Dollhouse { 𝓑𝔁𝓑 }

{ ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 I }

His voice was deep and husky, sending a shiver down Etienne's spine.

He extended his inked hand out, gently rubbing his thumb over Etienne's bottom lip. The touch was unsettling, sending a jolt of fear through Etienne. He flinched, trying to move away, but he found himself frozen under the man's icy stare.

"Such a soft little thing," he murmured. "You really don't belong in a place like this, do you?" He leaned in closer, his icy eyes staring into Etienne.

Etienne struggled to catch his breath, his wide pale blue eyes looking up at the man's icy eyes. Who is he?.... The questions raced through his mind, but he couldn't form them into words.

"Don't be scared, little one," the man murmured, his thumb still resting on Etienne's bottom lip. "I'm not here to hurt you."

A smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.

"But you need to understand your situation. Your daddy's mistakes have consequences, and you-"

He leaned in even closer, his breath warm against Etienne's cheek, smelling faintly of mint and bitter tobacco,

"—are the price he's willing to pay."

The price? Etienne's heart raced. He swallowed hard, trying to find his voice.

"P-please, d-don't.... hurt me.. m-mister," he finally managed to whisper.

The man stood there, silent for a moment, head tilted slightly as if Etienne's words were a curiosity to him rather than a plea for mercy.

"Hurt you?" he repeated, voice calm—too calm.

His expression softened for a brief moment, as if he were genuinely considering Etienne's plea.

"That all depends on your pathetic excuse of a father," he said. "And right now, he's in deep trouble. Do you know what's going to happen next?"

Tears stung the corners of Etienne's wide, pale blue eyes as he took an unsteady step back.

"No..." he breathed. "No, no, no—"

His fingers clenched the bunny in his hand, his knuckles white. He jerked away from the man's inked hand.

The floor groaned beneath his feet as he stumbled backward. He turned and bolted up the staircase, the soft thud of his bare feet echoing in the narrow hall.

Below him, the silence broke.

"Boss?"

One of the men took a step forward as he reached out to grab Etienne but before the man could make contact, the man in the black suit interrupted.

"Let him."

The man stood still, his head tilted slightly upward, watching Etienne clumsily run up the stairs with his stuffed bunny against this chest.

"But Boss—what if he—?"

"He's not going anywhere."

His eyes remained locked on the stairs.

"Let the rabbit run."

A slow exhale.

"Fear makes the cage tighter."

Behind him, no one dared move.

Etienne slammed the bedroom door shut behind him and shoved his body against it, shaking, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could barely think.

The scent of dust and old wood filled his nostrils. He had been given away. Thrown to the wolves. And now the devil downstairs had his scent.

He touched the cross pendant around his neck, for comfort, trying to muffle his sobs against his bunny's soft ears as he sank to the floor.

"F-Father... p-please... protect m-me," he whispered, voice shaking. He closed his eyes, focusing on the faint rhythm of his breath, trying to drown out the panic rising within him.

Suddenly, Etienne's heart skipped a beat. The creak of heavy footsteps echoed up the staircase, growing louder with each step. His chest tightened. He is coming.

The footsteps stopped just outside his door.

No, no, no, he thought, clutching the bunny tighter to his chest. He pressed himself against the door, his entire body trembling.

A soft knock. Then a pause.

"Come out, Etienne," the man in suit said. "You don't want us coming in there, do you, hm?" A pause. "Open the door, little one."

The tears Etienne had been holding back spilled over, streamed down his pale cheeks, but he didn't dare make a sound. His fingers gripped the bunny so tight it hurt.

Father, help me, he thought. He pressed the cross pendant tighter to his chest, a silent prayer escaping his lips, Please... please protect me from this scary mister.

"Break it."

"Yes, boss."

Etienne's breath hitched. His survival instinct kicked in. He dropped to his knees, crawling across the room, and threw himself beneath the bed—shoving his tiny frame in the small dark space. He pressed his hand over his mouth to not make a noise.

CRACK.

Then—footsteps.

The creak of polished leather shoes against aged wood echoed across the floor.

Etienne curled tighter under the bed, his entire body trembling. Dust stung his nose.

Please don't find me. Please don't find me, he thought, his hand still pressed tight over his mouth.

"Tsk. Such a messy little thing."

That deep voice again. Cold as ice.

"Where are you hiding, little white rabbit?" he murmured. "Hmm? What are you so afraid of? You think I'm going to hurt you?"

Etienne clutched his bunny tighter, his body shaking uncontrollably. The air felt thick, as the footsteps drew closer to the bed.

"Come on now," he continued. "There's no need to make this harder than it has to be. We're just gonna have a little talk." He paused. "Don't make me drag you out by your fucking ankles, Etienne I'll do it. But I won't be nice about it."