Split

Decisions

I woke up to Hedwig staring at me from across the room and almost jumped out of my skin. He looked startled as well and took a hesitant step closer to me, "hey, Miss Patricia told me not to see you... she said we made a mistake... said you weren't good for us... what's wrong with you?"

I sat up a little, "why am I not good for you?"

"Uh... she didn't tell me, she said that you don't fit in... I don't know what that means."

I looked at the floor then back at him, "do you know what their plan is? What we're doing here?"

"Mr. Dennis and Miss Patricia said that the beast is coming and..." he looked around sheepishly as if expecting someone to be listening and lowered his voice, "they said that he wants those girls. They don't matter and so he wants them."

"Wants them for what?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

He shrugged enthusiastically and grinned at me, "Mr. Dennis said you can't leave, they talk about you... they said you've seen too much."

"What are they going to do with me, Hedwig?"

He shrugged again, half heartedly this time, "Miss Patricia said that you need to be taken care of but Mr. Dennis didn't like her saying that."

"So she wants to kill me?"

His eyes wandered around the room, clearly bored of the questions, "I dunno. Mr. Dennis will be back soon, I need to go."

He didn't say goodbye or look back as he left the room, and I lay back down. What was going to happen to me now?

A few minutes later the door opened once more and Dennis walked in. He didn't look at me while he strode up to my bed and cleared his throat, "Patricia thinks that it would be best if you were killed without anyone knowing," I blinked at the bluntness and his eyes flicked to mine, "I suggested that we keep you here for now until we figure out a better solution. Neither option is ideal, I know, but you gotta choose one."

I frowned, "what do you mean 'better solution'?"

"Well... we're not sure yet... one that doesn't involve you dying."

I nodded slowly, "why keep me alive? Isn't it easier to just kill me?"

He looked away guiltily, "Patricia thinks that that's the best thing to do but... the beast wants the broken to survive... we don't want you dead, we want you to live."

"So what happens if I decide to live here? Until you figure out what to do with me?" I couldn't keep the sarcastic tone from my voice and his cool eyes returned to my face.

"We keep you fed and comfortable. No harm will come to you as long as you live by our rules and we will... treat you with respect." He seemed to struggle at the last part, maybe something Patricia had warned him about in a previous conversation.

"And I'll be safe from... the beast?"

"The beast doesn't want you. You're pure, you don't need to make that sacrifice."

"And I'll just live here... with you guys? And be expected to be okay with the girls that are kept here to sacrifice to this 'beast' person?"
He said nothing, just glared at me. "Don't you see what you're asking of me?"

"I'm giving you a chance to get out of this, I can't do anymore than that," there was worry in his eyes and I could tell that it had taken a while to convince Patricia to agree to this.

I shook my head in frustration, "fine. If it means I don't die, fine. But I don't want anything to do with the beast, and don't think that I won't stand up for those girls if it comes to it."

Dennis gave me an understanding nod before turning and leaving, "I'll let Patricia know of your decision."
He shut the door behind him and left me wondering what the hell I'd just agreed to.