Captive
The Beginning
Hera
I found a small box outside our door when I was going to discard the trash.
Sam
Oh yeah? What does it have to do with me?
Sam
Don't waste my time, Hera.
Hera
I came across a bunch of love letters written about you. I think I should give them to you.
Sam
i'm not surprised, i'm loved by everyone.
Hera
No need to be harsh on me, Sam:(
Sam
Why? Did you expect someone would write you love letters too?
Hera
I'm not expecting anything from anyone.
Sam
Just leave the box outside my room and stay out of it!
I wish I was like her. I wish I was loved by everyone and they would also write love letters, admiring how much they like me. I wish I was like Sam,
Someone will love me for the way I am..
Someone who will appreciate me for what I do..
but Sam is right, it's all in my dreams.
Sam
I read through the love letters in the box and I came across something about you.
Sam
Don't get your hopes up, Hera😑
Sam
It's actually kind of creepy...grr
Sam
The paper that was used was kinda old and dusty
Sam
That letter looks like it's been through many wars.
Hera
Maybe the person who wrote it is a retro fan
Hera
Or they like vintage aesthetics stuff
Sam
I don't fucking think so.
Sam
There's also blood on it, ugh it's damn scary! grr!
Sam
Only a creep would write something like that.
Sam
You'll see Hera, wait a min..
Hera
That sounds like a poem...
Sam
Yeah written by an obsessive admirer of yours
Sam
Or whatever you call it
Why would they write something like this?
It's almost like an erotic poem...
Sam
I'm sending this back to you
Sam
I don't want any pervert admirers
She'll never understand...
How it feels to be like me..
and receiving this kind of letter just now..
From whoever the person who wrote this
I couldn't even finish my words. damn.
Hera
I'll get it myself, sis
Hera
Just leave it outside your room
CUPCAKE
“A mysterious and unknown assailant, dubbed the "Hongdae Shadow," has been terrorizing our neighborhoods, preying on teenagers and women. The latest victim named Bea Kim was found just last night on Eulji-ro, a street typically bustling with vibrant nightlife and commerce, now cloaked in an unsettling silence. This follows a disturbing pattern of attacks in other popular neighborhoods like Hongdae and Itaewon, leaving residents on edge and wondering who might be next in this terrifying spree. The method of killing remains undisclosed by authorities, intensifying the pervasive fear gripping the city.”
Sam
Isn't the victim Hera's friend?
Mom
Do I look like I care?
She rolled her eyes in annoyance as if she absolutely hated hearing her own daughter's name. With an angry grab, she took the remote and flipped through channels until she found the telenovela she was watching.
Dad
Tell your adopted child to cook dinner, i'm hungry!
He shouted across the living room sipping coffee while playing on his phone as if he was not afraid that Heather would hear him.
Sam
You better cook our dinner, unless you want them to nag at you.
Hera
I'm on my way to the kitchen sis!
When Heather got the messages from her sister, she quickly headed to the kitchen. To avoid upsetting her parents, she wasted no time in doing what they asked. She was responsible for both cooking and all the household chores.
Heather began to hastily, yet carefully, get her cooking ingredients ready, knowing her family was hungry.
Even though she often did everything, she was happy that they always relied on her.
Dad
What's with this crap?!
Dad
This doesn't taste like food!
Her father spat out the food he tasted and suddenly slammed the dining table, which startled Heather. All the food she painstakingly cooked was just spilled on the floor.
Heather didn't know what went wrong with her cooking, why her father didn't like it, and even his mother and sister had bitter expressions when they tasted her dish.
Frustrated, her mother threw a ceramic bowl at her it immediately hit her through the head.
She winced to herself, afraid to show in front of her mother the pain she felt from it.
Heather tried to stop the falling tears coming from her eyes while her sniffling could still be heard. Her father stormed out and went outside, while her mother turned on the TV to watch her favorite telenovela.
Left at the overturned table was her sister, Sam, who remained silent.
She ignored Heather, who stood trembling and terrified at the side. Sam started fiddling with her phone and looked like she called someone on the phone.
