He left the air conditioner on. His bedroom is frigid and every inch of my body not wrapped in the bedsheets is cold and numb. I can't believe I slept as late as I did.
I need to get out of bed and dash to the window to turn the AC off. Just a few more seconds of exposure. It's February, anyway, and as his neighbors get up and go to work they're probably wondering why he's running his window unit.
I'm lying still on my back. My hands and arms are alright. My chest and midsection are okay, too. All I wore to bed were socks, sweatpants, and a thin white tank top. Now my nipples are hard. I'm trying to wiggle my toes but they're frozen. Rubbing my thighs together generates a bit of warmth but makes me feel silly. I wonder if that's what he wants.
My nose is stuffy and my throat is sore. I don't know if it's because he's trying to freeze me to death or because of what happened before I fell asleep.
I need to get out of this bed.
My lips are chapped and my teeth are chattering. I need to throw the covers off and get this over with.
With one arm, I throw the covers to my left. With the other, I press down and begin to awkwardly push myself upright--OW!
My right foot is touching the floor. My left leg is still in bed, held in place by what feels like a metal shackle. A wrought iron shackle. Not something he bought at the adult store.
I wiggle my left foot. There's a heavy chain, too. It's scraping against his bedframe and clunking on the wooden floor. It must be fastened to the foot of his bed.
I pull my right leg back in, grab the covers once more, and assume my position on the mattress. I'm going to be here for a while.
Panicked, I pull the sheets over my head. I curl up, shifting to my side and bringing my head closer to my knees. My whole body is covered by blankets now, except for a draft of cold air by my left foot. It makes sense why my feet were so cold, the chain sticking out from the clasp on my ankle is letting the air from the AC seep in.
And to think that back when I swiped right on his profile, I had described myself as "adventurous" and "playful." Was last night not good enough for him? Or...
Could he be on the other side of the bedroom door listening to me struggle? Could he be recording? Was he going to save me or was this another test?
I can't yell out. Where's the adventure in that? His neighbors in this apartment building don't know the safe word. Only he does.
My abs tighten and I'm closer to the fetal position. It's warmer like this. The stream of air is relentless but most of my body is warming up. There's some feeling in my face now. This brings the painful sensation of the nerve endings waking back up. OW!!
I'm working my facial muscles into contortions never before seen. I need to restore feeling through my cheeks and jaw. I'm going to start screaming if he doesn't help me soon.