This Dream is a Killer

I would fight for you

Our first date. My first date. The start of the rest of our lives.

I had managed to ask Liam over text if he wanted to go on a date. My parents were ecstatic. Mum picked me out a dress and dad had planned the kidnapping. As I was 18, dad had bought my own small house. He had been supporting me as much as he could and it felt amazing. I finally felt loved. Now, everything has to go perfect on the date.

"Hey," I said quietly. He looked surprised that I'd spoken. I had a panic attack at the thought of really talking to him, but now i was doing it.

"Kate...you look amazing," I stared back into his eyes, picturing a smaller version of him running around, making a mess. It was becoming one of my favourite things to think about. I could see them sitting together, both with those beautiful golden eyes, the same disheveled curls. It was all I needed.

I was on a high. My life was finally becoming what I'd always wanted it to be. We had really good conversations, and by the end of the night, I offered he stay over my house for the night. He seemed a little confused to the fact that I lived alone, and was wary to staying, but went along. By the time the drug in his drink was taking effect and he fell asleep in the guest room, my dad was arriving.

"I have to say, Katherine, I'm impressed." He lifted Liam up and brought him down to the basement.

"Thank you," I replied.

—

I woke up to his screaming for help. My dad was upstairs and he was guiding me through the process, making sure I was getting it right.

"Kate, if you really want candles down here than you have to keep them high up..." Liam watched in total confusion as my dad moved the candles up higher. I sat down on the edge of the bed, hoping to comfort him.

"There aren't Windows in basements so I thought candles would keep the room smelling fresh, what do you think?" I asked. I'd picked red coloured candles because it was his favourite colour, which meant it was my favourite colour.

"Why am I here? What is going on?" He whispered to me, eyeing my dad. I began to try to explain to him our future together, but he didn't quite get it, and began to act out. My dad had planned ahead and decided to sedate him again, to give me a little more time to consider how I would handle violent behaviour from him.

Over the next few weeks, Liam had started to become more settled down, but he wasn't happy. He still cried at nights so I started sleeping on the sofa down there with him so he didn't have to be alone. I wanted him to be happy, it was all I wanted really.

"You know I love you, right?" I asked, sitting on his bed with him. He continued staring down at the sheet, but slowly looked up at me. I smiled, but his expression didn't change.

"No, you don't," He said quietly. That wasn't right. He didn't just say that. Of course I love him.

"I do. I love you so much. I want to spend my life with you so we can be happy together—"

"If you wanted me to be happy then you would let me go back to my family," I started crying again and started to shuffle away from me. His curls had frizzed up now and were starting to grow longer. It was adorable, how they hung in front of his eyes.

"I can be your family. You have me. They don't love you like I do. I can make you happy but you have to let me," I said quietly, reaching up to move his hair from his eyes. He flinched back and I froze.

"Don't be scared of me. I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you. You know that? Tell me you know that," I squeezed his free hand. He didn't say anything for a few moments, then nodded his head. I stood up and took the key for the handcuff. His eyes widened as I took the handcuff from around the bed post and put it around my wrist. Maybe he would feel better with a shower.

I decided to give him a tour of the house while we were out. My dad was at his home now, so I didn't have to worry about him.

"This is the bathroom. I made it red too so you would feel more comfortable showering when I'm in the room. You get undressed and I will grab the soaps..." I crouched down, keeping my arm up. I browsed through the red soaps. All of his were specialised to curly hair. After a few moments of him not moving, I looked up to see what the problem was. He sat down on the toilet lid and began sobbing. I gently held his hands. How could he be so perfect, even when he was crying?

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Seriously? What's wrong? This isn't going to work! You can't just keep me here! I don't want a family with you, I'm not ready for any of this. I want to go to college and...and get a job and live. I don't love you!" 

So many things started shouting through my brain. He was trying to hurt me. He didn't mean any of what he was saying.

"You need a shower...look at the soaps I got for you. They're your favourite colour, aren't they?" I shoved some conditioner into his hand and stood up, pulling him with me.

"I love you. I love you so much, and I'm so excited—"

"Kate stop It! You're lying to yourself and it's hurting people. You're acting crazy!"

"I am not crazy! You're being ungrateful. I set up all this stuff, I bought all of these things, I killed Scarlet, for us. Stop acting like this," he stared down at me, beginning to cry harder.

"No, no one else is going to tell you. You're fucking insane. You killed Scarlet...you...if you don't let me go I swear I will tell the police everything. You need help, you're sick," he opened the bathroom door and tried to run, yanking me forwards with him. Before he could get very far, I knocked the razor off the wall and lifted the blade up to my throat.

"You can't leave me. I can't live without you," I said, watching him debate between running and giving in. He sighed after a few seconds.

"Good, now lets get in the shower,"