The dense gas made it hard to see in the room, but it doesn't help that this place didn't have a single ventilation system other than the door. You could see the disappointed look on Steve's face even if it was almost fully covered up. It was as if what he wanted didn't turn out the way he wanted it to. On the upside, Vanessa seemed to calm down. Her movements were minimal to none at all. Steve looked down at the floor and swang his feet around lightly. "What am I doing wrong? I did everything right. I was supposed to see inside your mind. We're the papers all a huge lie to prank me, children didn't die for this to not work a couple of decades later..."
Steve's eyes shot open as if he had a revelation. "Maybe it's because I'm not him..." His look slowly twisted into fear. Steve slowly stood up, trying to comprehend what he had just muttered to himself. “Maybe it’s because I’m not him. I will never be that sick fucking bastard. I'll never be him.” He repeated the words, like a mantra. He looked down at Vanessa. “You don't understand do you? Of course you don't, this shit is nightmare gas and a really fucking brilliant guy made this so he could feel the fear of children. And I was here thinking that I could see your fears like a dumbass. You are an adult woman, I am not a professional. And this gas is fucking expired like a 3 week old milk” It seems that he was just shouting whatever came to his mind to poor old Ness like a madman.
Vanessa's eyes fluttered, opening and closing into consciousness, her vision was blurry from all the gas. She coughed and gagged, trying to sit up, but the ropes around her weak limbs held her down firmly. "W-What... what happened?" she rasped, the sound of her own voice echoing in the dusty air.
Steve rushed over to her, "Miss Monroe it's okay, it's okay, it's okay." He was trying to sound soothing, but the tremble in his voice betrayed his own fear. "It's okay, you're okay." He grabbed a damp cloth and began to wipe the sweat and gas residue from her face. "It's okay," he repeated over and over, under his breath, as if trying to convince himself more than her.
"Dude please... get these off me, it hurts like hell." she whispered but loud enough for Steve to understand what she had said. Steve nodded quickly, fumbling with the knots. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I mean no harm, I am sorry Miss Monroe." he murmured under his breath. Once the ropes were loose, Vanessa sat up, taking deep, ragged breaths. She looked around the room, her heart racing. "Why did you tie me up?"
Steve took a step back, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "I... I thought you were-” he stopped himself, “Nevermind, you wouldn’t understand.” He swallowed hard, his voice cracking.
Steve took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “After you start feeling better, we will send you back to your family, and everything will go back to normal. We will help you." Vanessa looked away. “I don't understand, what do you mean, help? I was just sleeping.”
Her body was covered in dried blood and bruises, she could barely walk or even stand still. But she still knew exactly where she was, the familiar scent of her aunt was creeping closer to her every small step she took to get back home, she was so close, she had to keep on going. Vanessa fell down to her knees as her shoes reached her front yard. Janette must've seen her from the window, she came running to Ness, Jane dragged her niece to the living room. And laid her down on the soft and comfy couch. Vanessa starts crying “Aunt Jane I don't remember.” Her Aunt looked at her, “Don't worry Vanessa I'll call the ambulance, please don't move or talk, it'll hurt more and I don't want that for me.” Vanessa grabbed Jane's phone away from her hands “It's okay Janette it doesn't hurt anymore. Could you please give me a bath like you used to when I was a little kid?” Janette gulped, her voice trembled, “Are you sure?” Ness nodded “Yes this is exactly what I need right now.”
Janette, with a heavy heart, agreed solemnly. She knew in her heart and in her sober mind calling an ambulance was the right thing to do, but she also knew her niece's plea was more than just a physical need for comfort. "Alright," she said, her voice still trembling. "Let's get you cleaned up."
She helped Vanessa up gently, supporting her as they made their way to the bathroom. The warm and soapy water washed away the dirt and the blood, Jane poured some water on Vanessa's back using a small bucket. “I remember when you were eighteen you came running to me with your tail between your legs, looking just like this but I guess with more tackier hair.” Janette let out a small fake giggle, “I don't blame you, if Wilson was my father I would've moved to a different country already.”
