Erotimaniac

Ethan leaned on the washing machine, his eyes locked on the door. He

watched Emiko's room with narrowed eyes, lost in a labyrinthine mind

filled with muddled thoughts. The basement was quiet, but his thoughts

were loud. His mind was clouded with doubt, but his heart was pure. He

glanced back at his black backpack, which he placed on top of the washing

machine.

The backpack was filled with the supplies he needed to achieve his goal.

He was prepared to work, but he wasn't emotionally ready to leap forward.

There is no turning back, he thought, I won't be able to change her back.

The fact that his actions would be permanent made his decision much more

difficult.

Ethan shuddered as he breathed heavily. He tossed his backpack over his

shoulder, then he approached the door. His fingers trembled as he turned the

keys and unlocked the door. Before he turned the knob, he wiped the sweat

from his brow and smiled. He wasn't happy, he just wanted to make Emiko

feel comfortable. He pushed the door open and stood in the doorway.

Emiko lifted her head from the blanket. Sleepy-eyed, she gazed at the

doorway – blinded by the light in the basement. Upon spotting Ethan's

figure, she crawled to the corner and covered her body with the blanket. She

was not given a new set of clothes after the failed webcam show. In fact, all

of her clothing was removed.

Ethan knelt down in front of her. He appeared ruminative and dejected.

He revealed a terrifying range of emotions to Emiko, but he was different.

Again, he was impossible to read. He opened his mouth to speak, but he

couldn't form a single word. He couldn't even utter a letter. He was rendered

speechless by Emiko's beauty – and his horrifying thoughts.

Shivering like a wet dog, Emiko stuttered, "Wha–What are you going to

do to me?"

As a tear streamed down his cheek, Ethan asked, "Do you... Do you like

it here, Emiko? Do you like my home? Are you comfortable? Are you

happy here?"

"Is this a trick question? Are you testing my love? Hmm? Is it a test for...

succubi?"

"It's not a test. I just have to know the truth."

Emiko furrowed her brow and tilted her head, baffled. I hate you, I wish

you were dead, I want to leave this disgusting place – she wanted to hurl

every possible insult at him. Words couldn't physically hurt him, words

could not stop him. An insult would only bring physical pain to her and she

knew that very well.

Emiko said, "I just want to be free. I don't want to be trapped in this

room like some animal. I want to leave. I want to see my friends and my

family again. I want to hug my brother. I want to kiss my parents... It's not

about you, okay? I just need my freedom. That's all."

"I wish I could set you free. I loved watching you at work, school,

home... Everywhere you went, you were an absolute angel. I just don't

know what to believe."

Emiko crawled forward and seized the opportunity. She placed her hands

on his cheeks and gently stroked his face. She clenched her jaw, fighting the

urge to gouge his eyes out.

She said, "You can trust me. I... I love you. Okay? I love you with all of

my heart. If you set me free, if you show me you can trust me, I'll love you

forever. That's what you want, isn't it? Love? I'm giving it all to you. Please,

b–baby, unchain me."

Ethan pulled away from her. He said, "Your love doesn't matter

anymore. Everything I said, it was... it was bullshit. I realize that now. I

love you and that's all that matters." He grabbed her wrists and pushed her

away. Avoiding eye contact, he asked, "Are you feeling okay? Have you

felt sick recently?"

Emiko shook her head and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I noticed some vomit a few days ago. It usually comes with sickness,

doesn't it?"

"I... I don't understand. 'It' comes with sickness? Wha–What does?"

Ethan pointed at her stomach and said, "The baby."

Emiko tightly shut her eyes and cocked her head back, as if she were

punched by a boxer. An incessant buzzing sound emerged in her ears. She

could feel her heart in her throat as sweat trickled across her figure. The

revelation hit her like a semi-truck plowing over a deer. The word echoed

through her mind: baby, baby, baby.

She tossed the blanket aside and stared down at her stomach, awed. She

glided her fingertips across her moist belly and nodded. She couldn't deny it

anymore. With the light from the basement and her clear mind, she could finally see her baby bump. She wasn't very large, but her belly protruded

forward. An infant of rape was growing inside of her. She felt like an alien

was developing in her body.

It wasn't right.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Emiko stuttered, "B–Baby? I–I'm

pregnant?"

Emiko wheezed and wept, shocked. She violently trembled due to an

anxiety attack. Ethan couldn't hold a steady face. He grimaced and sniveled.

Tears leaked from his eyes and mucus dripped from his nostrils. Hoarse

groans escaped his chapped lips as he released his sorrow.

Ethan explained, "I... I did this to you before I brought you here. I went

into your apartment and I... I impregnated you. That was almost sixteen

weeks ago, Emiko."

"You raped me," Emiko sternly responded.

"No, I didn't. I swear, I didn't rape you. I didn't penetrate you like that.

Not that time. I... I used a needle and a tube. It was a–a medical procedure.

It was professional... You knew you were pregnant this whole time, didn't

you? You felt it, right?"

