All credit goes to Valentinesdaygreen a great deviantart writer.  

  {Jack's POV}

            "Hush little baby, don't say a word... Mamma's gonna buy you a mockingbird..."
I need to scream.

            "And if that mockingbird won't sing... Mamma's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."
I need to hear.

            "And if that diamond ring turns brass... Mamma's gonna buy you a looking glass..."
I need to see.

             "And if that looking glass gets broke... Mamma's gonna buy you a billy goat..."
I need to eat.

             "And if that billy goat won't pull... Mamma's gonna buy you a cart and bull..."
I need to run.

             "And if that cart and bull turn over... Mamma's gonna buy you a dog named Rover..."
I need to move.

             "And if that dog named Rover won't bark... Mamma's gonna buy you a horse and cart..."
I need to escape.

             "And if that horse and cart fall down... You'll still be the cutest baby in this town."

            Darkness surrounded him as he struggled. No sight, no sound, no smell, no voice, no movement. He existed in a void, all alone, completely cut off from reality. And yet he could still feel the song. It rang through his head over and over, a hallucination that would not leave. It was driving him insane, to the point of tears, but it was all he had. He hummed it even though he could not hear it, desperately clinging to reality through the unheard song.

            Suddenly something brushed against him, and the pressure released on his ears. "Tell me, have you learned your lesson?" a menacing voice asked next to his ear, dripping with sadistic delight. A shudder ran down his spine as he felt spit brush against his ear, making him flinch and draw away, but a hand quickly grabbed his jaw and forced his head back into its original position. "Come now, my little pet, don't be shy..."

            'Let me go!'
            "You had no trouble earlier when you bit me."
            'Leave me alone!'
            "Where's that fighting spirit you had earlier?"
            'I can't take it anymore!'

            "Could it... be you're scared?"

            The last word was hissed into his ear, and his shoulders fell, his entire body going limp. A chill ran down his spine. Scared. Yes, he WAS scared. He couldn't take it anymore! He needed out! Let me go, let me go, LET ME GO!

            Jack gasped as his eyelids flew open, a cold sweat dripping down his face. For a moment he panicked as he felt something wrapped around him, and he yelped and threw them off before realizing what they were: blankets. He was in his bed, safe at home.

            It was just a dream.

            Shuddering, he slowly shifted in the bed and sat up, rubbing his empty eyes as he looked around. Sunlight peeked through the slits in the curtains, and he rose and shuffled to the window to close them before sighing.

            A nightmare.

            That's all it was.

            It was all over now.

            He was safe.

~*~

            Jack frowned as he pulled the plate from the microwave. Most human food was off-putting to him, but his latest concoction seemed particularly nauseous. Blackened pieces of cereal melded together on the plate, forming a giant charred lump. His nose wrinkled at the disgusting scent it omitted and for a brief moment he regretted taking off his mask while cooking. Wordlessly he took it to the trash can and flipped it over, but the lump remained attached to the plate, ultimately forcing him to scrape it off with a fork.

            Yet another cooking failure.

            Seven days had passed since his escape from captivity. During that time, his new "pet" seemed to be adjusting rather well to her new life. They didn't interact much beyond bringing her meals, though there were two more occasions where he'd scared her for his own amusement as he had on the first day. Overall, she tended to be very obedient and quiet, never arguing with him or trying to fight. Jack had taught her how to change her bandages on her own, and he even started removing the chain from her ankle while he was at home, though he'd always replace it before leaving for the evening. Usually she stayed in her room, only leaving to go to the bathroom. Right now he could hear the shower running, just as it did every afternoon when they woke up.

            Today he wanted to reward her obedience by making something different for her breakfast. However, his attempt to make cereal had failed miserably. Sandwiches seemed to be the only thing he could make. It must be boring for her to eat the same thing day in and day out, he thought. At least she was fed every day, though. During his own captivity, there were times when days would pass without a single bite to eat. While the food Jack required wasn't necessarily easy to obtain, sometimes it was withheld deliberately as a punishment. His mind wandered back to his dream the previous night, making him shudder.

            Enough thinking about that. Noting that the sound of water pounding against the ceramic tiles had stopped, he casually pulled on his mask before rummaging through the fridge for ingredients. He was debating how long he should put the sandwich in the microwave when he heard a door open, footsteps sprinting across the hallway before another door slammed. A few minutes later Jack went to her bedroom with the finished sandwich and a canvas bag slung over his shoulder, knocking on the door. While he'd enter regardless of her wishes, he still felt it was polite to give her a warning. Human girls were so conscious about their bodies.

            "Come in," [Name] called, and he silently opened the door and entered. She was sitting on her bed wearing a [f/c] t-shirt with black sweatpants, her skin and hair still damp. Regarding him warily, her gaze fell upon the the canvas bag and she quickly backed against the wall, making him chuckle internally. Her [e/c] eyes were particularly lovely when they were full of fear. He set the plate on her nightstand, knowing she wouldn't eat until she saw the contents of the bag. No doubt she thought it was full of torture tools.

            Suspicion and wariness filled her gaze as she watched him set the bag on the dresser, slowly opening it. Jack took his sweet time as he reached inside the bag, giving her plenty of time for her imagination to conjure the worst possible scenarios. Watching her expression was so amusing, especially how she sucked in her breath when he finally pulled something out. His absolute favorite part, though, was the look of pure confusion that filled her face when he pulled out a novel.
 

            He nonchalantly removed several books and magazines from the bag, stacking them on the dresser. "...What are those?" she asked suspiciously.

           "Reading material," he replied casually.

            "...Why...?"

             "So you won't get bored." His nightmare had reminded him of how bored he'd been during his own captivity. The human mind could only be idle for so long, and he didn't exactly want her going insane.

            "...Oh." Silence fell over them, and he smirked. Relaxing, [Name] began eating her sandwich. Jack took the opportunity to walk over and smell the lilac scent wafting from her still-damp hair. She flinched as he began stroking it, nearly dropping her sandwich. "W-what are you doing!?"

            "It's normal to pet one's pet," he replied simply, sitting on the bed behind her. "Don't turn." She gave a feeble nod and obediently faced forward, and he lifted his mask to expose his mouth and nose. Contentment filled him as he inhaled the heavenly lilac aroma, his eyelids fluttering closed as he gave a soft sigh. He could feel [Name] tensing as he gently ran his fingers through her hair, clearly unsure of his true intentions, but he didn't really care.

            After a few minutes of this he stopped and pulled his mask back down, rising from the bed and stretching. Wordlessly he walked to the door, glancing back from the doorway to see her staring at him. Puzzlement filled her face as she stared at him, making him smile to himself as he left.

            That expression might actually be prettier than when she was afraid.