Sebastian

Chapter Thirty-One

This chapter has 1178 words in it, and SEBASTIAN HAS REACHED OVER 21k!! I LOVE IIITTT :'D THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH, I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SO HARD! Above, there's a picture of MY Elmer, and I love him more than anything in the entire world, because he's always so happy to see me and he knows when I'm sad and he's just the best companion. I know I sound like a crazy cat lady saying that, but I don't care. Elmer is my baby. Anyway, again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO READ MY STORY! It seriously makes me feel sooooo loved. ILYYYYYYY

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Sebastian brought dinner up to his room, where he was sure to keep me contained in until he was sure I wouldn't leave. He always got me exactly what I wanted, but still, it didn't make me feel any better about being locked in a room day in and day out. Sebastian saw my slow descent into stir-craziness, and it took a toll on him as well; he became less enthusiastic throughout the day, more irritable, and he visited me less and less. I knew it was bugging him, but I was just as, if not more, bugged.

I woke up one day to music playing. I looked up, confused and groggy, and saw Sebastian fumbling with a CD player. He was cursing under his breath, obviously trying to get the music to a lower volume, and I cleared my throat to catch his attention, smiling at him. He whipped around, his eyes wide, and saw that I was awake. He noticed my smile and his face lit up in response; he was happy to see me smile, because it had been so long. He asked me to dance, to which I looked at him confusedly, and he laughed and changed the slow music into something more cheery and upbeat.

After that, things were a little easier. He visited more often again, and we danced together almost everyday. Still, I didn't understand why he insisted on keeping me in the same room, for well over a week. Surely, he didn't still think I'd run away? Another few days passed, and I fell into depression. He looked at me with irritation and pity in his eyes, and this made me even sadder. Then, he was absent for an entire day, and I went to sleep without getting so much as a "goodnight". At this point, I was already out of practice in feeling things. I knew I should've felt angry at his sudden disappearance, but I was particularly drained that day.

He was back the next morning, with an excited smile on his face. I looked at him, giving his jittery appearance a once-over before throwing the blanket back over my head. That was what I did most days: slept. I slept when the sadness became too much, I slept when the anger, which I was feeling less and less, became too much, and I slept through everything in between. So, despite his bright smile, all I was compelled to do was go back to sleep, to settle back into the slight indentation my body had made on the mattress from laying in the same spot so much.

He flipped the cover back over my face and kissed my cheek. I didn't react.

"Come here," He said, still smiling. I groaned, saying nothing, and turned my head deeper into the pillows. He laughed and tugged my arms, pulling me into a sitting position.

"Get dressed," He urged. "I'm done hiding you away."

I stared at him, uncaring. I had sunk into a spiraling, deep pit of depression, and I was numb to everything around me. When he held my hands, my heart ached, trying to create the flutter that always came with his presence. Instead, my brain made sure to stifle any emotion that threatened to come to the surface. It shoved it away, and left an indifference that was strangely comfortable and familiar. And when I could feel any emotion at all, it was only the essence of that emotion, never enough for me to cling onto. And it was always barely-there anger.

Sebastian was unfazed, and he let go of my hands and stood. My hands fell limply into my lap, and I stared at them. I heard his footsteps retreat until I couldn't hear them anymore; he didn't bother closing the door. I processed this information blandly.

When he came back, I didn't look at him. I felt him place something onto the bed in front of me, and my heart gave a weak, stuttered thump as I saw the bottom of a large box: a present.

"I understand that you're upset," He began. "I understand that I've kept you here, and I understand that what I've done is horrible and abusive, and that it was bound to leave its effects on you. But I was scared. Roy has been methodically attacking certain points in the wall that he knows are weak. This room you're in now? It's the safest room in my estate. In case he gets through." His voice was quiet, and I felt something a little stronger in my chest: worry.

"I know that you don't feel much of anything right now, and that the last thing you want to do is talk to me. But I was gone all day yesterday trying to find the perfect gift to bring you out of your sadness. And I truly think I've found the most perfect solution to the problems I've caused." His voice grew more excited, and I had to look up to see his expression; I couldn't help myself. It was bright, happy. I looked at the box, which was wrapped in shimmery purple paper, with weird dots on one side. He nudged the box over to me.

"Open it," He insisted softly. I slowly tore the wrapping paper off, and lifted the lid just enough for me to peek inside.

A pair of wide, green eyes met mine, and I gasped, my heart and my mind suddenly in tune with each other for the first time in weeks. My heart was beating wildly, and joy shot through me so hard I shook. A small part of my brain explained to me that the weird dots were holes, so he could breathe. I yanked the lid off, and a very scared Elmer shot out of the box, and bolted into the nearest corner. A shocked laugh escaped my throat, and I got out of the bed and bent down. I slowly made my way over to him, watching his little black nose twitch as he sniffed the air. He was hissing quietly.

"Elmy," I cooed. He sniffed, and his ears perked up ever so slightly, noticing my familiar scent. That was the things with cats. It took a while for them to really forget the scent of the person who fed them and petted them every day. When Elmer realized it was me, he took a few cautious steps towards me, keeping his eyes glued to Sebastian's every movement. I picked him up, ignoring his halfhearted meows of protest. I looked at Sebastian, my face half buried in Elmer's fur; he had gotten bigger since I'd last held him. Sebastian looked back at me with a smile on his face, and this time, I smiled back. He was right in assuming that he'd found the perfect solution. Just the sound of Elmer purring did wonders, and my wall of numbness was replaced with the familiar and absolute adoration I always held for my little black kitten.

"Thank you," I said, my voice still a little raspy from disuse. His grin widened, and he nodded.

"Not a problem."