Anna

48 - The Finale

Content warnings: manipulation, intense name-calling, and mentions of rape.

Ellie had nothing to lose. But, at the same time, everything was on the line: her sanity, her progress, herself.

Walking into prison a second time was as daunting as the first, if not more so. Ellie knew what to expect, but so did He. Her previous failure gave Him more power. It wasn't enough to tell Him she was free. In combination with showing her newfound strength, she also had to find a way to break Him down.

Standing in front of the gray cinder block walls and the metal door left Ellie paralyzed. She knew who waited for her on the other side, but the presence of the three people she loved most in the world thawed her body frozen in place.

"I'm ready," she said as she stood with her hands at her side, stiff as a board. Combined with the device the cops fitted onto her ear so she could hear what was going on from the other side of the wall, she was surprised to find that she actually felt ready. A gentle hand rested against her shoulder and warmed her chilled skin through her shirt. Tessa's soft eyes stared down at her.

"We'll be with you the whole time," she said, sounding eerily similar to what she heard the first time they were there.

Her eyes traveled from Tessa, past Joe, and settled on Freya, who brought her wit this time around.

"I've been to prison for you twice now. Don't make it a third."

Ellie took in deep breaths as she stared down the door. If she stared long enough, she thought it might open on its own. But she would have to open it herself. Her palm slowly rose to the handle and clutched the cold metal, but she did not turn it. Instead, she turned back to her family.

Joe stepped up and took her hands in his. The pressure of his fingers squeezing her knuckles reminded her of escaping from Freya's studio. He wanted her to trust him, and she did. Now she knew that he trusted her, too.

"You're going to go in there, sit down, and show him how strong you are. Because you are Ellie. You can do this."

Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded her head. She sucked in a breath, replaced her palm on the door handle, and released the air from her lungs. Charging in thoughtlessly like she did last time wouldn't do her any good. She needed to go in calmly and with a level head, if that were even possible.

"I can do this."

She slowly turned her wrist, sensing the latches click out of place from inside the handle. The crack between the door and the frame grew as she pushed her way inside. With one last glance towards Joe, Tessa, and Freya, she stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind her. Every movement after came with a deliberate breath.

She took the first step forward, then another. Breathe.

The chair scraped against the concrete floor, and she sat. Breathe.

She lifted her head to look at His face, but she could not meet His eyes. Don't forget to breathe.

To her surprise, He didn't look the same. Perhaps she was too afraid to see it the first time, but He looked worn down, like karma and justice finally caught up to Him. Thin, toilet-stained hair stuck out to the side to reveal an oily scalp peppered with dark sun spots. A thinning face showed signs of fatigue.

Scanning everything but His eyes, her sight fell on the thick frames that rested against a crooked nose. She forgot He wore glasses.

Unlike the first time, she did not declare her worth and intentions right away. She didn't need to. Instead, she held her blank stare at the face that haunted her, and He stared back. The longer she stared, the more His sneer faded, until they were locked in a silent battle. He may have been Goliath, but she was David. Better yet, she was Ellie.