Hangman

You sit on your bed, the only light coming from the window, the shades drawn closed. The light comes in still, yellowing the room and casting shadows as you try to keep your self-control, but it’s slipping. You start muttering random words to yourself, hoping that maybe if you do, he won’t come. You become aware of every little detail, and your OCD begins to rise as you notice the spot of chipping paint on the ceiling. You look around once more before standing on your bed, reaching up to pick at the paint. You stand on your tip toes, reaching as high as you can to try and remove the imperfection. You suddenly feel a pair of hands at your side, and you give a shout as you begin to fall to the floor. Your body hits the cold hardwood, and you immediately curl up. "Get up." Gabriel stands over you, blocking out the light from the window. You lie there a moment, wondering if it's worth it to actually get up and face whatever torture today will bring. [[Stand up and face Gabriel]] [[Stay on the floor]]

You relecutantly stand, unable to meet Gabriel's eyes, instead staring at his slightly yellowed teeth. He reeks of tobacco, and he doesn't look like he'd brushed his hair in a few days. His clothes were just as disheveled as the rest of him. "Wanna play a game?" he whispers, looking over you with an insane look in his eyes. "What kind of game?" You ask, hoping that this game would be different, and wouldn't end up with you screaming in pain on the floor. "It's called hangman." Gabriel pulls out a long rope from beneath your bed. "I tie this around your neck, connect it to the fan, and you stand on a stool." "This is different from the game of hangman I've played," You say quietly, to which the man nods. "My way is much more fun. Now, here are the rules: I'm going to think of a phrase, and you have to guess it letter by letter, until you think you can guess it. If you guess right, you win! But if you guess wrong..." Gabriel leans in close, placing the rope in your hands. "I win." His smile is twisted, inhuman, and you have to force yourself to look away. "For every letter you guess wrong, I pull the stool out an inch. If you don't guess the phrase in time, you swing." The man explains the rule slowly, making sure that you understand. "Got it?" [[Yes]] [[No]]

You shake your head in fearful defiance. "Get up or I'll make you." The man hissed, and you finally stand. Gabriel's lips curl up into a sadistic smile. "Wanna play a game?" he whispers, looking over you with an insane look in his eyes. "What kind of game?" You ask, hoping that this game would be different, and wouldn't end up with you screaming in pain on the floor. "It's called hangman." Gabriel pulls out a long rope from beneath your bed. "I tie this around your neck, connect it to the fan, and you stand on a stool." "This is different from the game of hangman I've played," You say quietly, to which the man nods. "My way is much more fun. Now, here are the rules: I'm going to think of a phrase, and you have to guess it letter by letter, until you think you can guess it. If you guess right, you win! But if you guess wrong..." Gabriel leans in close, placing the rope in your hands. "I win." His smile is twisted, inhuman, and you have to force yourself to look away. "For every letter you guess wrong, I pull the stool out an inch. If you don't guess the phrase in time, you swing." The man explains the rule slowly, making sure that you understand. "Got it?" [[Yes]] [[No]]

You nod to signal you understand. Gabriel helps you tie the rope, and stands you straight up on the stool, connecting the rope to the ceiling fan. He grabs a pen and paper, mulling the phrase over, before sketching it out. "The topic is, places." He shows the piece of paper, four dashes, a space, and then another four. "And just to get us started off," He gives the stool a push, castching you off guard. You quickly regain your balance, lest this game be over too soon. "Start guessing." [[A]] [[Q]] [[T]] [[O]]

"This game doesn't sound very fun," You say, looking at the rope. Gabriel's smile falters. "Come on, you're not gonna be a spoil sport are you?" He asks, nearing you and wringing the rope with his hands. "You know I don't like it when people don't play with me." You take a step back, and nearly trip over the stool. Gabriel grabs you by the collar, stopping you from falling, but bringing you in close. You gag a bit on his smell. "So you're going to play with me, got it?" [[Yes]]

"A," You choke out, and the man smiles, before shifting the stool with his foot an inch. "Again." [[O]] [[T]] [[Q]]

