The Dollhouse

Chapter 30: Escape

He fell asleep. I watched with wide eyes as his chest moved slightly up and down. I felt the slight breeze of his breath fall upon my head and felt the rhythm of his heart slow under my ear that lay on his chest.

It was go time.

I was unshackled. The door was unlocked. He was asleep and had been for at least 30 minutes.

I slowly moved inch by inch off of him and toward the edge of the bed. It was a tedious time consuming task, but I couldn't wake him. I needed him asleep for as long as possible to work on all of those locks , so that I could make my escape.

My body was taut with tension as I lumbered my way down, first my big toe making contact with the floor, followed by the rest of my toes, then the arch of my foot until finally my heel meet with the cool wood.

I closed my eyes and breathed out.

I slithered the rest of my body forward and off the bed until I stood still as a garden statue looking back at Liam.

Step one, getting out of the bed complete. I had made a checklist in my head to keep myself focused, so that I could follow through on my plan without error. I mentally checked off this feat and moved on to the next, exiting the bedroom.

His chest still rose and fell as it had moments before. His eyes remained closed. He was still asleep.

I padded silently across the floor, each step I took turning back to check if Liam was still asleep.

When I finally got to the door, I released the breath I had been holding quietly out my nose.

My hand grasped the cool metal brass doorknob and turned it slower than the seasons change, but I couldn't afford for it to make an utterance of noise.

Finally, when I had rotated the ball handle as far as it would let me I pulled open the door every so slightly, taking my time so that the hinges wouldn't squeak against one another. The whole time, I stared back over my shoulders at Liam. Still no movement.

I released the handle and ventured out into the dimly lit hallway.

I perked my ears to listen, but all was quiet.

Step two, exiting the room complete.

I tip toed along the runner quiet as a mouse.
The stairs were finally coming into sight. My chest swelled with hope, but that was quickly deflated when I heard the squeak of a door.

It had to be one of the dolls. I had left the bedroom open, so it couldn't be him.

I quickened my pace, but the floorboard beneath me squeaked, causing me to stop all movement.

"Going somewhere," a snide voice called out from behind me. Abby. Of all the dolls to run into, she was the one I feared the most would ruin my plan.

I turned to face her and saw her callous smirk plastered on her still done up face.

"I'm just getting a glass of water from the kitchen," I lied taking another step forward.

"No you're not," she said and gripped onto my hair pulling me back towards her. Before I could register it I gasped and voiced my pain, much louder than I I would've liked.

Still holding my hair, she pulled me so that my face could meet hers.

"Everything was great until you came along," she seethed hatred brewing in her blue eyes. "You've ruined everything," she all but shouted.

My panicked eyes raced towards my bedroom waiting for Liam to come lumbering out of it.

"Then let me leave," I begged. "I don't want him. I never did. He's all yours, just help me escape."