way, he wouldn't harm Ash.

It felt like everyone she got close to was destined to get hurt... like she was cursed and the thought of Ash not making it because of her was suffocating. She couldn't bear the heartache if anything ever happened to him.

Skye's body got so weak after the crying and beating from Theo that she passed out soon after. The stress was getting to her and it had become a routine for her to pass out from exhaustion.

By the time she woke up, a new tray of food was beside her. This time, it wasn't the usual stale bread and milk but a yummy-looking plate of rice. She was so happy to be able to eat proper food until she saw what was next to the rice.

Shrimp.

Theo purposefully served her food with shrimp knowing fully well that she was allergic to it and couldn't eat anything on that plate

It seemed to her that he derived pleasure in seeing her suffer because of him.

Skye knew wherever he was, Theo was laughing at the thought of her not being able to eat because of her allergy although she knew his sadistic self would have preferred it if she got sick or died because of that allergy.

Feeling hopeless, Skye went back to her corner and curled herself into a ball, once again finding comfort in Ash's shirt that she was wearing.