I had no chance to fall asleep at all- at least that was what I thought, but I was wrong about this as well.
The scent of delicious food woke me up and I thought for a moment that I was at home – safe and sound.
- Did you have a good night sleep Hailey?
My stomach twitched as I realized the truth that I am no longer in the camp and I am in no safe place. I really wanted to drown in the duvet, but it was an impossible death.
- Of course Riley, everything is fine- I answered carefully. I've been enjoying his hospitality for two days constantly looking for the way out.
He was not ordinary cold-blooded murderer, because I've already seen many of them. I felt deep fear in my gut.
He acted like a schizophrenic. There was a gentle Riley, who provided me with comfort, food and clean clothes. He even prepared a hot tub for me and brought me some extra blanket to not to freeze. And there was the less pleasant one, who kept on nagging me. Sometimes harshly, sometimes more nicely. On the top of it, there was no way to get rid of his awful smile.
By the way, the knife…
My sole weapon was taken from me when we stumbled into one another, so I had no chance to cause any damage.
This was the topic of our very first debate.
I was just sitting on the couch and trying to figure out which Riley I was talking to, while he was examining the knife.
- That is a neat bowie-knife. You cannot get this kind in a second-hand army shop- he made a remark. It definitely got onto thin ice.
- Moreover…There is a name on it. It is engraved in the blade. Don't you want talk a little bit about that?
Of course, I didn't want to talk about this, let alone anything else, but I had no choice.
- I got hold of this knife in the camp.
And I knew this information was not going to be enough.
- You mean stealing? - He stepped in front of me, playing with my knife and continued his thoughts- No. I would never assume that a skinny little bird like you can steal from a silencer. I was shivering. He knew who the knife belonged to and I was still horrible at lying.
- I did not steal anything, Serena gave it to me.
I guess he didn't expect this, so he froze and let go of the knife.
- I hate liars. Don't try to test me!
He got very angry, which made me more confused.
- Ridley, believe me, I did not steel from Serena. She was my friend, my sole friend and she had given it as a present before leaving.
I reached the point, where there was no turn back. He slapped me out of knowhere and squeezed my throat with his right hand while holding the blade to my throat with his left.
- Don't lie to me, you son of a bitch! Serena Ryden was one of the fiercest Silencers and she hated human kind and would have killed you without any hesitation.
I was shivering and angry az the same time. I knew he was not right and I never let anyone accuse those who are not even there to protect themselves.
- You know nothing about Serena or me, you delusional piece of shit – I sputtered into his face. This made him more angry. He grabbed my hair and tossed me to the couch. I knew what he had been preparing for, since I kept a close eye on his movements, which told him to calm down and become fully-concentrated. I would be so happy to laugh in your face. Just keep on trying, you fool.
I sensed that he would attack. He could not get into my mind, now he tries in another way. He was struggling for minutes, but there is no entrance ont hat wall. No door and no little hole to squeeze in.
Finally, he let go off me.
- How can you lock me out?
- As everyone else. You are not the first who is trying vainly- I answered in a scratchy voice…his choking was somehow effective.
- It's impossible. You cannot fool Wonderland, whatever you do.
I saw that he just couldn't let it go that sometimes cockroaches do win.
- But that's the case here. The program was a failure and Vosch could not break me, nor you- I started to worry a bit, because I shared too much with him.
- Of course, if that's the way…there will be a solution.- and his self-confident smile returned to his face.- This was the easiest way, but if it doesn't work out, than plan B. I like it better than the other one.
He was murmuring and fostering the knife with careful movements. I had no doubt that I would not be able to dodge his next move so easily.
- Take off your clothes. – he shouted at me.
I did not react. My brain stopped working. I was just unable to follow the order.
- Now what? Move or I tear off the clothes from your body.
His voice was full of bad intentions.
I was shivering so much that it was extremely difficult to peel off my clothes and when I got to the trousers, I started to cry. This was the most tragic thing that has ever happened to me. I did not even lay my eyes on him, but I knew he was very satisfied with the results.
When I reached to my bra, he stopped me.
- Leave the pants on you. I have no desires in connection with you.
Before I realized what he was saying, he grabbed my arm and dragged me to upstairs. Into the bathtub.
- Stay here sweetheart, I will be back in a minute.
I curled up in the bathtub and I was trembling. I had no clothes to hide behind and the shame was eating me up.
