Randy placed a plate, cutlery and a glass of water down in front of Cyan. He was nervous about handing her a steak knife but he was sure he could overpower her easily if she got the bright idea of trying to attack him.

"I'll be right back with some bottles of water for the night," he said.
"How long do you plan on keeping me here?" She asked.
"You gotta stay here forever. I'm not letting go of my wife again," he said. "Now eat."

She picked up the cutlery and started cutting into the steak. He walked over to the door and looked back to see her raise the fork with a piece of meat on it. She didn't look at him at all. He nodded to himself and closed the door. He walked back up the stairs to the kitchen and looked at his wife sitting at the table with her untouched steak in front of her.

"You gotta eat, darling," he said.

She stared straight ahead as if she hadn't heard him. He sat down on the opposite side of the table and reached over to grab both of her hands.

"Please, darling," he pleaded. "You gotta prove her wrong. Prove that you're really here. Please, eat. Just a bite."

He picked up the cutlery and placed it in her hands. She remained unmoving and tears ran down his cheeks.

"Please, try," he whispered. "For me."

He got no response. He watched her for two long minutes before finally drying his eyes and standing back up. She just needed time to fully become human again. He was sure of it. He picked up five bottles of water and walked down the stairs to the basement again. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Cyan was standing by the wall with her back turned towards him. The steak was still on the plate with the piece she had cut off having been left on the fork.

"Cyan?" He asked.
"There's a third option," she said.
"Third option of what?" He asked.
"When I die, everything I created will disappear," she said.

She turned around and he saw the steak knife in her right hand. He looked at her left arm and saw it was covered in blood.

"What did you do?" He screamed.

He dropped the bottles of water and ran to her. He got the knife out of her hand and tossed it aside before picking her up and forcing her upstairs. He dragged her over to the sink and turned on the cold water. She looked around and quickly saw the drawing on the counter. She grabbed it before he could react and tore it in half. He heard the sound and looked over at the table. His wife was no longer there.

"No!" He screamed.

He reached for Cyan but she duck under his arm and managed to grab the steak knife left at the table. She spun around and stabbed him in the thigh. He howled in pain and took several steps backwards. He grabbed the knife and tried pulling it out but that only made him scream even louder in pain. She ran towards him and rammed her entire body into him. He stumbled backwards and fell down the stairs to the basement. She heard him cry in pain all the way down. She appeared on top and looked down at him. He was still alive but one of his legs needed a lot of help to be put back together by how it had snapped.

"Cyan, please!" He begged. "I need help!"

She held up her left arm that was still red.

"Red paint and water won't fool a lot of people but someone desperate enough like you will buy it for a short moment," she said.
"Paint? You used paint?" He yelled. "You fucking bitch!"
"I had to do something," she said. "I'm also a vegetarian so fuck you a little extra for dinner."
"I'm gonna get you!" He snarled. "I'm gonna..."

He tried turning his body around to climb back up the stairs but let out another howl of pain. Someone started knocking rabidly on his front door and then the best words she could have hoped for reached her.

"Police! Open up!"

A smile spread on her face while panic spread on his.

"Did you hear that, Randy? It's the police," she said.
"Don't open!" He pleaded.
"It's rude to leave guests outside in the cold," she said.

She stepped away from the open door and walked towards the front door.

"No, get back here, you bitch!" He screamed. "Don't open the fucking door!"

She ignored him and opened the door. Several police officers were waiting outside and appeared happy to see it was her.

"He's in the basement," she said. "He needs an ambulance."

She looked around and saw a familiar face. Damian stepped out of a police car. She ran towards him and he ran towards her as well. He scooped her up in his arms and she finally broke down and started crying. It had only been a short while she had been gone but it had seemed so long for her. The thought of having to be locked up in the basement while drawing Randy's dead wife had seemed like her life moving forward just 15 minutes ago.

"I got you," he said.
"How did you find me?" She asked.
"He left his phone in your room. Police found him that way," he said.

She broke the hug and smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said.
"Don't mention it. Let's get out of here. We need to go to the police station first to answer some questions. We'll pick up some takeaway on the way home," he said.
"I'll draw you anything you wanna see as a thank you," she said.
"I've always wanted to see a giraffe," he said.
"Done deal," she said. "Although we have to draw it outside. Those things are huge, you know."

He chuckled, pulled her in for a another hug, and kissed the top of her head. A female police officer cleared her throat and they looked over at her.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

Damian looked down at Cyan who nodded back at him.

"We're ready," he said. "Let's get this over with so I can take you home where a warm bath is waiting along with however many drinks you need to tonight."
"At least 12," she sighed. "I can't help but feel bad for him. He's not a cruel man. He's a heartbroken man who did a cruel thing."
"He is cruel," he said. "His sorrow is no excuse for what he did and he'll go away for it."

She nodded again and took one last look at the house. An ambulance was pulling up to help Randy get up from the basement and have his leg treated.

"Let's go before he gets out. I don't want him to see me," she said.

They walked over to the police car and got inside. The female police officer got into the driver's seat and started driving them towards the police station. Cyan reached over and took Damian's hand.

"You're a good man, Damian," she said.
"And you're a good woman, Cyan," he said.
"The world doesn't always see it that way," she said.
"It's the classic tale of either fearing what is different or wanting to use and abuse it. That's why you came to us. It's a place for you to feel safe and loved," he said.
"It's everything I ever wanted," she smiled. "It's home."