When it comes to acquiring the ultimate relationship, there is a certain kind of an unspoken risk or reward system that operates whether you would want such a thing to exist or not. Entering such kinds of partnerships, one would risk potential heart break in order to find a one true love, a one true soul mate. Sometimes the risk is so much more damaging than one could ever expect or imagine.

***

Graham always ended up getting together with the wrong sort of girl. Maybe he just rushed into relationships or thought with his heart first rather than his head, and he would always come out such relationships broken. If the girls he met didn't take him for all he had then they would blatantly be with someone else without a care for what that would do to him, and without a care as to how Graham would find out these things.

At thirty-five and just as Graham had settled with the thought that his life is as it is meant to be, he was to meet Sarah. Sarah was beautiful; she and Graham got to know each other quite well during the time they worked together. Things really seemed to click and this click of theirs led them to spend some time together outside of work.

Like with times before in his past, Graham was really falling for a lady who had come his way, he was falling for Sarah and he was hoping that she felt the same way about him as he did her, but because of his past Graham was very hesitant to do anything, and this hesitancy also created a fear in him that if he did not do anything then he may possibly lose the potential love of his life before things could really go anywhere.

After weeks of spending time together outside of work, a conversation dealing with their emotions came about, and sure enough Sarah did seem to feel the same for Graham as he did for her. There was a bit of an age gap between the two though but both were happy enough not to let that be a factor, sure who knows what the future might bring? Another thing that was of great relief to Graham was that he and Sarah both agreed that there was no need to rush into anything and that there would be plenty of time for things to develop.

Graham had been down by Sarah's house on a few occasions in the relatively short time he knew her without actually going inside until such a time came where they decided to spend a nice quiet evening together. Things seemed really great and Graham refused to let any bad thoughts enter his mind. He did not want to jinx this good thing he finally had in his life but unfortunately for him, he was totally unaware as to what was about to happen.

Late on during this particular evening and within Sarah's home, Graham passed out. He hadn't been particularly tired nor had he been drinking excessively. He awoke to total darkness. Yeah, complete, and utter darkness, if he were to hold his own hand out in front of his face, he would not be able to see it, and it wouldn't be long until he discovered he would not be able to hold anything in front of his own face.

He is tied up, chained to some kind of chair. His mouth is dry, and his head is foggy, and this is just a beginning. Being totally unable to move, Graham could hear something. Within this darkness it was obvious that he wasn't alone.

'Hello, Sarah, you there?' he called out.

An acetylene torch ignites lighting up the figure standing behind it. Someone in protective clothing lowers a mask over their face and turns toward Graham. A face goes unseen, the lowered mask was that like one a welder would use only this person was not about to do any sort of welding, but rather direct the propane flame towards Graham's left hand. His panic, his squirms, his screams of agony, none of this would bring him any sort of rescue or relief. Graham's left arm tensed up a millisecond before every other muscle in his body clenched. The stench of burning skin quickly filled the room.

The person in the protective clothing lit a lantern and turned off the torch, while Graham continued to scream out in agony. The agony, however, had only just begun and it was set to continue as Graham could feel something take a hold of his head. It would appear that Graham is within some sort of chamber of horrors, a chamber fully equipped with items associated with pain, for a large vice grips like object had be wheeled up to Graham from behind. It is this devise that has taken a hold of his head.

Indeed, with his head having been placed in this vice grips like object to hold it steady, the attack would continue with the hammering of a nail right through the bridge of Graham's nose. He could see it coming, he could see the placement of the nail, his eyes crossed and there was nothing, there is nothing he could do about it.

Graham's head soon would be released from what it was that was holding it steady. The pain he was feeling in this moment was unbearable and still there was nothing he could do about it. So much pain inflicted upon him in such a short time, he couldn't even get the words out from his mouth to beg for mercy. This worsens with the pouring of whiskey over Graham's facial wound. The stinging, the difficulty with breathing, it there is anything positive in this moment it is that the blood flow from the nose is lessened.

The intense pain would continue to be inflicted upon Graham as a burning red hot branding iron brands its insignia onto Graham's torso as his attacker presses it hard against Graham's bare chest. His skin was quick to blister. At this point, as you may imagine, Graham wished for death to come and relieve him from all he was experiencing, however and quite unfortunately for him, the attack was not quite done, not yet anyway.

A small deep incision was made at the top of his body, an inch or two below the neck, allowing blood to slowly trickle over Graham's blistered chest and this despite being in itself painful actually provided a small amount of relief to the burning sensation he felt, or at least one of the burning sensations.

Relief of any kind is no relief at all at this point. Every little bit of him hurt, the scorched hand, the stinging bloodied nose, the gripped head, and the wracked chest.

The area around by Graham's eyes began to swell due to the nail going through his nose, and as his struggle to breathe continued, hot wax was poured onto his knees and this wax quickly hardened. The difficulty Graham was having breathing created some bone chilling, blood curdling moans of agony especially when reacting to the wax being poured onto the knees.

God, if you exist ... please take me now ...

A cell phone begins to ring, and it rings with the style of tone you would expect to hear with an old-style land line phone. This phone obviously belongs to the attacker and the incoming call may just be one of importance for the punishment would come to a halt for whoever it was causing this torture would leave the room possibly to attend to the call, but as he or she did so the door which leads in and out of the room was left ever so slightly open.

No voice would be heard speaking, there is no conversation to eavesdrop upon. Being left alone and unattended, an opportunity would arise. Despite what has already occurred, an opportunity is still an opportunity.

Whether it was from all the squirming around due to the pain or whether it was due to possibly not being tied down properly, the chains around Graham had become somewhat loosened. The chains had become loosened to such a degree that Graham would be able to wrangle himself free and leave through the door that had been left open.

With his hands still loosely bound in chains, chains that allow a stretch of about twelve inches or so and with his charred left hand oozing blood, Graham would make his escape. Graham was not wearing anything besides shorts so in his attempts to get away from the very building he had entered hours earlier, injuries would continue to be inflicted on to him as his feet would become cut and bruised from the ground and whatever was on it.

It was approximately half a mile away, but Graham made it to a nearby petrol station where he collapsed on the fore court. He would recover from his ordeal as best he could during a lengthy stay in hospital, as naturally he would go on to be scarred for life both physically and emotionally.

Graham would also go on to tell of his painful experience, though the house he had gone to on that fateful evening was now abandoned with there being no record of anyone named Sarah having ever lived there. Something else that was to plague him would be the thoughts that possibly it had Sarah who had physically tortured him. If it had not been her then she must have had recruited him as a victim for someone else.

Whatever the situation, had this kind of thing gone on before? And would this Sarah person continue to find future victims? Who knows? ...