"What did you say to her!"? Grayson shouts at me.
"Relax Dr. G, you interrupted before I could accept my invitation to your little girl's imaginary tea party. Tell me what kind of father has an in home torture chamber?"
He takes a few strong strides towards me and yanks the scalpel out of my eye- shit didn't realize that was still in there I can't believe that little girl didn't scream in horror upon seeing me, I start to wonder how many other horrific scenes that kid has already been exposed to. I don't know why but I have no desire to include her in my revenge scenarios I had already planned on leaving one member of every Augustine family alive even with passing generations so I can rationalize that I am in no way going soft all of a sudden but deep down I know there is something about Elena that speaks to my heart, something that has nothing to do with science, torture, or revenge.
A couple weeks later I hear a ball bouncing its way down the stairs, now either Dr. G is starting to get creative or… Elena. I see her standing and swaying with the ball after having retrieved it, I don't say anything we stare at each other in silence for a while I am curious to know what is going on in that little head of hers so I decide to wait for her to make the first move.
"I thought you might be bored, when I am sick and I have to say in bed for awhile I get really bored." Are you serious this girl crept downstairs to her dad's secret forbidden torture chamber to see if I wanted company?
"Well I am not sick but I certainly am bored, how about you undo these restraints and we play with that ball you got there?" please let this little girl be trusting enough to let me go, aside from making her an orphan I have no designs to hurt her so please please let her trust me enough to want to play catch with.
"If you're not sick why are you here?" How to tell little soon to be orphaned Annie her Dad is a bigger monster than me, hmm.
"After your Daddy fixed my eye he decided I needed lots or rest but sometimes I sleepwalk so he tied me down but as you can see I am no longer sleepy and would really like to get up." I see her thinking about it not entirely convinced by my explanation she asks, "were you bad?"
"Why would you ask if I was bad?" I respond,
"I think your lying, the only times I lie is when I do something bad and don't want to get in trouble." Damn this kid is perceptive. I decide to tell as much of the truth as I can for her age and quickly I don't know how much longer before someone notices she is down here.
"Your Dad was bad, he kept me down here longer than he was supposed to and he is scared that if he lets me go I will be so angry with him that I might do something bad to him." "Is he right?" She counters right away. Fuck why can't I be as devious and monstrous as I need to be to get my freedom right now!
"Yeah he is right, I don't like your Dad and I am very angry with him but I like you, and if you let me go I promise I won't hurt him, okay?" She starts approaching me, shit did that really actually work? Dropping the ball she lifts her hand so it's close to mine, "pinky promise?" I actually hook my pinky and promise, and even crazier I think I am going to keep it if only to spare her the guilt of thinking she is the reason her parents are dead. She starts working on my restraints when I hear the door creek open. FUCK!