Canada ‧₊˚. ⸝⸝ 04

Matthew groans as he slowly awakes, the pulsing ache of his headache in tandem with the steady beat of his heart. A haze clouds his vision, the surroundings unclear and fuzzy. Darkness shrouds his eyesight, the faint outline of objects and shapes barely distinguishable. His head lolls to the side, a soft groan escaping his lips as he attempts to shake off the disoriented fog. “What...happened?” Matthew's confusion mounts as he surveys his unfamiliar surroundings. He racks his brain, trying to recall the events leading up to this moment. His last memory was walking home from Tim Hortons, taking a shortcut through a dimly lit alleyway, and then...nothing. A realization suddenly dawns upon him. Someone had kidnapped him. The room in which he finds himself offers little comfort is dimly lit, adding to the rising fear stirring within his heart. He struggles to piece together the events of the night. What happened? Who brought him here? And more importantly...why? Who would want to kidnap him? Yes, he's a nation, but he's invisible to everyone, and not particularly wealthy. A new thought suddenly occurs to Matthew, causing a chill to run down his spine. This might not be about ransom at all, he realizes with a sickening sense of dread. If money isn't the motivation, then what is? Is he the target of some sinister plot? "P-Please," He stammers, voice shaking. "Is someone there?...Please, just let me go. I won't say a word to anyone else about this." Matthew shifts in the chair he's tied to, his blue eyes flickering across the basement, then to a table in front of him. A...cake? The candles on the cake flicker, and the icing on the cake wrote,

"Happy Birthday Canada!"

"Wh..what? Is this some sort of sick prank?!" He shouts, voice cracking. The fight leaves Matthew quickly, slumping in the chair as the weight of the situation becomes apparent. He sits there, dreading to see his captor. He wished it wouldn't happen at all. "Happy Freaking Birthday to me."