Alright, chapter 4 up! as always you can find the doodles for this chapter on my tumblr page - amarvelfangirl. I appreciate all the wonderful reviews and comments I've been receiving, and I hope you all continue to read and enjoy the story. :
Clair woke up to the sound of singing. She couldn't quite make out all the words, and the voice seemed far away, but it had something to do with an old fashioned girl and a dear old dad. She wanted to open her eyes but her body was much too comfortable on whatever soft surface she'd been put. As the singing started becoming clearer, Clair lifted herself from what she assumed was a mattress. There was a dull pain in her cheek from where the cannibal had cut her, and she was surprised to find it had been bandaged. The florescent lights in the room blinded her and made it hard to see anything right away – was she in a cage? Clair looked to be in a storage area surrounded by a wire fence. She glanced down at her bed, and guessed that must have been dragged in here from somewhere else. She grabbed at her right wrist, looking for her hair tie, but it was gone. She cursed inwardly that she'd have to leave her hair down – it was such a pain, especially when trying to get away from people.
Unfortunately for Clair, being surround by wire was the least of her worries. She had noticed the horrible stench when she first became conscious, but had no idea what could have been causing it until now. Across form her cage was a wooden table, covered in blood, with a buzz saw situated at one end. Clair cupped a hand over her mouth as she scanned the mess, her gag reflex kicking in when her eyes landed on the body parts hanging from the ceiling. This was bad. She now silently wished that the cannibal had just cut her throat instead of her face. It would have saved her from the pain she was expecting to endure here.
The singing was in the room now and Clair turned her head to watch Eddie Gluskin come into view.
"Oh, you're awake Darling! Good. I hope you enjoyed your nap. We have a big day today, after all." He smiled at her, too kindly, and placed a box he had been carrying down near the bloodied table. Eddie turned to face her, expecting a reply, then followed her gaze to the buzz saw.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about that." He said, wagging his finger at her playfully. "That was for all the other whores who weren't in the body they were supposed to be. I tried to help them, but they were too weak. Not like you Darling, you're different."
"Please don't kill me." Clair begged, gripping onto the cage. "I don't know what you want – do you want to get out of here? Maybe I can help."
Eddie stared at her now, his expression one of concern and confusion. He advanced towards the cage to grip it, which in turn caused Clair to back up as far as possible.
"Kill you? Oh Clair, I don't want to hurt you. I just want to love you. To take care of you – isn't that what you want Darling?"
Clair's eyes widened – he knew her name. In response to her expression, Eddie pushed himself away from the cage and turned back towards the box he'd brought in with him. He knelt down in front of it, picking up objects that Clair wasn't able to see with him in the way.
"A man down in the sewing room keeps calling your name out, dear." Eddie said coolly, his voice sounding much to calm. "Did you fuck him, you slut?"
He shifted to look at her now, his body ridged. Clair stood there for a moment, not entirely sure of what was going on.
"What? No – no I didn't sleep with Waylon! He was just-"
"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME, YOU FLITHY WHORE!" He boomed, throwing a pair of scissors he'd gotten from the box to the ground. Clair felt her body go numb and out of instinct threw her arms up to cover her face, even though he wasn't in the cage with her.
"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I didn't do anything with him! I promise! I won't speak to him ever again – just don't…" Clair let out a shaky breath, her brows furrowing when she caught herself regressing. This wasn't Mark, but he might as fucking well have been. She turned her attention back to Eddie, who seemed satisfied with her answer.
"Good." He replied, his smile returning. "Now, I have a surprise for you Darling!"
Eddie walked over to her cage and pulled a key from a pocket in his vest – she'd have to remember that. He opened the door and placed the key back in the pocket before indicating to a large object covered by a sheet. Clair glanced around the room, hesitant, then looked over at Eddie for permission to move. Eddie looked down at her in exasperation before gripping both of her shoulders and leading her to stand in front of it.
Was a dead person under there? No, there would have been more blood. She looked at him again for some kind cue, but all she received was a smile.
"Get ready!" He said, gipping the sheet with one hand. "Ta-da!"
It was a wedding dress. A beautiful one actually.
The frown on Clair's face, which had seemed perpetual since the moment she'd arrived at the Asylum, deepened. Did he want them to get married? Was he fucking serious? Of course he was – he was insane. Clair now remembered the file she'd read about him, and how desperately he'd tried to convince his therapists that he'd lived a normal, traditional life. That he hadn't been abused. She knew that feeling, too. The engine Waylon had mentioned must have set him off into this fantasy state, and he lashed out whenever it was broken.
Clair noticed Eddie's face dim as he looked at her, worried.
"You don't like it?" he asked.
"Oh no I love it!" She replied, giving him a fake smile. She'd perfected that smile – the one that said everything was wonderful. "I was just in awe is all – you did a beautiful job Eddie."