"Q," You try, and Gabriel chuckles low. "Not even close." Another push, this one a little more than the first. [[A]] [[O]] [[T]]

"T?" Gabriel sighs audibly, tsking as he gives the stool another nudge with the toe of his boot. [[A]] [[Q]] [[O]]

"O!" You say with a tremble in your voice. Gabriel's smile falters a bit as he wrote the letter down, second dash. "One down, seven to go." [[L]] [[R]] [[W]] [[E]]

"L?" Gabriel shoves the stool with a little more force than neccessary, and you worry that you might fall for a second. You don't. [[W]] [[R]] [[E]]

"E?" Gabriel shoves the stool with a little more force than neccessary, and you worry that you might fall for a second. You don't. [[W]] [[L]] [[R]]

"R!" Fourth dash. [[Y]] [[B]] [[S]] [[C]]

"W?" Gabriel shoves the stool with a little more force than neccessary, and you worry that you might fall for a second. You don't. [[L]] [[R]] [[C]]

"S." Another push. [[Y]] [[B]] [[C]]

"Y," You mutter, and Gabriel grunts as he writes the letter down on the first dash of the first word. //YO_R// //_ _ _ _// [[U]] [[G]] [[J]] [[V]]

"B?" "Wrong!" Your footing is starting to slip. [[Y]] [[S]] [[C]]

"Please let there be a C," You plead, much to Gabriel's amusement. "It's really funny hearing you beg." Another push. [[Y]] [[B]] [[S]]

"U," You feel a tear escape your eye; you’re shaking. Third dash. The final letter of the first word. //Your.// [[M]] [[I]] [[K]] [[Z]]

"G?" "Jesus Christ you're bad at this game!" Gabriel groaned, giving the stool another shove. [[U]] [[J]] [[V]]

"J," "Keep this up kid and you won't have a leg to stand on." Gabriel gave the stool a light push. [[U]] [[G]] [[V]]

"V?" "V is very very extraordinary, but it's not here." A hard shove. "Keep guessing." [[U]] [[J]] [[G]]

"M!" First dash ofthe second word. You need to be careful; you've only got a little bit of stool left. [[I]] [[K]] [[Z]] [[D]]

"I!" Second dash of the next line. [[M]] [[K]] [[Z]]

Your mind searches for any possible way to complete the phrase. "K." You guess, and Gabriel gladly shoves the stool. You feel your footing begin to falter. "I don't want to play anymore." You say quietly. "You're going to play!" Gabriel barks, standing from his place on the floor and placing his foot on the stool, poised to kick it out completely from under you. "Or I win by default." [[M]] [[I]] [[Z]]

"Uhm, Z?" "Z? Are you kidding me? What would make you think there's a Z here?" Gabriel gives the stool a harder kick, and you lose one foot on the stool. [[M]] [[I]] [[K]]

"D, please God D," You start sniffling, the tears running faster down your cheeks. Gabriel is beginning to look annoyed, and he keeps his foot poised on the stool as he puts down the letter on the last dash of the last word. "Two more to go, you may just win." Gabriel deadpans. "Unless you wanna take a guess?" The man shoves the paper in your face nearly knocking you completely off the stool. You already have the first word, but what could the second word be? [[Your mind?]] [[Your mild?]]

You shout out the phrase before Gabriel can move the stool any more. "Your mind! It's your mind!" You scream, shutting your eyes tightly and waiting for the stool to go flying. Instead, you feel the rope loosen, and you open your eyes to see that you’re alone in the room, the paper left face down on the floor. You get down from the stool, and pick it up. It’s blank except for the phrase, //Your mind//. You see someone had written a phrase beneath it, probably as some sort of “clue”: //My favorite place to be.//

"God you're stupid." Gabriel laughs, before pushing the stool out from beneath your feet. It hits the wall with a loud crash, but you don't survive long enough to hear it. Your neck breaks a soon as the rope runs out, your feet meerly inches from the floor.