Emiko screamed – a war cry. She swung her arms and kicked her feet as

she yelled and cried. Her anger, which she bottled for weeks, burst out of

her. She was shocked and disgusted by Ethan's confession. However, at

heart, she suspected something had happened. She didn't want to believe it,

but she knew it was true. Her screaming changed into a delirious giggle.

In a sense, the situation was ironic.

For weeks, she was accused of being a succubus – and she was beaten

and raped due to those accusations. Ethan was the incubus, though. He was

the evil entity who entered her home as she slept in order to impregnate her.

As she giggled, Emiko hammered her stomach with her fists – using her

belly as a conga drum. Her goal was simple: kill the unborn child.

Ethan grabbed her wrists and pushed her to the wall. He straddled her

thighs and tried to stop her. She was determined to abort the pregnancy,

though. Ethan pulled his head back, then he slammed his forehead on

Emiko's brow – a skull-rattling headbutt. He smashed his elbow on Emiko's

face, striking her jaw with another vicious hit. With the hit, the woman was

knocked unconscious.

Between breaths, Ethan whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... After

tonight, we'll never fight like this again. Everything's going to change."

***

Emiko rested on her back atop a soft blanket. Her eyelids flickered as

she awoke. Her vision was blurred due to a blinding light. She sneered in

annoyance, irked by the sudden awakening. She tried to move her arms in

order to sit up, but her wrists were shackled. She lifted her head from the

blanket and stared down at her feet. Her ankles were shackled, too.

Her limbs were spread away from her body and the shackles were

chained to the walls. She could not stand or wiggle away from the center of

the room. Halogen lamps on tripods sat at each corner, brightly illuminating

the room. Her captor knelt down near the doorway, rummaging through a

backpack like a student looking for a pencil.

Emiko stuttered, "Wha–What's going on? What... Oh, no... What are you

doing to me, you psycho?!"

Ethan glanced back and smiled. He said, "You're awake. Good, good. I

was starting to worry about you." Still crouching, he turned around and

faced his captive. He said, "I went to visit my parents earlier. I spoke to

them about our relationship and about love. It was a very insightful

conversation. You can learn a lot from your elders. Do you want to know

what my mother told me?"

"To–To let me go?"

"Don't be silly, Emiko. She explained love to me – modern love. You

see, I was obsessing about old love. The classical stuff, like Romeo and

Juliet or... or Titanic. That lovey-dovey stuff, you know? My mom gave me

a wake-up call, though. She let me know: only my love matters. I don't have

to be afraid of the succubi anymore."

Emiko shook her head and stuttered, "Wha–What the hell are you

saying? What are you going to do to me?"

Ethan sighed as he rubbed the nape of his neck. His mind was swamped,

crowded with a million thoughts. He had a lot to explain, but his time was

limited. He reached into his pocket, then he pulled out a ring box.

He wagged the box at Emiko and said, "I'm going to fix our relationship,

princess. I finally realized what was missing. I found the missing piece, you

know? I found hope." His eyes glistened with tears of joy. He said, "Emiko,

I'm going to marry you."

Emiko glared at Ethan and said, "You can't just marry anyone you want,

you psycho. It doesn't work that way! Damn it, let me go!"

"You're still talking about old love, sweetie. You're talking about that

consensual crap. Like I said: only my love matters! You hear me?!"

Ethan deliriously chuckled as he tugged on his moist hair. He was

breaking down, crumbling before Emiko's eyes.

He continued, "So, we're going to get married. You're going to have our

baby and we'll raise him, or her, right. You're probably asking yourself:

what's the point of getting married? Well, silly, let me explain it to you.

One: I think most of our issues stem from a lack of commitment, and

marriage will fix that. Two: a baby can't be raised without a mother, so you

have to stick around. And, three: I want everyone to know you belong to

me. After we're married and as we raise our child, I believe you will truly

love me. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I'm sure this will work."

With a cracking voice, Emiko said, "Please, don't do this. I just want to

go home."

"You're already home and we're going to keep you here forever."

As Emiko sobbed, helpless and hopeless, Ethan opened the box. He

showed the ring to Emiko, trying to showcase his dedication. Emiko stared

at the ring with sorrowful eyes. Prior to her kidnapping, she had envisioned

a beautiful marriage with a wonderful man. Those dreams were destroyed

and replaced with nightmares.

The box held a princess-cut diamond wedding ring. The ring sparkled

with the bright light.

Ethan said, "I bought this for you. It's beautiful, isn't it? That's 27

diamonds. I had to sell the rights to some of my books to afford this, but...

Well, I'd do anything for you." He closed the box, then he returned the case

to his pocket. He reached into his bag and said, "Unfortunately, we won't be

able to put it on your finger so it will only serve as a symbol of our

marriage. An expensive symbol, but a symbol nonetheless. You won't be

able to wear it when I'm done with you."

Eyes wide with fear, Emiko lifted her head from the blanket and

stuttered, "Wha–What? What are you–"

Ethan lunged forward and covered Emiko's face with a moist cloth. Her

muffled screams barely seeped past the fabric. She squirmed every which

way, trying to escape her captor's grip, but to no avail. The chains restricted

her movement. With each passing second, her vision blurred, her heartbeat

slowed, and her muscles relaxed.

