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Henri glares. “I don’t like this.”
“We need her ready.”
He has nothing to say to that because he knows I’m right. She’s been sleeping more and more, likely to curb the hunger pains. What she doesn’t know is she’s putting herself at a disadvantage by refusing to eat. She’s going to be weak when the time comes, and it will be her fault. I’ll make sure she’s aware of this, too. But not today. No, I’m going to give her some more time to think about what she wants.
Henri asks, “How are the kids doing?”
Dove running the other night was the best thing that could have happened. We didn’t have to get the boy and infant from their father. No, all I had to do was walk into my hotel with a nanny and take them back to one of my homes.
“They’re settling in. The boy has stopped asking where she is.”
Maurice clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Poor lambs are always lost without the soft hands who take care of them. Good thing they forget. Most of the time.”
Henri meets my gaze, and I shake my head. Now is not the time. Maurice will only get worse before he gets better. That’s how it’s always been.
I say to Henri, “They will be fine. I’ll make sure they’re taken care of after.”
He nods, still looking as if there’s something on his mind. I turn my attention back to the camera. The lights are on, and Dove uses the time to go to the bucket in the room's corner. I’ve never enjoyed watching anyone go to the bathroom, but I find myself drawn to her and what she’s doing at all times. Even now, when I should be repulsed. The familiar zing shoots down my spine. I’m going to break her. By the time I’m finished, she won’t know who she used to be.
All I need is time.
9
Dove
I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home.
I trace the words over and over on the wooden plane of the wall, willing them to be true. I never thought I would miss that place in a million years. At least I knew what to expect from my father. Most of the time, he was happy to leave us alone. My eyes water. Where are Chip and Belle? It’s been days. Maybe even weeks. No, not weeks. I don’t think I’d be alive if it was weeks. I glance at the food tray. I’m not hungry anymore. What does that mean?
Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts wander. Does anyone know I’m gone? Does Henri? It’s strange. I’ve thought about him a lot while I’ve been in here. Has he wondered where I’ve been or did the dean tell him about the email I sent? In retrospect, that was a bad idea. Now no one will look too much into why I’ve vanished. I groan. Look at me… helping my captor without even meaning to. That’s the luck I have.
More time passes, and with it a bit of my sanity. I wonder if I’ll go to heaven or hell when I die. I’ve never been a religious person, but I’d like to think I’ve been a good person overall. Is that enough to get past the pearly gates? I wonder if I’ll finally get to meet my mother. That would be my luck.
Rolling to the side, I look up at the flashing light on the camera. Did the Beast really capture me just to keep me locked in a room until I lost my mind? My gut says no. Which means there’s something coming. Something bad. Bad for me. I groan. And I’ve been refusing food like a dummy. I won’t be able to fight him off when he comes back. As if I’ve summoned him, the door opens, and he stands in the doorway wearing all black and his stupid wooden mask. How did I know that he would arrive just as I thought I was losing my mind?
“I hear you aren’t eating.”
I grunt, not bothering to answer.
“You’re a smart girl, Dove, but this isn’t very smart.”
I force myself into a sitting position, sending a wave of dizziness through my head.
“I want to leave.”
“Okay.”
He says the word so casually that I have to ask, “What?”
“I said okay. You can leave.” There’s a pause. “But not until you eat. Understand?”
His deep voice is soothing, a far cry from how he spoke to me the other day.
“Fine.”
“I’ll send someone up to take you to the bathroom so you can clean up.”
He’s gone before I think to ask where Chip and Belle are. Some sister I am. I close my eyes, letting myself doze. I’m just so very tired… A knock on the door startles me. A man wearing a plague mask stands there, making me realize that I’m still surrounded by crazy people.
