I trembled in intense pain as the needles drew closer and closer with every hour. If no one came for me, I would have no chance of escape and the needles would soon pierce my neck and delve into my throat. No need to say what would happen as a result.

How could this have happened to me, of all the people in Japan? How, in any way, could I have gotten involved with Yakuza? On their bad side?

I should never have agreed to come here with Tetsuya, I thought, weakly tugging at the handcuffs chaining me to the cold iron chair.

In that moment, I thought of home, of the life I'd left behind; my dear mother and father, sisters and brother. I thought of the promising career I'd tossed to the dust to wither with the dead leaves of autumn. I thought of Elise, Ivan, Nina, Ms. Emma, and Jeong. I even thought of Mikael. I thought of every single thing I'd thrown away, all for the sake of a silly dream.

Most of all, I thought of Tetsuya. How we'd found each other, fallen in love, had beautiful times together, and even got to the point of joyful engagement, all for it to be ruined. All of it to end, me with needles stabbed into my throat, chained and locked in some damp, dark room with only the drip-dripping of the contaminated water to accompany me. And Tetsuya, dead in an abandoned mine somewhere.

My cheek had now swollen to a sizeable knot of which now blocked off the vision in my left eye. My stomach burned and seared from the punches dealt it and the bruises on my legs had darkened to a hideous black and midnight blue. At least there was satisfaction in knowing that I had broken my attacker's jaw with the hammer underneath me from the car's trunk. Though the taunting fear and mind-splintering pain etched at my very soul, a small flicker of hope sizzled in my heart.

He would come for me.

Just like back home, he would come to my rescue and we'd find a nice, cozy coffee shop and laugh as we sipped our Starbucks' Double Chocolate Frappuccinos.

The tears fell. I couldn't stop them, even as they stung my cuts. I saw Tetsuya in my mind, over and over; sweet, kind, handsome Tetsuya. He would come for me.

The iron door swung open and revealed a gargantuan tattooed man, followed by two tattooed and pierced men less than half his size. They looked like munchkins; twisted, punk munchkins.

He stared aimlessly at me, a crooked grin forming on the edge of his mouth, shining his disgusting yellow and brown teeth at me. I'd never hated Japan as much as I did now. An elaborate tattoo was scrawled across his chest, written in Gothic lettering, read "Ooki;” in English, "big". That should be expected of such a man.

He gestured for the munchkins, who were actually a considerable deal taller than me, to remove the handcuffs and bring me. I would have resisted, but my stomach screamed against it.

They pushed and shoved me until I stood before a looming black, gray, and red door.
Ooki shoved my shoulder roughly and boomed, "Go on, gaijin. Open it."

My hand shook violently as I tried to ignore the pain and raise my arm, which was broken, as my good one was being pinned behind my back. As I opened the door, my eyes found a dark silhouette leaning against a wall in an isolated corner of the room.
"Hello, Lisette." It cackled, right as everything went black. But one thing though about this silhouette. I saw only its smile.
It was extremely familiar.