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“Time for your bath, birdie. Better hurry before the Beast changes his mind.”
He motions for me to follow him. Fueled by the promise that I will get to leave, I trail behind him. He leads me down a dark hallway, stopping in front of a door.
“Bathroom for the birdie. Don’t try anything flighty, or I’ll break your wings.”
I’m not about to argue with someone wearing a plague mask, so slip into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. There’s no lock, but I’m not surprised. The bathroom is minimal, with a shower, sink, and toilet. There’s not even a mirror. Guess the Beast is afraid I might take the easy way out and break the glass so I can slit my wrists. On the counter is a toothbrush, a towel, and a long red maxi dress. A quick glance at the tag confirms it’s my size. I really don’t want to wear a dress, but my clothes smell so bad that I know I don’t have a choice.
Grumbling, I undress. Midway, I pause. There’s a camera blinking in the shower's corner.
“You’re a creep,” I mutter as I turn on the water.
When it’s warm, I take the fastest shower I’ve ever taken in my life. I want to stand under the hot spray and let it wash away everything that’s happened since I’ve been here, but I don’t. Toweling off, I slip on the maxi dress. The jerk could have at least got me undergarments. Something tells me it wasn’t an oversight.
“Perv!”
There’s no brush, so I run my fingers through my dark locks, trying to untangle them. Brushing my teeth feels like heaven on earth, even though I don’t have toothpaste. I make do, just like I always have. Inhaling, I open the door. The man is standing there as if he’s waiting for me.
“I’m ready.”
“This way.”
I fall in step behind him as I’m led down winding hallways that are likely meant to make it impossible to know where I’m going. Finally, we reach the stairway and make our way to the first floor. At the bottom stands the Beast, but there’s a man next to him wearing a wooden mask that looks like the devil. Fitting. These men are the devil.
Beast says, “Look how nicely our guest cleans up. Let’s go to the dining room.”
I follow the man in the devil's mask. We reach a large dining room with only one place set. The devil pulls out the chair, motioning for me to sit. My pulse skitters.
“Why aren’t there other places set?”
Beast answers, “We’ve already had our meals. Now sit.”
I do, because I need answers, and this is probably the best way to get them. Once I’m seated, they take their seats. Beast sits at the head of the table. To his right is the man in the devil's mask and then the man in the plague mask. I sit alone on my side of the table. I try not to let them see my nerves, but it’s hard. My foot bounces under the table because I need to get this energy out in some form or fashion.
A woman enters. She’s oddly normal compared to the men wearing the masks. If she thinks their attire is odd, she doesn’t let it show. No, she walks in and places a bowl of soup in front of me.
“Thank you.”
She doesn’t answer and leaves out the same door that she came through. I stare at my soup. Is it safe to eat?
“Eat.”
“I’ll eat once you tell me where Chip and Belle are.”
“You’ll eat and then I might consider answering you.”
Jerk. Reaching for the spoon, I dip it into the soup and take a small bite. It’s flavorful and my stomach rumbles loud enough that I’m sure they hear it. Even if it is poisoned, at least it tastes good.
Beast says, “You made me quite angry by refusing to eat. To me, your actions are childish. My cousin over here thinks you were brave. And my other cousin thinks you were scared. So, little bird, which is it?”
I glance at the Beast. “You’re all wrong, but also right. Was it childish? Yes. Am I scared? Yes. Brave? Sometimes. But I didn’t eat because I wanted to prove a point.”
“And what point is that?”
“I’m not some toy that can be bought and told what to do.”
He hums under his breath. “A toy? No, you’re not a toy. You’re a pet.”
My throat is dry, so I reach for my water before I answer, “I’m not a pet, either.”
