Johnnie stared at the door Kevin had left from for a long time, unsure of which of his twenty-three personalities she'd just been in the presence of. She had a theory though that asked on his reaction to touching the floor, it was Dennis. She shivered in the drafty room, now topless except her bra. Goosebumps covered her skin and her stomach rumbled but she assumed Dennis was at least going to dress and feed her before she spooked him away. She continued to stare at the entry way, sitting back on her feet as she tried to comprehend what exactly was going on.

Johnnie didn't watch the news and had absolutely no idea Kevin now had twenty-four separate identities and was wanted for multiple kidnappings, murder and cannibalism. This was not the boy she knew from high school. How could he have let himself slip so far? He was the whole reason she'd picked psychology as her major. He was the reason she was doing her thesis on Dissociative Identity Disorder. He was the reason she felt guilty every time she closed her eyes to sleep at night...

Johnnie fell into a fitful sleep, forced to sleep on her left side because of the shackle. She'd managed to pull one of the blankets out from under herself and cover herself up the best she could but it did little to help her comfort. She awoke to what sounded like heels in the hallway and when she sat up rubbing her eyes on at a time with her free hand, she saw Kevin standing before he wearing a tan skirt that flowed around his ankles, a faded copper turtleneck and white heels. Unless her memory was failing her, this was Patricia.

"So," Patricia began, looking less than happy, "Dennis was correct. It is you." She rolled the wheeled chair over from the work bench and daintily sat down directly in front of Johnnie but a few feet back, crossing her hands in her lap.

"Dennis tells me choosing you was a complete accident and he didn't see your face when he grabbed you. Seek comfort in that, I suppose but know that I am proud of the strength he displayed in leaving you here once your identity was discovered. I regret to inform you, however, that we won't be letting you go." Johnnies heart sank at the response.

"Patricia..." Her voice cracked when she spoke and she hated it even more than she hated that her eyes now watered. However, she remained level headed. "Why? Why do you plan on keeping me here?"

"Because you, too, are impure. No amount of heartache we may experience over this changes that fact."

"And if I'm not?" Johnnie countered, holding her ground. Patricia didn't scare her. Dennis didn't scare her. Kevin didn't scare her. Patricia hesitated, her frown intensifying.

"You stay all he same."

"But why?" Johnnie demanded, "How is that fair? I've done nothing wrong!"

Although anger flashed briefly in the other woman's eyes, her voice remained calm and proper.

"That is where you are wrong." She got up to leave but Johnnie wasn't finished. Large alligator tears rolled down her cheeks and she pulled once again on the chain.

"What then? What have I done?" Patricia stopped at the entry way but didn't turn to face her.

"You abandoned us all," was her cool response and then she was gone. Johnnie sank back, her head against the metal bar. She covered her face with her free hand and sobbed.

Johnnie couldn't tell how long it had been since her meeting with Patricia but she was still starving and half naked. Luckily, she was a bit dehydrated so she didn't need to use the bathroom yet. She perked up, however when she heard scratching noises, like scraping on the ground. She began to wonder if there were other girls being held here too, and for their sake, sincerely hoped not.

"Hello?" she called as the sound increased. Panic rose in her chest at the uncertainty and she swallowed hard. "Hello?" she called again, a little louder this time.

Finally, a figure burst in on roller skates and blue socks, a pair of headphones over one earas he sang loudly to One Dance by Drake with the ever-familiar lisp. He threw himself down in front of her once he saw her there on the floor and tugged her into a death grip of a hug.

"Thtar!" he exclaimed and she breathed a soft sigh of relief, embracing him with one arm.

"Hedwig..." Johnnie was almost as good at identifying Kevin's personalities as Dr. Fletcher was, but Hedwig was the easiest to spot. Mainly because he was the only one who called her Star. When she'd introduced herself to him, he'd told her Johnnie was a boy's name and her name was Star from now on. Whenever someone would call her by her first name, he'd step in and correct them.

"I heard Dennith and Mith Patricia arguing about you. Thatth how I knew you wath back. I knew it! I alwayth knew my lucky Thtar would come back!" He hugged her tighter Johnnie had always been Hedwig's very best friend. He suddenly pulled away.

"Wait... why aren't you drethed?" He crinkled his nose and scooted backward on his bottom, sitting Indian style. She couldn't help but laugh a little. It was hard not to laugh at Hedwig.

"It's a long story. Tell me about Dennis and Miss Patricia. What were they arguing about?"

"I brought you a prethent!" He said excitedly and reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out something messily wrapped in a brown paper napkin. It was a half-eaten blueberry muffin.

"I took a few biteth 'cuth I wath hungry and you gotta eat it quick tho Mith Patricia doethn't find out I gave it to you!"

Johnnie nodded, a grateful smile on her face as she took a big bite, the sweetness making her mouth water.

"Thank you, Hedwig," she said after she had swallowed, continuing to eat. She'd always been gentle with Hedwig. Even when she was hard or sarcastic with the others, Hedwig was her weakness. He was like the little brother she'd never had.

"Ya know, I'm not thuppothed to be talkin to ya. Mith Patricia forbid it but I had to thee you again. Ith what they're thaying true? 'Cus I don't believe 'em. You wouldn't abandon uth right?"

"No! Of course not... Things just got... complicated." She blew her bangs from her face in frustration.

"Dennith wantth to let you go... The Hoard ith really divided about it but ultimately itth up to the Beatht. You won't like him, but he wantth to meet you first." She blinked her eyes in confusion, looking him right in the eyes.

"Hedwig," she said slowly, "Who is the Beast?"

"I gotta go!" He said quickly, "Before they notice I'm gone." The muffin fell from her grasp and into her lap as she quickly grabbed his hand.

"Hedwig," she said frantically, "Who is the Beast?"

"I'll make thure he doethn't hurt you," he promised before tugging his hand back and jumping to his feet, almost falling on his skates.

"Hedwig!" she cried but he'd already put his other headphone over his ear and skated off. Her moth went sand paper dry. What had Kevin done?

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