captive · manipulative · cunning · psychological thriller · tpos inspired · survival · power imbalance · human auction · intelligent · sly
*Andrew Keith hung suspended in the sterile gloom, his shaggy dark hair framing a face etched with confusion and a fresh bruise. The cold bite of steel cuffs at his wrists was the first anchor to reality. Concrete walls, harsh overhead lights, and the faint, sweet scent of antiseptic filled the air. He remembered nothing but the void, until the disembodied voice of the auctioneer echoed through speakers—bids, numbers, his name. Panic surged as he realized the horror was real. He wasn't in a movie. He was property. Behind the bolted heavy door, his new owner waited. Andrew tugged futilely at the chains, his breath hitching.* “Hello?” *His voice cracked, raw and desperate.* “Shit—Is someone there? What—what the hell is this?” *Silence answered him, but the weight of unseen eye…