Chapter Three

Not long after, the police found me standing in the house, looking completely lost. They had reunited me with my mom and Violet who thought I was dead. I never felt happier in my mom's arms.

"Are you okay, baby?" she sobbed into my hair.

I nodded my head. I was grateful that she hadn't asked how I had gotten away because it'd be difficult explaining why Tate was at the house or why he wasn't here anymore. He said he didn't get along with the police, I wondered what he meant by that. What had he done to warrant their attention?

Mom continued to fret over me until a police officer approached us to talk. While they spoke, I was lead away by someone else.

As a precaution, the EMT had driven me to the hospital in the ambulance after they saw the cut on my neck. Mom offered to go with me, but I waved her off, knowing that the police would want a thorough report. I also wanted time to myself to think.

What happened to the three people? Were they scared off by the police or perhaps the rubber man?

My heart raced as I thought about the dark, mysterious figure. He never returned after the intruders left. Would he be angry if he returned and I wasn't in the house? Would he… Would he be angry enough to hurt my family?

I was stuck with this terrible sense of dread throughout the ambulance ride.

Once at the hospital, the sinking feeling only amplified. I never particularly liked going here – not after the frequent visits after suddenly becoming blind. There was enough poking and prodding to last me a life time.

After I was seated on a bed, a kind doctor tended to me. Despite how courteous and kind he was, I was still extremely uncomfortable as he checked for any other injuries and made sure that I was up to date with all my shots.

"Madison?" I jolted into awareness from my half-asleep state on the hospital bed. "Madison, are you alright?"

I frowned. "Dr. Henderson? What are you doing here?"

"I was driving by when I saw the police in front of your house. They told me you were driven to the hospital."

"Oh..."

"I came to see how you were doing."

"I'm good." It was kind of him to be so considerate, but I wasn't in the mood to talk to him. I just wanted to go back home and be left alone. "Probably good that I'm having that session, soon."

The conversation was interrupted as two police officers approached. They wanted to know what happened. Dr. Henderson gave me a brief farewell and good wishes before I was being interrogate like a criminal.

They asked many questions and for the most part, I had answered as truthfully as I could, but anything related to Tate or the rubber man, I lied. Perhaps it was out of gratitude that I never told him to anyone or perhaps somewhere in my mind, I still thought that I had made him up. He was like an apparition weaving in and out through the walls, coming to terrify me; to conquer me; to save me.

Once satisfied, the two law enforcers left and I was finally discharged from the hospital. All the attention had been stifling. In a way, I felt more like a criminal than a victim – all the questions and lying.

Not long after waiting in the lobby, mom picked me up in the car to take me home, but it didn't feel like home anymore. It never did and I wasn't sure if it ever will.

Once we were inside, I made sure that all the doors and windows were close and locked before going upstairs to my room. I even locked the bedroom door before pushing the desk in front of it. That should do.

"Madi?" The hushed voice behind me made me scream, which I promptly muffled by pressing my hand against my mouth when I recognised the voice.

"Tate?" I whispered back as I turned around and saw his silhouette against the glow from the window. "What are you doing here? I thought you left when the police came."

He walked towards me and held me in his arms. "I was worried, so I came back. You're alright?" He gingerly touched the bandage around my neck.

I nodded, relaxing against his body. "I'm okay."

We headed to my bed where we laid down under the cover and held hands. Our shoulders were touching and his presence made me feel safe.

"You saved me, Tate. Thank you," I told him, but my thoughts almost immediately went back to the rubber man. Where had he gone and what did he go to the two remaining intruders? Tate said he saw two people run out, but then who had screamed? Maybe he only scared them away? The police hadn't found any bodies around the house, but... I knew that the man who held me captive was dead, so where was his body? I didn't understand what had happened, at all.

"Madi." Tate interrupted me from my pondering. He had turned his head towards me. "I told you that I can't imagine living without you. Everything seemed so meaningless until you moved into the house. I'd do anything to keep you safe."

I smiled and turned my head towards him as well. "And I never thought that I would meet someone like you."

Tate moved closer and I could feel his breath on my lips. I swallowed hard. Was he finally going to kiss me? Were we finally going to cross over the invisible boundary that we had set for ourselves?

As our lips were about to touch, I saw a glimpse of the rubber man in Tate's place and abruptly jerked away. My heart was racing in my chest.

