Author's Notes

Hey all heads up, the girls that are captive now are not Casey and her two friends. This will be before they are captured.

4

After I came back to reality, I realized Dennis had not chained me back up. I moved over to the bathroom and cut on the light. I was stunned to see how clean it was in here. The tiles on the floor, the sink, the mirror, the tub. On the side of the sink was a small glass vase with a pink flower in it. There was one towel and a wash cloth sitting evenly atop of each other on the clean toilet.

I looked up at the shower curtain to see it was just a white curtain. I slowly pulled it open to see the clean tub inside and a bar of soap on the small soap holder. I sighed with relief and decided to use this free time to wash up. I cleaned up and dried off quickly. I didn't know when… or who would be coming back. I rummaged through my bag and slid on one of my blue soft t-shirts and shorts. After I pulled my shorts on, I ran my fingers gently over my crotch. What if Dennis came back and decided to try again. I needed a weapon or something. I needed to find a phone. I was sure Dennis had one. Or maybe his other personalities knew.

I didn't want took like I was planning something, so I quickly searched the room for any type of weapon. There wasn't much in here to begin with. Just walls, my bed and the bathroom. There is no window for me to see out of. I got back in the bed, pulled the blankets over me and just rested my head on the cotton pillow case.

"Hey! Hey are you out there!" I heard one of the girl's yell. I didn't want to reply. I didn't want one of them to come back.

"Please! Please tell us you're there!" another girl called out. I shut my eyes feeling my body reacting. Do something, try and get out of here. I sat up only to hear heals on the floor coming toward the door. I quickly lied back on the pillow, my back to the door. It slowly opened and I didn't look to see who it was. I didn't want to know which one was here.

"Oh my poor poor child. I am so so sorry for Dennis and his repulsive urges." Patricia. I didn't reply. I heard the heels coming closer to the bed. "He didn't fully hurt you, did he?" I felt the bed dip behind me as I felt she was sitting down. I could smell her perfume on. Something expensive and unique like sunflowers beneath the sun. I felt her hand stroking my head and I could hear her body leaning over as I felt her cheek on my head.

"Darling, please do not block me out. Dennis is just… upset. He is the first personality to meet you and he feels connected to you. Aside from Kevin you were his first child. But that in no way excuses his actions." she said firmly, rubbing my shoulders. What did she want me to say to that? It's okay? I curled up a bit more at her touch.

"Can you make sure he never does it again?" I asked lowly.

"Of course. He will NOT put his hands on you in such a manner ever again." she said. Her tone was protective. Like when my father assured me my mother could never hurt me again. I slowly turned to face her. She was in a black turtle neck with a brown sash over her body. I slowly sat up and faced her.

"How many other girls are here?" I asked. She gave a gentle smile.

"You need not worry for them. They won't be here much longer. The Beast will be here soon and he will want to meet you soon, so we must get you ready for him. Barry has had a dress made for you to wear for him. He got the idea from one of Ansel's paintings." she explained. There was so much information in her words and I was trying to decipher all of them. This Beast was going to kill these girls, whoever they were and obviously he was going to do something to my insides.

"Have you ever met this… Beast?" I asked and she curled her fingers together.

"No. Some of the others think he is not there, but I know he is. He is here to protect us all." she explained. I nodded slowly, not really feeling better from this conversation. Patricia saw this and looked me over before giving a mischievous smile.

"I know what will cheer you up." she said before tapping my nose and getting up. She moved across the room and left out the door, but she didn't close it all the way. I winced at this feeling as if she were testing me. Maybe she wanted to see if I would escape. I remained in bed. She wasn't going to get me. That much I knew. The door reopened after a couple of minutes. Once she returned, she hummed softly with pride. She had some black book in her hand.

"Good girl. Not leaving gets you closer to being trustworthy." she said before moving over to me. I leaned back some as she remained at the edge of the bed. She stuck the book in my direction.

"Ansel would like to know what you think of his drawings. I think you'll find them to be quite delightful." she replied. Ansel. The painter. I looked at the book and then up at her.

"Will I get to meet the others? I mean if I am not going anywhere for a long time." I explained and she nodded.

"In time you will." she said wiggling the book in front of me. "Take it. I think you will find them delightful. Kevin likes them… when he has the light." I looked up at her worried at her words. Did Kevin ever get to be himself? I slowly took the book and she smiled more as I looked over the book with vintage like swirls all around it. In the middle on a white label was Lucinda letters: Teleya.

"He is very proud of this. I will bring you some lunch." Was all she replied before turning to leave the room. "Maybe you can join us for dinner later. If you're good."

I looked from the book and up to her not sure if that was a good thing. She just left out the room locking the door this time and I just closed my eyes and sighed some. I looked back at the book and slowly opened it. The first page told me it was a sketchbook with some writing on it.

Dear Ms. Teleya,

I knew you would be here against your will, and for that I am truly sorry. I hope my work can give you some mild peace in captivity. I hope to meet you one day and we can talk about art if you like that kind of subject.

