I paddedbarefoot across the dried leaves, the pebbles, and the scattered pine needles spread on the yard separating the house from the workshop. I wasn't used to walking around without shoes, so every single step hurt as something or another poked the delicate flesh on the soles of my feet. Pope's shirt went down to the middle of my thighs and covered me sufficiently, but I had never felt so exposed as a cool breeze ran along my bare legs. I had no shoes, no bra, no panties, and no idea what I was going to say to the man inside the workshop.
Opening the large wooden door slowly, I peeked inside the shadowed room cautiously. "Pope? Can I comein?"
His back was to me, and I could see he was aggressively sanding a large piece of wood. He was now wearing a flannel shirt, which he must have had in the shop. Over and over, his muscles flexed as he attacked the wood with every ounce of pent up energy he had. "It's going to be dark soon. I can fly you out of here now, but I would rather not fly these mountains tonight. The wind currents get tricky. It's safer if we wait until morning, but I also understand if you want to leave immediately." There was little emotion in his voice.
I walked into the workshop fully and shut the door behind me, closing myself in with a man I had thought was my captor only to find out that he was clueless. I had no idea what to say to him or where to even begin.
"I also understand if you want to call the police. I don't blame you." He sighed loudly and stopped sanding. His shoulders drooped as he looked down at his worktable. "I moved her here so this wouldn't happen again. I was doing everything I could so she wouldn't be able to hurt another person. But I was too fucking late." He spun around and stared at me as he leaned up against his workbench. "You don't know me, and I have no right to ask you to not report this, but my mother can't control Vivian. She really is a good person when she's Viv, but simply too weak to fight off Vivian. The woman who truly is my mother doesn't deserve to go to prison. In her condition, I worry it will killher."
I remained motionless and silent, taking in the man and trying to make some sense of what was goingon.
"I also understand that you may not believe me. It seems impossible that I had no idea how you got here. Fuck!" He ran his hand through his hair. "I had no fucking idea, and it kills me that I didn't. I knew she had the potential to do something awful again. I knew it, which is why I made this all happen. This house so far away from everyone so she couldn't hurt anyone." He looked at my bare feet and slowly ran his gaze from my feet to my eyes. "Are you okay? Did she hurtyou?"
I shook my head. "She didn't hurtme."
"You must be terrified."
I nodded.
"Demi, right?"
I nodded.
"I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't fix this fucked up situation, but I want you to know that I am so sorry."
"Why did she do this?" I asked softly.
Pope tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling as he released a deep breath. "I don't know." He looked back at me. "When I was thirteen, my mother suffered from what my father and I had assumed was depression. Then she was diagnosed as bi-polar, and then ultimately we were told she was a schizophrenic. My father tried everything. Medications, clinics, specialists, and even had her committed from time to time. But he couldn't lock away the woman he loved so much. The mother I knew, and the wife he loved, was not this Vivian who showed herself. And there were years that Vivian rarely was around. There was even a little girl personality who called herself Vivi." He paused and looked as if someone had just punched him in the gut. "Vivi hasn't been around for years. I think Vivian got rid of her, and I fear it's just a matter of time until Vivian gets rid of my mother completely. My mother has no control of her. And no matter how hard I tried to fix her, there was no fixing. I spent my entire adult life trying to make her healthy. I spared no expense. And every time, I failed. And just when I would get ready to give up on her and simply have her committed forever, the momma I loved would return. I would see the loving woman I cared so much for smile at me. I couldn't do it to her. I couldn't hurt my momma. There's a good side to her. A person who would never have kidnapped you. I know this must be impossible for you to believe."
