Split

She's Mad

I waited around the whole day for someone to come back but they didn't. My stomach was growling and I was feeling light headed, so I had been lying down for the past few hours to try to feel better.
When Patricia finally arrived with food, it was just a few slices of bread and a glass of water. She mused at the look of disappointment that must have been on my face, "you were warned. Maybe if you speak to Hedwig for me then you might get a better meal."
I kept my mouth shut and she took the plate away, leaving me to snatch the bread off as quickly as I could.
"Do I need to take your drink too?"

"I don't know what I could say to make him want to help you."

"Well you'd better figure something out, I'm sending him to you tomorrow."

"I don't know what you want me to do, I don't know what to tell him."

"That's not my problem. You'll figure something out," she left me with my bread and water, trying to figure out what I was going to say to Hedwig.

Later that night Hedwig cautiously opened the door, waking me up from a restless sleep.
"Hey..." he whispered, walking over to me and sitting on the sofa next to me.

"Hey."

"Miss Patricia said you wanted to speak to me."

"I think she wants me to ask you about helping her again."

He quickly shook his head, "uh-uh, I'm not gonna do that again, you were right, Dennis said so."

"I know I'm right, but we'll be in trouble if we don't do it..."

"No, I won't do it. I'm not doing it, you can't make me!"

"No, I can't make you, but Patricia thinks I can."

He shrugged, "I said to her that I didn't want to. She got mad..."

"I know. She's mad at me for telling you the truth."

"I don't like being lied to. That's not what friends do."

"I know. Could you bring Dennis out?"

He seemed to understand that this was serious and nodded before screwing his face up.
Dennis was soon looking back at me with dull eyes and I hugged him, "what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, she's not letting me into the light at all, I only have a few minutes before she realises I'm talking to you."

"Can't Hedwig keep you here?" I asked, letting him go to look at him.

"He's scared of her, he doesn't know that he's the reason this was all possible... but he won't listen to me. He let's Patricia have the light, this is all working because of him and Patricia isn't strong enough to take the girls herself, that's why she needs me."

I sighed, "all the time you two aren't helping her no more girls are hurt, that's all that matters."

"I'm... afraid that she's going to hurt you."

"If I have to die so that no more girls have to suffer then I don't care."

"But then what will I have to live for? I'll be back to having no one and I might as well be helping Patricia."

"Don't say that, you'll be okay."

"No, I... I need to go, Patricia is going to notice. I'll try and see you soon," he held my chin between his fingers and kissed me before sighing and moving back, Hedwig replacing him in a blink.

"I'm scared..." Hedwig whispered and I tilted my head.

"I know, but the only reason she's doing this is because you keep giving her the light."

"She'll be angry with me if I don't."

"But she can't hurt you, you don't have to listen to her. Just don't let her-"

"She knows," he said, expression filled with panic, "she's mad, I need to go!"

"Hedwig wait!" I stood up as he did but he hurried out of the room before I could grab him.
I paced nervously, rubbing my arms to try and calm down.

"Casey!" I heard from outside and I collapsed back on the sofa, preparing myself for what was about to happen. The door burst open and Patricia stormed towards me, "you were walking on thin ice as it was and now you pull this little stunt! I told you to talk to Hedwig, not see Dennis behind my back! You're coming with me, now!" She grabbed my arm, making me yelp, and dragged me through the corridor. She unbolted a door to my right and pushed me in. It was dark inside but I saw that it was a store closet when the light of the hallway had illuminated the room.
"Now you're to stay here until I think you deserve to come out. And just in case you get too comfortable, your blonde friend died in here."
My insides tightened as she shut the door and locked me in, leaving me to blink desperately in the dark.
I walked forward and leaned against the door, feeling for the handle in a hopeless attempt to get out. I wasn't expecting it to open and it didn't, so I just stood there leaning against to cool wood.
There had to be a light switch somewhere in here.
I ran my fingers up the wall each side of the door and, sure enough, there was the switch. I clicked it on and squinted around the room, it was small and cold, and I could just about make out a darker patch on the floor where the blood must have been left to soak.
I went to the corner furthest away from the stain on the concrete and sat down, uncertain on how I'd be getting myself out of this one.