Chapter 18: Sam's Escape Part 2
The clink of the chains as they fall to the ground resounds through the quiet, dark room. Maria stands before me, her hands still gripping the ancient brass key that has just liberated me from my latest shackles. My heart hammers in my chest, hope and fear intermingling in a heady cocktail that has my head spinning.
"Oh, Maria! Thank you... I-"
Words fail me as I lunge for her, wrapping my arms around the housekeeper's frail but surprisingly sturdy frame. She pats my back, and I can feel the soothing warmth of her compassionate heart.
"There, there, carina," she coos softly. "Time is essence. You must hurry, child."
I nod, swiping at the tears trailing down my cheeks. Maria steps back and ushers me toward the door of Vincent's luxuriously ominous bedroom. My feet are unsteady as I pass the threshold, the memory of his voice still echoing off the walls, leaving a residue of visceral fear.
The corridor is adorned with portraits of Vincent's ancestors, each face staring down at me with the same dark eyes that haunt my every thought. I pass them quickly, heeding Maria's advice to not dally.
The scent of lilacs teases my senses before I see it-the shrine, draped in purple hues, the music box's melancholy tune seeping under the closed door and winding its way into my soul. I close in and reach for the handle, twisting it... only to freeze at the sound of heavy, menacing footsteps approaching.
I turn, my breath catching, and there he stands-Vincent, his eyes ablaze and his body rigid with fury.
"Samantha," he growls, and there's an edge to his voice that chills me to the core. "Where do you think you are going?"
I take a step back, the brass key pressing into my palm, reminding me of my slim chance at freedom. "I was just-"
"You were just what, cara mia? Attempting to slither away from me?" The corner of his lip curls in a sneer as he stalks forward, the shadows dancing wildly behind him.
"I I needed to-"
"Silence!" Vincent's command slices through the air, and I flinch. "You belong to me. There's no use fighting."
Before I can respond, the patter of small feet captures my attention, and there's Joey, his eyes wide and his lip trembling. "Mommy, why you leave me?"
The word 'mommy' feels like a knife in my chest, the boy's innocent plea warring with the inherent terror of his lineage. "Joey, I-"
But Vincent's massive hand ensnares my wrist, and his other arm wraps around me, dragging me close against his towering frame. "No more running, Sam."
His breath is hot against my ear, and I'm acutely aware of the weight of his body pressed against mine. "Please," I whimper. "Just let me go."
Joey looks at me as he glares and then laughs coldly.
"No mommy we won't let you go you stay with daddy and me" He says as Vincent's smiles as dark grin at his son.
Turning back to me, Vincent smirks, his gaze wandering over the fresh marks on my skin. "You'll stay with us. In the basement. Until you learn," he hisses, his grip relenting only to seize my hand and drag me away from the door, away from hope, and down into the darkness waiting below.
I stumble, my heart breaking as the door to Ambrogio's sanctuary remains unopened, its secrets and my salvation locked once more. "Please, Vincent, this isn't love! It's madness-"
His laughter reverberates against the stone walls as we descend. "Love, madness... they're but two sides of the same coin, my dear Samantha."
The basement looms in front of me-a renewed prison where tears and supplications fall on deaf ears. Imprisoned in a world of cold stone and Vincent's maddening desires, I feel the flicker of resilience smolder within me, waiting for a chance to ignite.
I collapse onto the hard floor, Vincent's looming presence and Joey's bewildered stare the last things I see before the door closes, plunging me into an inescapable void.
"Goodnight, my dark little angel," Vincent whispers through the keyhole, and all that's left is the echo of a lullaby that sounds suspiciously like a funeral dirge.
