Psycho Love

4

The words stare up at me, taunting me.
Babydoll
A shiver takes over my body and my knees buckle. My breath becomes short and ragged and I'm sweating.
"What's happening? Ember! Are you ok?" Trey is shouting but I can't hear him properly, the world around me feels like it's dulled and all I can hear is my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
"P...p...panic...panic attack." The words hardly make it out of my mouth.
My vision starts to go black when all of a sudden Trey's face starts coming closer to mine- then next minute his lips crash onto mine and I'm stunned. I'm paralysed. The whole world feels like it has stopped moving... then I finally come to. I push Trey off me and slap him full force across the face.
"Ouch! What the hell!" He stumbles back holding his face.
"What the fuck were you doing?" I shout at him. His hands shoot up as if surrendering, and his words come out in a scared tone... but his eyes look almost amused, "I'm sorry. I read somewhere that surprising someone like that can stop a panic attack. It was obviously a very stupid idea... don't worry it's not like I'm in love with you I just wanted to help." I stand back up, grab the photo and huff at him. Switching the safety back on, I put my gun back in the waistband of my jeans so the cold metal is resting against my spine sending a slight shiver through my body.
"Are you going to tell me what that is about?" Trey gestures to the picture in my hand.
"Once we are inside." I reply while quickly walking towards the car to grab my bag.

Five minutes later Trey has finished unloading his things from the car and he is sitting on the couch opposite me, staring at me as I rock back and forth slowly with the photo in my hands.
"So..." Trey pushes.
"Okay, about 3 years ago when I was 18 years old. I was... uhhh... taken. So was my friend and boyfriend. I was kept for about six months before I escaped."
"Hold on... I heard on the news about three kids that had gone missing. Two of them were killed... was that about you?" His words are laced with pity and curiosity. I can't meet his eyes, I just keep them fixed on a stain on the carpet that is separating the two couches. After a few seconds I nod my heart, and hear the words "yep that's me" leave my mouth.
"Wow. That must have been terrifying." Trey mutters.
I can feel his stare burning a hole into my head, but I don't care. Memories that I've tried so hard to push down these past three years are starting to resurface...

*flashback*

My body is aching, and I'm covered in blood. The only comfort for me is the cold concrete I am laying on. The cold floor helps me deal with the infection that I am sure I have from all of these unattended wounds that cover my body. My fever has spiked and I am shaking so much that the chain around my feet is rattling against the floor. My eyes feel as if they are glued closed due to exhaustion, so I don't even realise he has come into my "room".
"How's my little babydoll going?" His mechanical voice comes from right behind me, causing me to jump in surprise; I stay silent, partly because I don't have the energy to respond and partly because he is a sick bastard and I won't let him get to me.
I hear his footsteps come closer and then I can feel his breath against my cheek. It's hot and reeks of cigarettes, it's so vile that I can't hold back a gag.
"I asked you a question." He whispers against my ear as he places his hand on my right hip, pressing down on the long cut that he gave me two days ago. I arch my back in pain and my eyes snap open.
"Ahhh, there she is," the plastic mask he wears distorts most of his facial features but even with the mask on I can see the malicious smile spread across his face.
I try to speak but it comes out so quiet that I can't even hear it. He sees that I'm trying to speak and lowers his head so his ear is almost against my lips;
"F...fuck...you."
This I know he heard me because his hand presses against my hip harder, causing me to scream in pain, then he stands abruptly.
"I don't want to hurt you Ember! I love you but you are making this whole situation very hard!" He runs his hands roughly through his black hair, "If you would just listen and do as you are told we could be happy and you wouldn't be dying on the floor. Are you still mad at me because I shot your little friends? They were getting in the way of us. We are destined to be together."
He is crazy. I was meant to be with Zander! I want to scream at him, to wrap my hands around his throat but all that I could do was lay there, and silently cry.

*end flashback*

"Earth to Ember!"
My head snaps up. "What?" I question.
Trey is sitting across from me expectantly, "I asked what we are going to do now."
I take a quick glance around the house and put my head in my hands and sigh.
"I have no idea. I'm making with up as I go along, hell I don't even know if this place is safe anymore." I fume.
When I take my head out of my hands I realise that I have been crying.
Fuck this! I think to myself and abruptly stand up and leave the room. I don't know exactly where I am walking too but I know that if I stayed in the room any longer I was going to lose my shit. I just wanted to have a normal life, I wanted to start fresh. I guess I'll never be able to escape my past. I storm into a random room, slam the door and let out an almighty roar. A roar that comes from my stomach.
"Pull yourself together Ember! You are acting like a lunatic." I mutter to myself.
Finally I regained my composure and begin to look around the room. It's very plain; a bed, chest of draws, a small closet, a bedside table and a few little nicknacks like jewellery and a photo frame that has been knocked over. The walls are an old cream colour and the floor is a poor attempt of doing hardwood floors. Slowly I make my way over to the small bedside table where the picture has been knocked over and pick it up.
My parents stand hand in hand in front of the Sydney Opera house; they are smiling and laughing like their life will always be as amazing as it probably was in that moment. As I put the picture down something in the background catches my attention...
A man. In all black, staring at my father.