“I have never even considered Wilson as a father, he deserved what happened to him.” Jane stood up to grab some shampoo from a shelf. “But you know if he didn't exist in the first place, Juliet wouldn't even be born too. Isn't she your whole life?” Ness looked down. “Maybe in another universe, we would've had Juliet even without Wilson, and a much nicer guy that wouldn't hurt anyone.” She sighed, it was strong enough to cause ripples in the bathtub water. “Do you also mean Robert by wouldn't hurt anyone” Vanessa looked at Janette with her eyebrows raised as words started falling from her mouth. “Well duh, what else would it mean, they're both shitty people that hurt people.”
“Before you were born Robert was such a nice guy, I miss that version of him.” Jane drizzled some shampoo on Ness, short hair. “But he is a criminal now, 5 kids were almost killed because of his insanity.” Vanessa leaned a little to make it easier for Janette to wash her hair. “It sometimes feels like I lost the jackpot of having a happy life. My real dad is a maniac, step dad was abusive, my mom killed herself because she couldn't handle my step dad's abuse. Juliet and you are the only family I have.” Jane tucked her sleeves and hugged her. “Don't worry Vanessa, you are twenty three and you have at least a few more decades to live a happy life.”
“You're reaching to make me feel less sad, you know that I'm not gonna reach my thirties.” Jane has tear drops in her eyes as Vanessa finishes her sentence. “Then, you gotta try to be happy in the few years you still have and then decide if you want to live. Isn't that the point of living? You are very strong Vanessa, you're the strongest girl I know, and I know a lot of girls.” Ness rolled her eyes. “I'm not strong, you are just blatantly lying to make me feel better about myself. I'm fat, ugly and super suicidal, if I weren't I wouldn't be sitting here trying to clean off my own blood.”
Jane wanted to comfort Vanessa but she was blocking Jane off. “Well then, if I'm not convincing enough, I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't do, you are an adult. But promise me something Vanessa.” Ness looked at Janette as she leaned closer to her. “Promise me that before if you are going to kill yourself, you better take good fucking care of our sweet Juliet.” Vanessa nodded solemnly, feeling a lump form in her throat making it hard to breathe. “I promise, Aunt Jane. I’ll do everything I can for her until I can't take it.” She closed her eyes. “Thank you for being such a good friend,” she whispered.
After a few moments of silence, Janette spoke up again, her voice
a little stronger. “Now, let’s get you out of this tub before you turn into a prune. And maybe we can talk more about this later, okay?” She helped Vanessa stand up, as she stepped out of the tub, her legs felt wobbly. She covered herself up with a towel and ran to her room as fast as her body would let her. Jane was left in the dust to clean the bathtub.
She reached into her pocket and dialed the number. “Hey, it's me Janette. Yeah she's home safely, honestly I don't know how I could even thank you Shelly. I also don't know how to explain this to Jilly, but I guess I have to do as you say and hope it works out.” Jane paused listening to the response on the flipside. “I guess so. Shelly um I wonder if you could help me with something. Last month a bad guy broke into our house and tried killin' me and I did what I had to do. And you know I wonder if you could cover it up, since I don't want to deal with the police, it's too much work.” She nodded as she heard the person on the other side. “Oh thank you Shelly you are the closest thing we have to an angel in this cursed world.”
“A true angel.”
Vanessa laid on her hard but comfortable mattress as she stared at her cracked ceiling, there was nothing else she could do in the moment but to just stare. She couldn't remember and preferred not to. Her lungs huffed and puffed, it felt like she hadn't had breathable air for years. Ness felt so relaxed until the voice of her mother whispered into both of her ears “It's me.” Her body jumped as an automatic response. She looked around as she found herself on the cold concrete floor of the basement. Vanessa stood up, it was dark but she didn't think much of it as Ness walked towards the open door leading to the first floor.