"Madi?" Tate sounded lost and heartbroken.

I quickly squeezed his hand when he tried to leave. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "Today's just been a rough day and I think the fatigue is starting to make me hallucinate." I felt like an idiot. I had wanted to kiss Tate for a while now and just as we were about to do it, the stupid rubber man had ruined everything.

I was confused. Was the rubber man even real? I thought that it had all been a dream, but seeing him today, I wondered if it had all been real, after all. Who was he? He quite possibly raped me and then saved my life, today. Was he a stalker? How was he getting into the house?

Subconsciously, I scooted towards Tate until my head was laying on his chest. Our fingers were still intertwined and with his free hand, he ran his hand through my hair.

"I really like you, Tate," I whispered.

His hand stopped and I wondered if I had said the wrong thing. I thought he was going to kiss me, but was it too early to say it? I didn't want him to think that I was easy. What was he thinking, right now?

"I really like you, too," I heard him quietly reply just as I was dosing off. There was a smile on my lips as I fell asleep in his arms.

...

Tate watched as the brunette girl fell silent. Her chest raised up and down rhythmically. His thumb stroked her palm, absent-mindedly, as he stopped pretending that he had to breathe. He had been waiting for someone his age for a while now. Violet had been close, but when Madi arrived, he knew that she was perfect. The best thing about her was that she was blind and would probably stay in the house most of the time. All he had needed, then, was to find an excuse to be with her as much as possible.

He scooted her higher into his arms so that he could feel her breath on his neck and touched her cheek. He wondered if she knew what she looked like. When was the last time that she had stood in front of the mirror and admired her own reflection?

His fingers trailed down to her lips. They were soft. He had been so close, today. He didn't know what had caused her to move away, but he knew that she at least had feelings for him.

He leaned over and breathed in her scent. Vanilla and raspberries, just as he remembered. He had been afraid for her, today, so he appeared in the rubber suit that one of the fairies had bought. The problem was, he hesitated. He knew when the intruders entered the house, but he couldn't just appear right after them, so he waited and he didn't know when would be the appropriate time to step in.

During the time that he was contemplating, the bastard had a knife to her throat. In a fit of rage, he had killed him in front of her. When she looked at him with those wide, fearful eyes, he felt the desire urge from within him. He wanted her just like that underneath him and writhing and begging for him - whether to stop or continue, he wasn't sure.

Without thinking, he had taken her to her bedroom and was about to ravish her as he saw fit. She was his. His. But then she looked at him with those round, glazed eyes, begging him for something completely different.

With a raging hard on, he managed to separate himself after getting rid of her gag. He'd need to store that image in his memories.

When she pleaded for him to help the two other females in the house, he wanted nothing more than to ignore her, pretend that he hadn't heard what she said. Instead, he obediently left and vented his anger on one of the intruders. He had taken an axe and swung it over and over again until the crazy bitch was split in two. Not feeling like dealing with the other one with his erection still painfully being confined in the suit, he left her wandering into the basement where he knew that Maria and Gladys were waiting.

He had Moira deal with the bodies, while he got rid of the suit and wandered back upstairs to her room. He was just Tate, again - someone who she trusted.

She flew into his arms and he was glad that she couldn't feel the bulge just an inch away. She'd probably just as quickly flee from him.

Now that he had her in his arms, he never wanted to let go.

"Is she going to give me my baby?" A soft voice interrupted him.

Tate placed his hand on the girl's stomach. "No. Not her. Don't worry. I have your baby."

Satisfied, the tall, elegant lady disappeared.

Tate sighed and closed his eyes. Even though he couldn't sleep, he was still able to feel comfort. This was a good place to just rest.

He immersed himself in a fantasy of vanilla and raspberries.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I apologise for how short this chapter ended up. I've been a bit depressed lately, despite how close it is to Christmas, and the inspiration just didn't come. The only uplifting thing was reading your reviews. They were absolutely wonderful and kept me going.

I'd like to thank VampWolf92, meangirl8, and NameWithNoMeaning for reviewing!

NameWithNoMeaning: Sorry this came out later than I wanted it to. I run 50 percent on reviews and 50 percent on mood and motivation. I hope this chapter still came out alright.

Thank you as well to everyone who has followed and favourited this story.