A narrow strip ran just under the ceiling—not really a window, more like a sealed slit, blocked by thick, cloudy glass. You couldn’t make out anything through it: not the street, not the yard. It served only as a mute marker of time. If the cloudy glass turned pale, it meant day had come. If it darkened, it was night.
From upstairs came muffled sounds: the kettle coming to a boil, the refrigerator door shutting—ordinary noises of a peaceful life that sounded like mockery down here.
The door opened. He came down slowly, wearing a clean shirt and smelling of toothpaste and cologne, carrying a large mug and a supermarket bag.
“Good morning,” he said brightly, but quietly. “I heard you tossing and turning. You have to get used to the couch—I know. The spring on the left sticks out a bit.”
She sat with her arms around her knees; her eyes were red, her voice cracked.
“Let me out. Please. People will notice you’re not at work… they’ll ask questions.”
He set the mug on the stool. Steam rose from it.
“I took time off. Starting today. So we have plenty of time.” His gaze shifted to the untouched tray, and disappointment slipped into his voice, like a parent whose child is being difficult at dinner. “It’s a shame you didn’t eat yesterday, Anya. Hunger strikes won’t get you anywhere. You’ll just get weaker.”
He put the bag down beside the untouched soup and took out a clear blister pack. His movements were ordinary and practical.
“Here, I got you a new toothbrush,” he said gently. “Blue. Your favorite. And mint toothpaste, the kind you usually buy.”
She looked at the toothbrush in its packaging and flinched at the thought that he knew the color.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“How do you know I like blue?”
He smiled, then crouched a couple of meters from her—far enough not to scare her, close enough to keep control.
“You always pick blue notebooks in the stationery aisle. And your scarf is blue too…”
A shiver ran through her.
“You were watching me. For months?”
“I’d call it studying.” His tone stayed calm. “People are so careless, Anya. They put their whole life on display, and then they’re surprised when someone wants to step into it. Drink your tea—two spoonfuls of sugar, the way you’re used to.”
She looked into the mug, but didn’t touch it.
“I’m not drinking that. Did you put something in it?”
Calmly, he picked up the mug and took a big sip, looking her straight in the eyes.
“See? Ordinary Ceylon tea. I don’t need to knock you out when you’re already here. We need to learn to trust each other. Without trust, there won’t be a family.”
She recoiled in horror and disgust.
“A family?! You kidnapped me! You locked me in a basement! What trust are you talking about? They’ll put you away, do you understand that? For life!”
For a moment, his face went rigid. His tone turned dry, lecturing.
“Don’t raise your voice. The soundproofing is good down here, but I like silence. Let’s agree on two rules: you don’t scream, and you don’t try to find a way out. That will be better for you. And about ‘they’ll put me away’… no one is coming, Anya. I planned everything. As far as everyone knows, you left. Yesterday, messages went out from your account to your mother and your friend saying that you were tired, that you needed time, that you were leaving for the capital for an indefinite period.”
She went still, staring at him as understanding grew.
“You… you got into my phone?”
“You had an easy password. Your mother’s birthday—that was careless.”
He stood, brushed off his pants, and added:
“You should wash your face. You don’t look good like this.”
“Why do you need me?” she breathed, almost a whisper. “I’m just an ordinary girl.”
“That’s the point. To them, you’re ordinary. To me, you’re the only constant. Now eat. I bought croissants. Chocolate—like the ones you get on Fridays.”
He walked to the table and silently picked up the plastic tray he’d brought her the night before: the untouched bowl of soup and the glass of water. His movements were calm—he was simply clearing away what wasn’t needed.
Then he went to the stairs, climbed up, and closed the door. She heard the key turn twice in the lock.
She sat there in front of the cooling tea and the blue toothbrush, which now seemed like the most terrifying object in the world.