Ethan leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "It's just a little ether. It

won't kill you. It's just so I can work in peace. Don't worry, you won't feel

any pain, either. I've got something for you." He reached into his bag and

pulled out a needle filled with a clear liquid. He said, "This is a bupivacaine

and epinephrine injection. You may have heard of it before. It's usually used

by dentists, but this is a little different. It should still have the same effect.

It's an anesthetic. You'll need this..."

***

Ethan put a particulate mask over his mouth and nose. He leaned

forward, then he injected Emiko's left leg at the upper thigh. He wrapped a

belt around the top of her thigh, then he tightly secured it – a makeshift

tourniquet.

He rubbed the moist cloth on her face and said, "Everything is going to

be fine, darling. When you wake up, everything will be better."

He tossed the cloth aside, then he reached into his bag. He retrieved a

hacksaw with a 12-inch blade from his backpack. His eyes watered as he

stared at the tool. A diamond couldn't make his eyes glisten like the saw.

He placed the blade under the belt, pushing the teeth into her flesh, then

he tugged on the saw. A squishy crackling sound emerged as he pushed and

pulled on the hacksaw. Blood poured from the grisly gash on her leg,

streaming across her thigh and dripping onto the blanket. A few droplets

even splattered onto his forearms, shirt, and face.

Yet, the man did not stop sawing into her leg. The exercise required

more effort as he sawed deeper into her flesh. The blade jammed every once

in a while, forcing him to violently yank and shake the tool. Sweat dripped

across his brow as he vigorously sawed through her bone. More blood

oozed from the crevice on her leg, spewing like lava from a volcano.

Dazed, Emiko moaned and mumbled, "What... What are you... Don't..."

"Everything is okay, sweetie. It's under control."

He grabbed the moist cloth, then he tossed it over her face. The cloth

was bloodied by his hands, but it didn't matter. He continued sawing into

Emiko's leg. Squelching, crunching, and groaning echoed through the

basement. Blood also squirted from the severed arteries, spraying on the

captor like garden sprinklers.

Ethan sighed upon cutting through the entire leg. He pushed the leg

aside. The limb was still chained to the wall due to the shackle on her ankle.

He grimaced as he stared at her bloody tissue. He had seen it all before, but it still made him uncomfortable. He reached into his backpack and pulled

out a gauze roll. He bandaged the wound on her leg with a gauze and left

the tourniquet on her thigh.

As he pulled another syringe out of his bag, Ethan smiled and said,

"Three more to go, Emiko. After that, you'll be with me forever. Don't

worry, I have plenty of anesthesia for the procedure."

Ethan repeated the process three more times. He injected her other leg at

the upper thigh, tied a belt around the top of her leg, then he sawed her

thigh until he severed the limb. Afterward, he bandaged the wound with a

gauze roll in hopes of stopping the excessive bleeding.

The process hardly changed when he moved up to her arms. He injected

her upper arm, tied a belt around her shoulder, then he sawed the limb. The

wet, crackling sound of flesh tearing and the crunching noise of bones

cracking was like music to his ears. The deranged man even bobbed his

head and occasionally wagged his finger as he listened to the sounds of

death.

Upon severing all of her limbs, Ethan staggered to his feet and sighed in

relief. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm, inadvertently

smearing blood on his forehead. He unlocked the shackles and grabbed the

limbs, then he tossed them into a durable black garbage bag. He walked into

the main basement and placed the bag into the washing machine.

He kept all of the fresh human remains in the washing machine until he

was ready to dispose of them. He grabbed a towel from the cardboard box,

then he wiped the blood off of his hands, arms, and face. He couldn't wipe

all of it off, though. His clothing was still drenched in blood and his skin

remained pink.

He returned to the small room and stopped at the doorway. A lump of

anxiety materialized in his throat as he stared at Emiko. The young woman

lay on the bloody blanket, limbless. The bandages wrapped around her

wounds were soaked in blood. She was freed from her shackles, but she did

not appear conscious. Her eyes were closed and her chest and stomach did

not rise.

Ethan swiped at his eyes and said, "You're okay, you're okay. You just...

You need some rest, right? Everyone needs rest after a significant operation.

Everything is fine, right? Yeah, you didn't feel a thing, did you? I did

good..."

e smiled and nodded, convincing himself of a fallacy. He knelt down

beside her and stroked her hair as he gazed at her face. He kissed her – a

gentle kiss on the lips. A kiss from her prince should wake her, he thought.

To his dismay, Emiko did not awaken. A person could only lose so much

blood before they passed away.

The young man caressed her cheek and said, "I'm going to let you sleep,

princess. I'll be back to check up on you later. Okay? S–Sleep tight. I... I

love you."

Ethan kissed her again, then he exited the room. Despite Emiko's

condition, he still locked the door behind him. He held his hands over his

face and sobbed as he shambled out of the basement, hoping Emiko would

survive the night.