Sam
I'll just order some pizza!
Sam yelled to be heard by her dad, who was outside, and her mom, who was watching TV in the living room.
Heather, still dazed, knelt and began cleaning up the food spilled on the floor.
She couldn't hold back the tears welling in her eyes anymore but she chose to cry in silent so as not to further annoy her family.
Sam
Next time do your job better
Sam
Ugh you are really annoying, do you want to kill us with your food?
Hera
I didn't know why it is so spicy, I made it sure that it taste good...
Hera
I-I don't know what h-happened...
Her voice trembled as she gather her words. She went back to her room after cleaning her father's mess.
Inside the room, the only light comes from a sliver of moonlight forcing its way through a gap in the curtains, casting long, distorted shadows that dance with every shuddering breath.
The air itself feels heavy, thick with unshed tears and the lingering scent of sadness.
A cold that doesn't come from an open window or a faulty air conditioner; it's an internal chill, born of despair, seeping into Heather's bones.
Hera
W-Why do they h-hate me s-so much?
Her breath hitches, catching in hee throat, and each attempt to draw a full, steady breath feels like a monumental effort, as if the very air has conspired against her.
Hera
I am also their daughter...
Hera
I am also her sister...
The room, usually a sanctuary for her, feels vast and empty now...
The silence of the night, once peaceful, is now a suffocating presence, amplifying every whispered doubt and every painful memory.
Weariness finally claimed Heather, pulling her into a slow...
heavy sleep after the relentless, heart-wrenching sobs.
Unknown
You'll be mine very soon, cupcake.
Unknown
I'll keep you out of their reach, you'll be safe on my hands...
His voice, husky yet tender, softened as he gently caressed Heather's hair.
WHO IS THIS?
A persistent ache settled behind her temples the moment she opened her eyes.
It felt real. She thought...
She dreamt of a man by her bedside, his gentle touch softly caressing her hair.
A profound sense of safety and comfort enveloped her,
And in his touch, she felt like she only belongs to him.
Hera
Why did I suddenly dream about a man?
She sat down on the bed and rubbed her painful forehead.
She was desperately trying to remember the next parts of her dream though it was no use.
She can't remember anything.
Suddenly, her cellphone rang. She grab her phone under her pillow.
Unknown
Goodmorning to my beautiful cupcake. (๑>◡<๑)
and it's using emoticons..
Unknown
Wow, you must have really overexerted yourself with those two letters.
Unknown
Wouldn't want to burn too many calories typing out those extra syllables.
Her brows furrowed as her lips pressed into thin line reading the text from the unknown number.
Hera
We're not that close enough for morning greetings.
Unknown
Soon we will be, cupcake.
(*＾▽＾)
Heather's eyes widened in disbelief.
Hera
You must be mistaking me for someone. I'm not your cupcake.
She wasn't sure if this person was just pranking her or if they genuinely mistook her for someone else.
Unknown
You are my cupcake, Heather.
Unknown
You don't know me but I know you so well.
Heather flinched in fear. Her eyes widened as her lips tremble, slightly pressing together.
Hera
If you just want to make fun of me, don't even try!
Hera
I'm not going to fall for this
Hera
I'm going to block you now!
Heather's messages came one after another, her palms sweating as she typed on her phone's keyboard.
She bit her lower lip as she impatiently wait for his response even though she said she's going to block his number.
No one ever talked to her like that,
In fact, no one ever talks to her except for her sister, who only messages her when she needs something done.
Unknown
Didn't you like the poem I sent you?
Heather's brow furrowed, a slight pinch appearing between her eyebrows as her gaze drifted, unfocused, as if searching for a missing piece of information.
Hera
What are you talking about?
Unknown
The one I sent you, cupcake.
Her lips parted slightly, a silent question hanging in the air.
Heather remembered the letter that looks like it's been through many wars. She found it in Sam's box, which also contained love letters.
Hera
You're the one behind this poem?
Unknown
You got it, cupcake.
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