The House in the Woods

Owen, I think your dad may be Crazy

Sara POV

Joshua comes back to the bedroom to get me. The hunger in his eyes is evident.

"Let's go to the study. I have something for you," he says grabbing my arm and guiding me out of the room. My guards follow behind him.

When we get to the study, he turns me around to face and places a hand on face before saying, "I have spent years thinking about you and where we went wrong. I have listened to a lot of music since to find song to tell you how much you mean to me. Did you get my emails over the past few weeks? I know that I have treated you poorly in the past, but I think that the past can be put behind us. I found the most special one and saved it for us to dance to tonight. Still Loving You by the Scorpions, they did a version with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra that I think you will love."

I just stare at him. He cannot be serious. He pushes some buttons on a remote control and the room fills with music.

"Come dance with me, my sweet, to our song," Joshua says as he puts out his hand.

When I hesitate, he grabs my arm, and says, "Don't be like this. I am willing to show you that I have changed, but you have to meet me halfway."

I allow him to pull me close, and I put my hands around the back of his neck. As much as the move repulses me, I know that the only way to put an end to his reign of terror is to touch him enough to transfer the poison.

"You smell so good baby," Joshua says. With every sniff, closer to my goal.

The song ends, and he leans down to kiss me. I pull back, only have him jerk my neck back to him. "Do not pull away from me. I have poured my heart out to you with this dance. Are you telling me that you would deny us a fresh start?"

"What will you do if I defy you, Joshua? You think I am going to willingly come back into your arms after everything that you have put me through?" I ask.

"Are you going to stay hung up on the past? I am willing to forgive your deception," Joshua says pushing me down on of the couches. He sits down next to me and pulling me close to him.

"What are you talking about forgive my deception? You kidnapped me, and I got away" I say in a slow simmering voice.

"Lindy, Lindy, Lindy are you going to try and play Sara James with me? I KNOW that you know who you are. Were you playing me as a fool back then too, or did you just recently figure it out?" Joshua asks stroking my leg.

When I don't answer him, he slaps me.

"Lindy, you don't want to make me angry, do you?" Joshua says.

I look at him and say, "I need a drink before we get into this."

Joshua looks at mockingly and says, "Does Sara want vodka?"

I look him in the eyes and say, "I think the night calls for the Glenfiddich. Isn't that what you normally drink on special occasions?"

Joshua laughs and says, "And she's back. I knew it. I knew it deep in my soul. How did you pull it off, Lindy? Who helped you?"

I have practiced the scripted answer that we would give Joshua and know it backwards and forwards. Alexander said that he knew what questions Joshua would ask. I am able to keep my face void of all emotion when I say, "I have no idea who "helped me", Joshua. Nine and a half years ago, I awoke from a coma and had no memory at all. I was told that I had been in a car accident and had been in a coma for six months. I had people come into the room and telling me that they were my parents and my fiancé. They were distraught over the fact that I could not remember them. The doctor explained that I had experienced severe head trauma and that I had source retrograde amnesia," I say quietly.

I continue saying, "I was in the physical therapy for six months. My fiancé left me when the doctors told us that we would never be able to have children. I moved in with my parents, they told me stories of my childhood, but had no pictures because there was a house fire when I was a teenager and they lost everything. I went to a special school to learn all of the things to prepare me to go to college. I worked hard to regain the knowledge that I lost and then I went to college, graduated, and got an accounting job. Then you and I met one day on an elevator."

"Three months ago, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and I will probably be dead in two. Congratulations, Joshua, you got me back. Are you going to care for me on my deathbed?" I say as a take a drink of the whiskey he poured.

Joshua says, "Oh sweetie, how you must have suffered. Not knowing who you were, and especially thinking that you were going to die. I apologize for everything, but I have some great news. You don't really have a tumor. That was just a way to get you to take the medication that had developed to cure your amnesia. I did it to bring back to me, to make us a family again. I love you."

I can no longer hold the tears back that have been building up, "You love me. Just kill me now, Joshua, because I don't think that I can survive another recovery from your love. How many years have you stolen from me? You took my son from me. You thought you killed me, and you sat him down and had a drink with him."

Joshua just stares at me like I have lost my mind. I start to laugh because the look is priceless. I lost my mind so long ago.

"Lindy, you can have Owen back in your life. I am having him brought here so we can tell him the wonderful news that you are alive and that we are getting back together. We will be a family again. Every child dreams of their parents getting back together," Joshua says.

I pour another drink, and slam it down. Hopefully the alcohol will keep me from breaking the bottle and stabling him with it. Natural causes or Owen dies. Natural causes or Owen dies.

I breathe slowly, keep the facial expression. I finally say, "You realize that your son is not going to greet you with open arms. He hates you already, but he will show no mercy because you took Sang. What were you thinking? You need to let her go."

Joshua grabs me by the hair and back hands me across the face as he screams, "ENOUGH, you think you can tell me what to do, Lindy? You never know when to shut up and be a dutiful wife. Why do you always have to make me so angry and ruin every special moment that I try to create for you?"

He stands and pulls me up from the couch, "The boys won't be here for a few hours. It is time for you to greet me properly."

I hesitate. I know that I have to go through with this. I have to let him touch me enough to have the poison transfer from my body to his, but my mind keeps going back the pain and torture. I stutter, "I cannot do this."

Joshua looks at me and says, "You will, or I will just go down the hall and find Sang. She is a little young for me, but if what you say is true and Owen already hates me what do I care what he would think. She actually reminds me of you when we first met."

I look at him meekly and say, "I am sorry to make you so angry, Joshua. Please forgive."

"That's more like it. Let's go, my sweet," Joshua says as he drags me from the room.

When we get to the bedroom suite, Joshua opens the door and pushes me through. He stops and turns to his guards and say, "Every one of you will lose your jobs if we get interrupted by any intruders."