Chapter 17 : Sleeping Beauty

The family waited patiently around the kitchen table while Sid mixed what seemed like the contents of random vials and pill bottles together. He painstakingly liquified them and injected the mixtures into Reggie's veins.

While sleeping off the drugs Reggie's mind flooded with the closest things to coherent thoughts she's had since she was taken. Now that the fog of the drugs were beginning to lift her shattered mind was trying it's hardest to process what had happened. It seemed to struggle to piece together fractured imagines of memories that she wasn't sure she wanted to remember.

She had no idea how long she had been taken, though she suspects it had to be at least years. Why had no one come for her until now? Didn't anyone wonder where she was? Tears rolled down her eyes as she processed that the devil behind all this was her own brother.

It was like Devon erased her for the world and made her a ghost. She remembered bits and pieces from early on in her captivity. That creepy man from the restaurant stood near Devon and acted like he was a teacher, bestowing the knowledge of keeping a human pet on a devote scholar. He spoke, Devon listened. It sickened Reggie to remember that he knew she was Devon's sister the entire time. He knew and still was her brother's accomplice! He taught him how to keep Reggie barely lucid with a cocktail of illegal drugs.

If that wasn't the pinnacle of depravity Reggie remembered, between drug doses, watching him coach Devon on how to build two objects with fucked up purposes. He said they would teach Reggie her place, make her love Devon and behave. He promised that when they were finished with her she would be so thankful she was Devon's property.

Reggie remember the taste of bile that seeped up her throat as she heard that word, 'thankful?' Are they insane?

The first object was eventually dubbed the head-box by Devon. The object was constructed from partial board and was big enough that Reggie fit tightly inside crunched-up while sitting-up in the fetal position. She was forced to sit like a badly drawn cartoon while various straps inside secured her body so still her head couldn't turn.

While in the box Reggie couldn't move at all or see anything. In fact the everything was so tight she could barely breathe. She was gagged, blindfolded and the bastard had out ear buds on her to keep her completely unaware of her surroundings.

Reggie spent days in this uncomfortable position in the stifling Utah heat. Devon neglected to feed her and barely gave her water. To give her water he would simply pour water on the top of the box and if Reggie was luckily enough to catch some of the droplets in the bandana that gagged her mouth she would get a little water.

It got so her entire body ached before Devon opened the box. If she knew that it was only opened to abuse her she would have stayed inside it. A patterned started, Reggie was in the head-box, taken out and raped and tortured, then out back inside the box. Sometimes before she was put back inside Devon would feed her random fast food. The grease made her weak stomach flip-flop it took her about a month to eat it without vomiting once inside the box.

Eventually Devon took off the blindfold and the ear buds and Reggie was able to see bits of light and hear hints of sound. With these, she was able to guess the approximate time of day. Being able to tell day from night was like being sixteen years old again and given the car keys. The responsibly made her glow with pride. She was not about to lose it and was the perfect little pet.

Reggie had faint memories of watching day time talk shows with her mom when they featured people on their shows who were kidnapped and taken away. She remembered them talking about some weird disorder they developed that made them love their captor. It was call Sidney Syndrome or something. Reggie thought it was messed up how easily someone could break in that kind of situation and end up losing themselves. How could they love and obey a monster?

How? She would contemplate that often when her mind was lucid, six months after her capture. By this time Devon had let her out of the head-box. With all the drugs in her system she was still in it. She was in a constant haze and had no control over anything. All she could say was a mumbled, "yes" or "no" but no didn't matter because Devon didn't listen.

She was being slowly introduced to the other object. This is the box the angel will find her in. She was a doll and the box is her package. She had to practice staying very still until Devon opened the box or Devon would punish her. After two broken wrists she managed to get the hang of it. She was always a slow learner.

Reggie had been barely lucid since Malachy rescued her. "This should bring her around," Sid said while sticking the syringe in her overused veins, "perk her right up..."

"Less her brains have gone to shit." Marshall interrupted, "that's what these drugs do. They're bad news."

