Stockholm Syndrome

Prologue

The sounds overwhelm me and I don't know what to do. I watch as the people swarm around me talking, but I can't hear them, for I am watching the screen. I see myself in the recording, but what I see is not what I remember. I look at the woman with hope in her eyes.

    "That's not me," I state matter of factly, but I can't even convince myself. I see myself and I know that it's me, but it didn't happen. I see the hope drain from the woman's eyes.

    "Come on Laney, don't you remember?" A tall blonde boy asks me with desperation evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry, but um, that's not what happened. And my name is not Laney." I look down, not wanting to see the pain in his eyes. He seemed familiar, it was hard to hurt him, but there was nothing I could do. They had the wrong girl. The doctor ushers them out of the room again and I hear her whisper to them as they leave,

"We can try again tomorrow." Then I am left once again in the white room with nothing, no one. Again, I am alone, and that is how I like it. I sigh as I walk back to my stiff bed, and close my eyes, prepared for another night of restless sleep.

              .....................................................................................................

2015

"Margaret Anne Walker,  I swear if you do not get up now, you will go without supper. Is that really what you want?" I look up at the man with pain in my eyes.

"No sir, I am sorry," I say quietly, getting up to join the rest of the family for dinner.

"Good girl," he says softly, yet stern as he leads me from my room. I get to the dining area and see the rest of the kids as they smile at me with pity. I smile for their sake, but I can't hide the pain from them. They heard the screams, they can see the bruises, there is no hiding the abuse in this house and that is exactly how Mr. Walker likes it. He says we have to learn from our mistakes, that we should wear the pain as a reminder for next time, and he is right. At first, I didn't understand, but after a short amount of time, I had learned that he did it for us. To save us from an eternity in Hell. I earned the scars, I earned the pain. I should be thankful, Mr. Walker saved me and adopted me as his own. I was ungrateful, but Mr. Walker forgave me, he still loves me, and that is all I have ever wanted.

2018

"Delaney? Delaney Carter?" I look at the woman talking. "Delaney hun, it's  time for your medication." I don't move.

"My name is Margaret, and can you please contact my father? His name is Samuel Walker, he is probably very worried and he is not going to be happy with you if he finds out you have been keeping me from him. He doesn't like it when we are out of the house." I say looking away from her and back to the wall. The woman sighs and sits at the end of my bed.

"Delan-"

"Margaret," I correct her and she sighs again.

"Margaret, Mr. Walker is not your father and-" she starts talking, but I cut her off again,                   sick of this s**t. They can't keep me here, Mr. Walker will find me soon. They say that he is a dangerous man, but I know they are wrong. They are the dangerous ones. They are the ones that I need to get away from and that is exactly what I plan to do.

When the woman comes back, I don't argue, I don't yell, I don't correct them when they call me Delaney. I take the medicine and I begin to cry.

"I'd like to be left alone," I tell her. She sighs and leaves the room, cracking the door. I lay down and stare at the window, thinking about everything that led to this mess.

"Delaney? Hun, are you awake?"

"Margaret," I say, but the nurse doesn't respond she just continues with whatever she had been doing.

"You know, Mr. Walker is going to be here soon, and he is going to take me home."

"Delaney sweetheart, Mr. Walker isn't coming," she says and I just choose to ignore her. She sighs and I look at the clock. Almost noon, almost visiting time, almost time to start over, just like I do every day.