{Reader's POV}

            Grogginess filled my mind when I awoke, too tired to open my eyes. Everything felt like a blur, my body impossible to move, and I didn't know why. Gradually my eyes opened and I found myself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. This one was wooden, but darker than my bedroom. The room itself felt darker, and as I rolled my head to the side I saw the walls were gray with a red pattern.

            No, wait... That wasn't a pattern, it wasn't uniform enough... It was too random. As my vision gradually cleared, I came to recognize it for what it was: blood.

            I didn't really react right away. My subconscious registered the walls as blood-stained before the rest of my mind, the logical parts. At that moment it was just a fact, a statement, as simple as "the walls are stone" or "the sky is blue". The full implications of its presence didn't hit me yet, so for now I just stared at the blood-stained walls, trying to figure out where I was.

            Nothing about the room was familiar. From what I could tell, I was lying on some sort of cold surface, though there was a thin sheet separating me from the cold metal. As I lay there in a groggy state, light suddenly flooded the room and I rolled my head over to see a dark blob entering, silhouetted by a large square of light which quickly vanished as it approached.

            Muffled sounds reached my ears, at first vague and blurred noise without form. However, there was something familiar about it, something slightly comforting. Yet, at the same time... disconcerting. As I stared at the black form, I noticed navy blue near the top, and soon closed my eyes, trying to think. Where... where had I seen it before? Why was it so familiar...? What was it...?

             Then everything came rushing back.

            My eyes abruptly popped open, my vision still blurred. Everything was rushing back, a jumble of memories that in my current groggy state fluctuated between registering as simple fact and bringing horrible, overwhelming emotions. Jack chased me, fact. He forgot his mask, fact. He knew about Buddy's account, concern. I barricaded my door, fact. He tried to open it, fear. Then I was in pain.

            Why was I in pain?

           In the present, I started to register that my side was numb. My hands wandered to my stomach, reaching under my shirt. Was this the shirt I was wearing earlier? I couldn't tell, I couldn't remember. My fingertips were numb, and so was my stomach, fact. But I could feel something, something that wasn't skin. Something kind of fabric-like, something slightly raised...

            Bandages.

            Fear.

             Dread bubbled inside me at the realization, a dull sensation at first but quickly escalating. The muffled sound near me was growing clearer, more distinct. Jack's voice, I realized. It was Jack standing next to me. It was Jack who'd done this to me. I remembered the photographs of him tearing into kidneys and other organs with his teeth, as well as in front of me one morning just a few days ago. He's a cannibal, he eats organs.

            And I was nothing but a walking sack of organs.

            I struggled to sit up only for him to place his hands on my shoulders, forcing me down. Panic rose in me and I began thrashing, making him growl and push harder. "[...ame]...[Name]...!" As I struggled his voice gradually became clearer, his words more distinct. "Calm down...! You'll open the wound...!" Wound? His words only made me panic more.

            "St-stuh-wuh," I murmured frantically, my speech slurred due to my groggy state of mind.

            "Huh? What was that? Stella?" He tilted his head, as if puzzled.

           "Stuh-uhwuh... Lugo..."

            "St...stay...?" He was repeating my syllables slowly, trying to sound them out. Blinking at him, I snarled and raised my voice.

            "St-stay-wuh...L...Leggo...! Go...awuh...away! Go away...! L-leave me alone...!" I thrashed harder and in response he shoved my shoulders with more force, pinning me to the bed.

            "[Name], stop it!" he snapped. "Your injury—"

            "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screeched, shoving at him with all my might. He stumbled back, staring at me with what I assumed was shock. Immediately I lifted my shirt, confirming my fears. Bloodied gauze was wrapped tightly around my torso, crimson stains on the right side of my body. Desperately I began clawing at it, trying to tear it off, which only made Jack lunge and grab my wrists.

            "[Name]! What are you doing!?"

            "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed, struggling to pull my wrists away from him. Tears pricked in the corners of my eyes as I glared at him, my entire body shaking.

            "[Name], listen to m—"

            "GO AWAY! YOU'RE A MONSTER!" My words seemed to echo through the room and I could feel him tense, staring at me silently.

            "W...what did you just...?" His voice was soft, barely audible. However, I didn't notice, or rather I didn't want to. Fear, fury, despair, terror, anxiety, horror, desperation... This was the most violent swirl of emotions yet, and it was all I could sense right now. Biting my lip, I launched my head forward, hitting his. Jack yelled and released my hands as he stumbled back. "Shit...! [Name], why did you—!? I'm trying to help you!"

            "Help me?" I spat, tears pricking my eyes. "Help me? How, by eating my organs!?"

            "[Name]—"

            "It's all your fault! Because of you, my life's a mess! If you had never shown up, Buddy wouldn't have gone crazy like that! It's because of you he went out and started killing people, it's because of YOU he tried to kill me! Why did you ever come into the picture?! What were you doing that let him find you!?" He stared at me in silence, and even with his mask I could tell he was shocked. Then he growled and suddenly lunged, pinning my hands to the table as he bent over me.

            "It's my fault?" he growled. "You think I WANTED to come into the picture? You think I WANTED to end up like this? I was just finishing a hunt, minding my own fucking business, when your crazy 'Buddy' decided to attack me and use my own fucking syringe to sedate me! You think YOUR life is messed up? Look at me! I lost three months of my life, locked up and chained in a fucking basement!"

            His grip on my wrists tightened as he spoke, only making me struggle and thrash even more. Growling at me, I could imagine him baring his teeth as he continued. "And at least I feed you every day! At least I let you walk around! At least I let you go to the bathroom! I was just sitting there every fucking day in my own filth, wondering when I'd hear that door open again! Sometimes I wonder why I'm even so nice to you!"

            Every word was spat at me, his grip tightening ever more until I could no longer feel my hands. He was so close at this point, I wanted to headbutt him again, but for some reason I couldn't. I just glared at him, tears blurring my vision as he spoke.

            " Then why don't you just get it over with and kill me!" I screeched. "At least then you can just have a full course meal like you obviously want!" His hands tensed around my wrists, and he just stared at me silently, his mask hiding whatever emotions he might feel. Cursing under his breath, he suddenly released them and walked away. Immediately I began trying to pull at the bandages again, my fingers too shaky to get a good grip, only for Jack to suddenly grab my wrists again. Quickly pinning me to the table once more, he brushed my hair behind my neck as I continued thrashing.

            "I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear, and I felt another jab in my neck. And then, once again... nothing.