Deeply Red

A night of celebration.

(Amy's POV)

"This must be a very confusing time for you, celebrating in the new year, and you're safe return...When you just went through four months of captivity, and whatever occurred there." My new therapist Hildreth (Hildi) Wulf begins from the chair adjacent to me. " I'm just here to listen to anything you have to say, if you want to say anything at all.. Or if you'd prefer, you can just enjoy some music, and tea with me."

"The latter sounds great, if you wouldn't mind?" I respond kindly, fiddling with the hem of my dress. "I'm very much talked out as it is from the police, and I should probably save my voice for tonight."

"Of course. You know you don't have to go tonight, I'm sure everyone would understand if you wanted to stay home. Your art could speak for itself. "

"No, I'm ready to do this. Once I get rid of these paintings I'm never selling another piece of my work, and hopefully once people know those paintings are out of my possession I'll finally be left alone," I explain.

"Okay, well here take this, and pick something to listen to," Hildi says handing me a tablet from the table between us. " It'll play through the bluetooth speakers in my ceiling."

Then she calmly leaves the room, and I turn my attention to the tablet in my hands. I quickly hit on a random playlist, and set the tablet back on the table. An upbeat tune begins to play softly through the speakers followed by Amy Winehouse's beautiful singing voice. I reach up touching the smooth pearl earrings behind my hair.

Thankfully the fire triggered the sprinkler system, so the police were able to save many things for evidence. Everything but that area of the basement, accelerant was used to burn the area where I was chained up. They think Jake likely saw them inclosing on him through the security cameras, and chose to burn himself alive instead of going to jail. I gave them a list of anything I might want from that place, I only asked for the pants that had these earings, and any of the paintings that survived. The investigators found Darrel's jacket, the map he made for me, and about seventy five bodies in different stages of decomposition in the large drums near Darrel's shack in the woods. They are still putting the pieces together to better understand what happened, and are waiting for things to process in the labs. Law enforcement are going through every crevice of the Anderson estate.

"Here ya go, I made some lavender mint tea," Hildi's voice breaks me from my thoughts. "I added some honey, trust me it's delicious."

"Thank you," I say grabbing the ceramic teacup from the table.

"No problem," she says sitting next to me on the small window ledge.

Neither of us say anything else for the remainder of our first therapy appointment. Hildi sips on her tea as she listens to music with me, and gazes out of her office building window. I'm glad she's willing to sit in silence with me, since it seems like everyone has about a billion questions to ask me right now. I think she knows that. We spend the next hour like that until it is time to go to my private art showing at Della's gallery.

"Would you like a ride?" Hildi asks as she locks her office door behind us.

"No, I drove myself here," I reply. "I'll just meet you there."

"Okay, drive safe."

We take the elevator down together, and go our separate ways in the parking lot. I make my way over to my dark blue geo metro, I unlock the door, and get in. I drive in silence during the thirty minute ride back to my hometown for the art show, and new years party that Della is throwing tonight. There's a few press vans parked outside the front entrance, so I quickly turn to park in the back employee parking lot. I wait as a few people cross the sidewalk before pulling up to the gate. I roll down my window, and slide my parking pass under the scanner. A second later the gate starts sliding open, and I pull in to the lot. I park my car, and quickly head inside the back entrance. I walk down a small corridor until I reach the door marked 'Gallery by Della', I type in the passcode next to the door, and walk in. I enter into the far end of the storage room, and make my way through rows of covered up sculptures, piles of frames for paintings, and shelves of artwork. Eventually I reach another door, and turn it's handle, flinging it open.