Ginger eyed him a warning and comforted Malachy saying, "I'm sure she will be just fine boy. She's gonna be shaken up, that's normal but we will get her help."

"How? Those people have gotta be looking everywhere for her? They know it's us now!" Malachy asked. His mother and uncles could hear fear in his voice. Fear is unfamiliar to a Holmes.

The brothers stare at their sister as if to say, "you think the boy can really handle this?"

Ginger soothes Malachy the same way she would sooth herself if she were in this situation. She gives him more information.

"As soon as she's well enough," Ginger began, "she will tell me what happened. Immediately after I'm sending her home to grandpa. He is going to help her into a hospital that will help her."

"You sure they won't find her?"

"Grandpa and I have talked, he is going to send me someone who looks like her in her place, meanwhile she will be safe in a hospital with a new name."

"That plan stinks of dad!" Sid laughed, "no way you thought of that yourself!"

"I just wanted to cut their heads off and bury them all out front of their precious bar..." Ginger started.

"And then put they're heads in jars like some sort of fucked up Jack o lanterns?" Marshall imputed.

"No that's your thing. I just wanted to set up a lawn chair and spend the hot days drinking screw drivers on top of the loose soil." Laughed Ginger maniacally. "Maybe keep Mac alive and him as an ashtray. But alas, daddy said no."

Slowly Reggie started opening her heavy eyes. She looked around and sat up slowly. She knew she was safe because the first thing she saw was the angel who had somehow turned into a boy when the drug haze had subsided. As far as Reggie was concerned the he is still and angel.

She went to open her dried mouth when the angel spoke up, "holy shit. mom! She's up!"

Reggie watched weakly as a redheaded women in a black sun-dress entered the room holding a cup. She seemed in charge and intimidating but the angel wasn't afraid. "Mal," the redhead said, "move over a little."

She looked at Reggie sweetly and said, "my name is Ginger. I am Malachy's mother. He saved you. He said you name is Reggie? Are you thirsty?"

Parched, all Reggie could do was nod. Ginger held the cup so it was easier for her to drink from it. After finishing the water she looked up at Malachy and said, "thank you."

"Yeah sure, anytime." Malachy laughed off not realizing the great thing he has done.

"Reggie, I bought you some new clothes if you want to shower and change." Ginger suggested.

Reggie nodded shyly.

"I was also wondering if maybe later we can talk about what you went through. Just us girls." Ginger told Reggie what was happening and what was going to happen.

Reggie's eyes lit up at the promise of freedom and she promised that after her shower she would tell Ginger everything.

The ride to Detroit was taking forever. Reggie could barely keep her eyes open. Ginger's father had sent two of his best men to guard Reggie and bring her to him. Through out the ride she repeated her new last name over and over to herself, "Mudgett."

One of them men over heard her and laughed, "that's what the boss picked?"

Reggie became frightened and quickly went silent.

"It's alright dear. My family has worked for the Holmes Family since before the Castle. I ain't gonna hurt you. My names' Ben Pitezal, the forth, everyone just calls me 'Pitz.' At this point I'm family and judging by the name he gave you, you must be too."

Reggie was less frightened and stared at Pitz perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just saying if you need anything, here is my card." Pitz looked at the driver after he handed Reggie his card. "Can you believe this girl? I've it's like it I yell boo she'll blow away."

"Yeah from your breath Pitz!"

"Aren't you a comedian Joe?!" Pitz laughed sarcastically, and continued, "I'm just saying we should take her along the next time we gotta collect. Might help spread some fear. Get stuff done..."

"Oh yeah?"

"People feed on each others fears yeah know? I read it in a book?"

"Wow I didn't know you knew how to open a book let alone decipher the words inside. Anyway, you are one of the most fear gangsters in Detroit. Police piss their pants when they see you. How is that not scary enough?"

"I just feel that a lot of it is on account of my employer being The Reaper."

When they approached the home of the boss Pitz and Joe chirped, "honey, we're home!"