His Daughter

Chapter 22

"Drunken haze"

*Trigger warning- This chapter contains dark themes and sexual violence.

There was nothing after. Nothing. Greg called out to Ginny for hours, pleading and yelling, but the girl hadn't come back, leaving him alone in the dimly lit chamber. Gabbie had come by a few times, mainly with food and drink, however Greg would refuse every time. He was not going to drink or eat anything she prepared no matter how hungry or starved he might be. She wasn't much talkative either, leaving immediately after his refusals with no words exchanged. She kept quiet, not speaking to him at all. Her face was pale and stretched, her eyes puffy.

Greg did not feel like talking anyways. Having heard what he did from Ginny, his heart would not stop racing at the mere thought of Jenny being in danger. Was his wife really going to kill her? Was that the plan all along? What if Jenny was dead long before he got stuck here?

All of those questions stumbled around his head as he sat there in the damp and cold room. His clothes had soaked up the stench of rot, making him somewhat adjusted to the smell. Hours ago he felt as if his situation couldn't get any worse, but with whatever happened to Ginny, the possibility of his daughter being in the harm's way was making him beyond anxious. He was ready to play Gabbie's games till the end of time if that's what it took to keep Jenny safe, that's if she is still... alive.

The only hope for his worry-ridden brain was the words of the creature he spoke with. They implied that Jenny was in fact still alive, that he could protect her somehow... But how does a man tied up in a remote basement can protect anybody? He couldn't even protect himself. And why would he even believe the children? He's been nothing but tortured by them ever since the arrival, but now, all tied up and at Gabbie's mercy? He did not know who to believe. What to believe. It seemed that once enemy turned into a friend. But what about Gabbie? What was she protecting him from? Why would she want to hurt Jenny? There had to be something much bigger behind it than just simple mental illness. He had gotten mixed up in something so complex, that no matter how hard he would think of a possible cause for all of this, he could not find the answer.

His musings were interrupted by upstairs door opening, as Gabbie begun to descend down the stairs. She soon came to view, scruffy and tired as she appeared to be for the past few days, carrying his laptop under her arm. She didn't say anything, silently passing him, before she set up the device, promptly grabbing the chair and dragging it around. Greg yelped, surprised by her action as she continued to pull, having Greg completely turned around and facing his beloved computer. He was too far to even attempt to reach the keypad, but he could see the screen clearly.

-Gabbie?- he asked quietly, not sure what was the meaning of this. On the screen Gabbie put up movie, looking like a horror or at least a thriller. Now, Greg loved a good piece of cinematography, but the situation was less than fitting for him to appreciate the gesture. Gabbie pressed play silently, letting the movie play before she kneeled down, checking on the tape holding him to the chair. She seemed a bit displeased, soon turning around to the desk and rummaging through the drawers. She pulled out a roll of silver tape before swiftly turning around, wrapping his legs tighter, then moving on to his arms.

-Gabbie, please...- he pleaded, knowing deep down that she would not listen. She sent him a small sad smile before coming back to her task. Soon he was all wrapped up' the tape tight around his ankles and wrists as she stood up. She send him one last look, her eyes apologising silently, before leaving, almost floating up the stairs like some sort of phantom, leaving Greg alone with his movies.

It was torture. In any other scenario the man would probably at least semi-enjoyed the videos, but having been stuck in an eerily similar scenario, Greg struggled to find comfort in once beloved genre. Having witnessed two slashers and continuing through some kind of paranormal thriller, Greg couldn't help but apply the scenes out of the script to his own situation. How much closer would he get to reliving the stories of poor protagonists? Being chased and tortured by forces out of their control; being backstabbed by loved ones, mixed up in schemes bigger than their entire existence, or battling ancient evil so cruel only sacrifice could placate it. After all, he might as well play one of the characters.