Stolen By Him | ✓

day thirteen

||DAY 13

She realised that she did have to start talking again. Not for the reasons he thought of, whatever those were, but because she needed a plan. She had to devise some sort of plan if escape was ever going to be a legitimate option.

Despite feeling more hopeful than a few days ago, she refused to let the feeling overtake her senses, considering how she still didn't know anything about anything. She had no idea where she was, if there was anyone close by or even the layout of the room. And so, if she wanted to escape, she had no choice but to speak back.

She didn't initiate a conversation by any means though. Instead, she started small- little responses to questions that Matthew had taken upon himself to ask her often.

"Good morning, how are you? Are you feeling hungry? I could make something if you want." He spoke all in one go, not really expecting any answer. His casual nuance irked her, and his simple words in their not-so-simple situation jabbed at her insides.

Stop trying to act like nothing is wrong.

"Okay," she whispered, pushing back her strong feelings. Her voice had become hoarse from disuse, and refusing to drink the water he tried to give her. Each time she did, he would reprimand like she was some kind of child. Don't do that Lana. You need to drink, or you'll dehydrate.

There was a sudden stop in all sound, as little as there was and she could imagine the shock he was feeling, but not the expression on his face. Mostly everything seemed foreign about him now- his face, his voice, his words. It was like she was trying to understand all his characteristics and idiosyncrasies these days, when before she would've just accepted the fact that he had good manners or that there was a slight lilt to his tone or that he was always so good at hiding his emotions. Now, though, everything needed to have a reason behind it.

Or else it wouldn't feel real to Lana.

"Good," he said. And then stronger, "Good. I'll be back."

He was quick to return- or at least, it felt quick. The presence of time had become a distant notion to her, where seconds could feel likes days, and hours could feel like minutes.

There was a momentary scraping noise beside her. And then, suddenly she was being hoisted up. It was done in one swift movement, too fast for her to get a chance to protest. For the first time in days, she was sitting up and for the first time in almost a year, she could really see his face again. The light was strong enough to illuminate all his features, not leaving it in a dull shadow as it had every other day.

She immediately looked away as an ache in her chest withered her breathing, but it was too late. His face had already been re-imprinted into her mind, giving her an even clearer picture to connect his voice with, which wasn't what she wanted at all.

It wasn't that she had forgotten what he looked like, but one year apart was enough time to allow a face to fade a little from memory. From what she saw though, that year had caused great changes to his face. He looked older, more weathered by time, and...

And he still looks just like Adam.

She pushed the painful thought away.

He held a spoon filled with something indiscernible on it in front of her mouth and she stared at it briefly.

"What are you... doing?" She croaked.

"Feeding you."

Oh. She had almost forgotten that her arms were too weak to do much lifting of their own.

All she wanted to do was refuse, to turn her head away and prevent him from helping her. Of all the people in this world who could've helped her, it was him that she wanted to the least.

But I can't do that...

It was her plan to gather enough information to escape, and if it didn't look like she was giving into him, being complacent enough, it would be harder to get what she wanted. She'd seen enough horror movies to know what happened to helpless girls who didn't listen to the monsters who stole them away.

And so, despite all her inhibitions, Lana opened her mouth and took his damn help.