As if he had felt it, he returned. His steps made a creaking sound, but he took it very slow. He was not hurried by time, it is only my enemy.
He entered the bathroom and closed the door. Not like anyone could have bothered him; it must have rather been a fixation from the past, where he had to hide his true identity.
He wore only a tank top, nothing else, but it was more interesting what he was holding in his hands. A brown, average-looking suitcase, at least I thought it was one, till he revealed its secrets in front of me.
A bunch of argentous knife and scalpel.
I could only squeeze out a silent yowl- which he accepted by nodding. This was an average weekday for him, doing whatever he wants to.
Are you afraid Hailey? – he asked with his soft voice.
I had no intention to answer. Somehow I trusted in that stupid human instinct that if I stay low, he won't even notice me.
- I asked something, sweetheart!- he growled at me and hit the bathtub with his fist.
I took a glimpse at his malevolent look.
- Now I tell you the new rules. I hope you listen carefully and do not try to resist, 'cause I make you suffer for long, long time. Did you understand me?
-Yes- I whispered.
-I don't hear you.
- Yes Riley.
- All right. You see it is not so complicated to follow the orders sweetheart – he whispered into my ears and sat down on the edge of the bathtub.
- What do you want from me Riley?
- Your secrets sweetheart, nothing else – he answered. – If you keep on giving me answers, there will be no problem. In case you resist or you try to lie…- he chuckled a bit- then I will try how I can deal with your pain limit.
- Please Riley, don't do this- I begged him repeatedly. There was no mercy in him or nothing human.
- Huss! Talk only, when you are asked.- he growled at me, but he returned to his nice self immediately. His smile is that I will never forget. He would have been too much even for Vosch.
- Tell me something about how you end up in the shelter. – he gave his first command.
I did not feel it dangerous to serve information about it, so I answered quickly.
- I grew up in a foster house and I had lived there till the beginning of the attacks.
- This is not enough. I want details!- he interrupted me.
- I was born and lived in Lexington in the last 19 years. I never knew the identity of my parents. That foster house was my home, if I can call it that way.
- It's a nice start. We finally found the common voice – he murmured and grabbed my right hand and pushed it onto the wall of the bathtub.
- But, to not to be so bored, we need to throw a party.
I could not squeeze out any word. I was gulping my tears and expected the gruesome next move.
- This is going to hurt a little and it will also be a bit painful process, but if you stay calm, there is gonna be no problem.
Before I was able to say anything, I felt the cold blade lodging into my arm.
I felt how flesh was demounting from my bone and the red blood started to flow on the wall of the bathtub. I screamed from the pain and fear. However, I tried to rip myself off his grip.
But I couldn't. I tried to hit him hard, as much as I could, but he dodged it with sinking the scaple into me. It reached deeper than before. I screamed out loud, which he could not tolerate very well.
He was very satisfied till he could hold the position of gamemaster. When he was tossed out of it, then came the retribution. He threw the scaple in the corner of the room and hopped into the tub right next to me.
_ Why do you have to be like this Hailey? Why can't you act normal? Rules are so simple, yet you don't keep them.
He emphasized his words with a slap. I barely saw anything because of the blood and I needed to puke because of the scent of blood. I hope he kills me. I do not want this anymore…I want to die.
God did not have time to deal with my issues that day. But I had Riley, the silencer. He was beating me up for several minutes and cursed as I was screaming in every moment.
Then he started to calm down.
I was crying quietly, when he lifted me out of the tub and put me on the ground.
- Now, I help you with your wounds. Don't be afraid, this is not the first time I do this. You will be all right.
His nicer self was talking to me of course, but I was afraid of that one as well. I was afraid of the whole guy by himself.
- I don't want you to die sweetie, not yet. You have to tell a lot of things- he whispered to my ears, while he was sterilizing the wounds and put bandage on them.
- All right. We will start it from the beginning tomorrow.
But I didn't want to continue, I didn't even want to live.
I objected silently, because I had no courage or strength to open my mouth.
He carried me to my room and carefully put me on the bed and tucked me up. He acted as if I was his most precious treasure and not his toy.
- Sleep well Hailey, gather your strength for the next day – I got a kiss on my head and then he returned to his armchair and started to hum silently.
I did not want to sleep, but I could not fight myself. I was too week and desperate.
In my dreams, I was again in the foster house, where this all started.