Eddie came to stand next to her, his arms crossed in pride as he looked from Clair to the dress. He then placed his hand over his mouth, and pensive look coming over him.
"It's too big."
He was right, the dress was at least 4 sizes larger than what she'd fit into. Eddie grabbed her shoulders again and placed her next to the mannequin this time.
"Nothing to worry about, I'll just take it in and shorten it – you're a tiny little doll, aren't you dear?"
Doll. That was an appropriate name for what he was treating her like. She was his own personal toy to dress up. She felt him lift up her arms then something tight go around her waist – it was a measuring tape. As he checked the number, Clair could see he had a pencil sticking out of his mouth and a tiny scrap of paper in his other hand. He pulled the measuring tap away and scribbled on the paper. This might have been cute if she wasn't so sure he was going to try and kill her at some point.
The tape went around her breasts this time, and he lingered on that measurement a little longer than needed. Eddie leaned down to check her size, his face much too close to her neck.
"On the small side here as well, Darling." He said, his voice much lower than she was used too. "Not to sound vulgar, but I rather like you petite. It makes you look delicate. Wholesome."
Clair felt the tape drop and he placed one of his large hands on her tiny hip. She stood completely still, her arms up in the position he'd put them in. Eddie's hand started to travel, slowly, up her side. She could hear him breathing through his nose behind her. His face was still close to her neck, giving off an uncomfortable heat. As his hand inched towards her chest, he suddenly pulled away.
Eddie swallowed loudly and brushed back a few loose strands of hair that had fallen out of place. He turned away from her, writing the last measurement down on the paper before placing next to the buzz saw.
"That shouldn't take too much time to fix." Eddie said, his breathing starting to become steady. "But you're simply a mess Darling. Though I'm not much cleaner – I think a shower is in order. Want to look our best for this special day, don't we? "
Clair felt the blood drain from her face, and only now did she let her arms go down to her sides. Eddie gripped her arm tightly and started to lead her down one of the halls. She could try and run – but he'd catch her. He'd be mad as hell too. The pair passed by some living quarters and Eddie stopped at one of the doors. He peered inside, as if to check if someone was hiding, before pulling Clair in with him. As Eddie walked over to a small dresser he left Clair standing in the middle of the room. She glanced around uneasily, her feet glued to the floor. She wasn't planning on moving at all, until she noticed some drawings pinned above an old wooden desk. Clair walked over, carefully, to get a better look.
Wedding dresses. Lots of them. This must have been his room before the Asylum had gone to hell. The quarters was kept neat, books lined up evenly on the edge of the desk, and the bed was even made. She felt him behind her now, and she looked over to see Eddie peering at his drawings.
"I got some towels." He said, his eyes not leaving the art. "Shall we?"
Eddie, not waiting for her to respond, pulled her along out of the room. They soon arrived at the bathrooms, but he didn't go into either the men's or women's right away. He glanced between the two, unsure, as he kept a painful grip on Clair. Did he plan on going into the same bathroom with her? The same shower? Her body started to get cold – she could handle a lot, but not this.
Then it hit her. His vest – he'd have to take it off if he wanted to shower, and that's where the key was. He didn't have to be in the same shower, the same room would be enough for her to get at his clothes.
"I'm sure," She began, looking up at him with a reassuring smile, "That no one will mind if you come into the women's room with me. It is our wedding day after all. They'll understand."
Eddie didn't respond and just continued to look between the two options. Finally, he pulled her into the women's room. He led her down to the furthest shower and stopped, now letting go of her arm. He wanted to come in with her, didn't he? Clair shut her eyes and let out a long breath before reaching into the shower and turning it on. When she turned back to face him, she was surprised to find him not there. She caught a glimpse of him slipping behind the current of the shower next to hers, and Clair couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh.
She hastily peeled off her clothes and hung them over the shower curtain bar. A rush of pleasure shot through her body when the hot water hit her, a gasp of happiness leaving her mouth. Never in her life had she appreciated a shower so much. Clair knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy it for long: she needed to get the key. She pushed her wet hair back and poked her head out of the shower. He had started humming now. It sounded like the same song he'd been singing earlier. He too had placed his clothing over the top of the metal curtain bar, and it was fortunate that his vest was closest to her stall.
Clair stood on her tip toes, her arm reaching out in hopes of slipping her fingers into the pocket. She jolted in shock when Eddie's hand shot out of the shower and grabbed her wrist. Did he know what she was trying to do? Clair was about to try and claw her arm free in panic when he started to speak.
"I know you're just as eager as I am to consummate our love." He said, his thumb now gently rubbing her hand. "But you need to wait till after we're married, you little minx. Then, we won't need to use separate showers."
Eddie let her go and Clair slowly inched back into her stall. She pressed her back against the wet tile wall and slid to the floor. She didn't even realize she was crying at first, but as she heard his shower stop and him pull his clothes from the pole, she started to sob.