Ansel

I felt I would cry. It seemed one of his personalities cared for me, but not enough to help me escape. Why did he underline captivity? Maybe he was trying to tell me something. I just wasn't seeing it. Slowly, I turned the page and inhaled softly. It was a beautiful colored drawing of me. I was in a red flowing dress with a gold bracelet around my forearm. It looked like a dress warn in by noble roman women. My hair was pinned up with a gold spiraling ring and the top of the page showed the night sky. I was on a balcony. The colors ran together so beautiful. My face looked so smooth and flawless. I ran my finger over the drawing carefully. I turned the page once more and now I was on the balcony of what looked like an apartment.

It wasn't mine, but just a random room with makeup and a bed with a closet and bathroom. I was a in a leopard printed robe, hair flowing and eyes connecting to the moon. My arms were crossed as if I was holding myself and I just covered my mouth in awe. My eyes were soft yet deep and focused. There was almost a deity like feel to how I was drawn. The city was beneath me and there were even cars drawn on the streets. I turned the page and saw I was in a white dress with a golden belt around it. My hair was down and my curls more defined. I leaned over to look more at the picture. Scars lightly painted my shoulders and I noticed some black forms painted all around me, hands reaching out to touch me but could not fully do so. I counted the figures. 24. I gasped gently and turned the page one more time only to see this time, it was me staring up at a light above me with some creature holding on to me. One arm is around my stomach and the other is gripping my neck below my chin. It was a man, but at the same time it wasn't. Blue veins crawled on the man's skin and his eyes were black as night. Below the page there was a title. The Beast and his Goddess.

Immediately, I closed the book and tossed it to the end of the bed. Not the idea of beautiful, but they were all detailed and worked on. I wouldn't lie and say I wouldn't look through the rest of the pages. But I was even more fearful of meeting this Beast and it seemed he would be coming soon. Since I had nothing else to do, I grabbed the book and continued to look through it. The pictures were all of me in either a forest or balcony setting. I was always in a dress from different eras of time. The door opened again and I looked up to see Dennis standing there in the door way. In his hands was my folded gown.

I tensed immediately and crawled back into the wall. He looked away and spoke.

"Patricia wants me to apologize for my actions earlier. Although I am not really sorry, I am for touching you I am sorry for scaring you and putting you in a position of fear. I have washed your gown and so it is clean and nice again." he explained. I didn't say anything except watch as he came inside and sat the gown down on top of my bag. "Do you accept my apology?" His arms were crossed as he waited by my bag.

"Do I have a choice in saying no?" I asked.

"No." he said and I just looked around the room for a second.

"Fine. Whatever." I muttered. He exhaled through his nose and looked away.

"I will not touch you again unless you ask. Now come, it's time for dinner. The Beast will be here soon and you will need to be fitted in your dress." he said. I shook my head now.

"Wait you're serious? I have to wear a dress?" I asked. He sighed as if annoyed and turned back to me.

"When the Beast no one will be here to protect you," he said. No one is here to protect me now. "You will stand before him and be judged. If he accepts you then then all will be well. But if he doesn't…" His worlds trailed off as he looked away. I knew what he meant. How much time did I really have here?

I slowly stood up from the bed and just looked at him and he looked back at me. There was nothing else to really say and he began to move from the room and I followed. He walked to his right and I followed. We passed a door a few feet down where there was banging coming from the other side. I looked at the door thinking the girls were there, but Dennis urged me to keep moving. We moved down the hall and I noticed the lights were in a perfect vertical line down the entire hall.

As I walked, I passed a white sign on the wall that was partly ripped and I looked back at it to see some of it said "Do not feed…"

I thought of the sign and even back to the sketch book with the underlined word captivity. Was I in the zoo? Dennis stopped at a door and opened it for me. I slowly stepped in and saw a small office space. On the right was a desk with a computer and files. On the left was a long dress pole with multiple clothes hanging on them. In front of us was another door of which Dennis led me through.

"I know this isn't like your luxury apartment, but you'll learn to like it." he said lowly. I didn't reply, only nodded. We exited to another hall way with doors a few feet apart. Dennis stopped at another door and opened it for me. He raised his hand for me to enter and so I did, slowly though. He cut on a light and I noticed we were in a break room. The white fridge, the microwave and coffee pot along with the side room with a tv and sofa screamed it. There were other things as well here like an oven. Maybe Kevin worked here, if he saw me here months ago.

I remember being here. Some tiger cubs were just born and the zoo was showing them off. I was learning to do things on my own without feeling like I was being watched by her. I was learning to be more and more independent. Free. Did I trigger something inside Kevin to make all of this happen?

Dennis was beside me now and I almost jumped as he motioned to the small round table.

"Sit. I will make you something." he replied. What another sandwich? "And no it's not another sandwich. Patricia isn't the only one who can make food." I sat down at the table and just watched as he looked through the fridge and cabinets, cleaning things off as he looked. I could hear him muttering to himself options of what I may like to eat.

"How about," I started and he paused in his movements and glanced at me. "You make me something that you like to eat." His eyes focused on me a bit before he slowly looked toward the fridge.

"Even though it is messy… I like a fried egg and bacon sandwich." he said. Not too bad. "We got apple juice in the fridge. You still like that don't you?" I managed to let a small smile creep onto my face.

"I do." I replied. For a second I saw his eyes soften a bit and he just nodded at me.