In the morning Jeff woke me up like usual for breakfast except I was feeling unusually tired. As soon as Jeff unchained me I started rubbing my right wrist. I still wasn't used to the soreness the heavy metal cuff left behind every morning. Unlike every other morning though Jeff had stayed in my room. I met his eyes where he stood at the bedroom door. He did nothing but stare back. His forever unblinking eyes were blank and hard. After merely seconds I became uncomfortable and lowered my gaze. I threw my legs over the side of the bed with my stare still downcast. Jeff's eyes were honed in on me. I felt his gaze like rods of ice being speared into my soul. I don't know how long we stayed just like that. Minutes? Hours? Until finally I felt Jeff move in front of me. Still I kept my gaze on my wrists in my lap. Jeff broke the silence first. "Let me see," he demanded. His voice was as harsh as his gaze. I jumped a little at the sound, and then slowly raised my wrist into his palm. It was a strange sight how fragile and bony my delicate wrist looked against Jeff's large hand. I didn't look into his face as he inspected the red sore spots in my skin. "Look at me Lu," he spouted off another demand. This time I didn't move. "Lu," His voice had hardened even more so. I was still too scared to meet his gaze. Suddenly he snatched my chin in his hand yanked my head up to meet his gaze, and I abruptly shut my eyes. He squeezed my jaw in his fingers and I let out a yelp. "Open your eyes Lucy damn it!" he yelled into my face. I opened them quickly to see that his stare had turned dark. He gave my jaw a second squeeze, and instantly the vision of Jeff the Killer in front of me was distorted by my own tears.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Jeff asked still angry with me.
I replied with a helpless, "What?"
"Brilliant Lucy," I thought.
Jeff became even further irritated with me, "Your wrist Lucy, your wrist!"
"You didn't ask! I thought you'd noticed ages ago!" I cried back.
Jeff was silent, and our gazes remained locked.
"Why are you mad?" I asked quietly.
"Go shower. And change. And come right back."
He let go of my wrist and my jaw. I nodded at him. Jeff sat on my bed, eyes fixated on me still, as I grabbed leggings and a maroon sweatshirt from my nightstand. I walked down the hall into the bathroom shaken and perplexed. "Why would he be mad about something so small? Is he going to snap?" I thought. I brushed my teeth while I waited for the water in my shower to warm up. The girl I saw in the mirror resembled Lucy Fields. This girl had the same long curly hair and brown eyes. But her face was gaunt and her eyes had no luster. I sighed and stripped down for my shower. When I turned to the mirror I was shocked. I was skin and bones, smaller than a runway model. It was so disturbing to see my body in this state. I showered and got dressed. I looked in the mirror one last time noticing how large my sweatshirt looked on my body now. I walked back to my room defeated and even more exhausted than before. The shower was taxing on my body. When I walked in my room Jeff was sitting exactly where I had left him on my bed.
"Why won't you eat Lucy?" Jeff asked, but didn't look at me.
I stood frozen at the door. I was afraid to approach him.
"Why wont you talk to me Jeff?" I asked in a very level tone.
He shook his head and glared at me. "Have you seen yourself Lucy? Every morning you eat less and less. You have giant welts on your wrist and you haven't thought once to say anything. When I first brought you here you would've said something about that hurting long before now. What are you doing?" As he spoke he got louder and louder.
"I'm depressed Jeff... I want to die. What is there to live for? There are no friends. There is no school. There won't be college or family. My life is over Jeff. My life is over as long as I'm here." I thought, but I was too tired to explain myself. The overwhelming exhaustion wouldn't let me say so many words.
"Jeff," I mumbled helplessly as my knees buckled. I fell to my hands and knees panting. My body felt alien to me.
I was lifted into the air and placed on my bed. The last thing I can remember is the click of the cuff being locked around my wrist, and the weight of Jeff laying down on the bed beside me.
