Author's Note: Mumford & Sons have a song by this Chapter's name and it somewhat inspired it. Enjoy! :)
Eyes heavy with the past's deep slumber, the girl initially believed that the plate set on the nightstand next to the bed was only an illusion. She was seeing things, going insane, she was sure of it. Despite her belief that it was only a delusion created to further destroy her self-esteem, the petite woman still inched over to it, the pain from the day before not as bothersome or cruel as it had been previously. After a couple of minutes, she was face to face with a plate of only a simple, steaming breakfast, but in her mind, it was as if she had just discovered a chest of treasure, the key to Heaven's gates. She was in disbelief, astounded that without even mentioning it, the man had known just what she wanted, just what she needed. For a brief moment, she again thought that perhaps he wasn't so bad, after all. After all, hadn't he untied her and moved her to a bed in her sleep only a few nights ago? Now he had cooked her breakfast and left it for her. It was as if she was being pampered, that after days and days of torture and savagery, she was finally being treated like a human being. That was quite the beautiful thought, and an actual smile, however small and subtle, appeared on her face at the notion. She pushed her body up gently, coming to a sitting position against the bed's countless pillows. Her head naturally fell back against the clouds of white, a thankful, relieved sigh escaping her hungry lips. A moment of silence passed, as if she was silently praying and thanking a God that she wasn't even sure existed, for allowing her to keep her life. She soon moved again, this time to take the plate in her hands and place it upon her lap. The plate's heat was warm against her weary bones, and she mentally reminded herself to thank the man next time he appeared before her. Sure, he may have murdered her friends, broken into her vacation home, and held her hostage for a week, but she had to admit, he did seem to care an awful lot about her well-being.
She wasted no time in devouring the searing foods, her feasting almost ravenous in fashion. After days of no food and only a scarce amount of water, a steaming plate of breakfast was a beautiful saving grace. She only paused when the bedroom door creaked open, her captor entering the room with a coffee mug in hand. Her smile from before faded at the sight, as she still wasn't exactly sure what to think of the man. She wanted so badly to give him a piece of her mind, to rant and rave at him and to tell him to leave her alone. But...she couldn't do that. No, he had been too kind over the past couple of days. She knew that the best way would be to appear grateful because, well, she was. She was eternally and utterly grateful for the generous hospitality that he had offered her, so when he walked near the bed and set the coffee mug onto the nightstand, she flashed him a small, thankful smile. Despite her confused opinion and smug words from the days previous, the smile did showcase just a little sincerity, whether she intended to do so or not. He matched her smile with that of his own, leaning in and gently, swiftly, softly planting a kiss onto her lips. He pulled away with the smile still apparent, as if the moment was completely normal for them, but her smile washed away for the second time that morning at the unwanted touch. He moved to sit on the opposite of the bed, the mattress moving somewhat as he sat on the edge opposite her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, and she was surprised by the softness of his words. Unlike the previous times when he spoke, when her body and soul would be filled with rage and hatred, resentment and indignation, she felt only an odd tingling feeling this time, like when an old flame would be accidentally rekindled, all of the sparks and flickers of the love of old setting her heart on fire. Instead of facing him directly, she turned to take the coffee mug in her hands, taking a sip of the dark, fresh liquid before finally looking back over to him. "I'm fine." she ultimately muttered, her eyes drifting back down to the mug wrapped snugly in her hands when silence again overtook the small bedroom. Why did this man have to confuse her so? He was crazy, he was demented, he was sick, she knew all of these things...so why did he so easily manipulate her emotions? How did he have her so lost and confused in his presence all of a sudden? Another sip of coffee, this one slightly longer than the one prior, tried desperately to erase those thoughts from her mind, the steaming liquid's flow heating her throat in some try at distracting her thoughts from the man seated next to her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, and again, the question sent hoards of butterflies through the woman's soul. This time, she only nodded at first, glancing over to him only a few moments later.
"Why did you do it?" she asked, and upon realizing that question could be interpreted in a number of different ways, she continued. "Why untie me and move me here? Why cook me breakfast and make me coffee? I thought weirdos like you were supposed to be ruthless and evil." She didn't mean the statements and inquiries to be taken as jokes, though she couldn't help the playful tone that laced within the final sentence. She saw a smile appear on his face, and that only added to the thick anticipation within her of his responses that were soon to follow. "You deserved it!" he beamed, a shocking amount of enthusiasm in his words. "You were hungry and thirsty. You wanted to be untied. I only gave you what you desired, Miss Lee." Again, the thought of wanting to be completely free and out of this house shot through her brain, though she quickly pushed it aside. "Thank you." she mumbled, though crystal clear to the man's ears. "I...I don't know what else to say. But thank you." She flashed another small, grateful smile at the man before taking another sip of her coffee, relaxing against the hot beverage's comforting warmth. For once in nearly a week, things seemed almost normal.
Author's Note: So what did you guys think? The next Chapter will probably continue from where this one left off, so be prepared! Haha, as usual, feedback is always welcome! :)