Til Death Do Us Part

Chapter 6

I woke up the next morning -- at least I assumed it was morning; there were no clocks in the bedroom and the window was covered with plywood so I couldn't judge the time -- needing to use the bathroom badly. There wasn't a toilet or even a bucket I could use in the room with me.

"Shit," I murmured. Actually, I needed to pee (joke).

I got out of bed and went to the door, pounding on it. "Eddie? Are you out there?" I listened, and after a few seconds I heard him approaching, then the sound of his key turning in the lock.

Eddie -- or Francis -- stood there, smiling at me in his eerily artificial, spacey manner. "Good morning, Emily!"

I was a little surprised to see he was now dressed in a security guard uniform. The patches on the sleeves of his shirt read LOUISVILLE MALL SECURITY.

Louisville? Louisville, Kentucky? Is that where we were? That was four hundred miles from the town where I lived in Northern Mississippi! Had he really driven me that far while I had been unconscious?

Unless...was there maybe another city called Louisville I wasn't familiar with in a different state? Fuck, why hadn't it occurred to me to glance at the license plate on his car when we'd been in the garage last night? It could have given me some clue to where we were.

I forced these thoughts out of my mind. I had other priorities at the moment. "Hi. Uh, Eddie, do you think I can use the bathroom? I really have to go."

He seemed amused. "Of course you can use the bathroom! You don't need to ask my permission. It's your house."

I emitted a fake laugh. "Oh! You're right. Silly me."

He pointed down the hall. "Door at the end on your left."

"Thanks."

I walked past him and headed for the bathroom, glancing at those other two doors that both had padlocks on them. I assumed one of them was Eddie's own room. Why did he keep them locked? What was he hiding in them?

I entered the bathroom (if you guessed that the window was boarded up, you'd be correct) and shut door, then did my business. As I was flushing the toilet, I realized the opportunity I had been given. Turning on the sink to cover my noise, I quickly began to rummage through the cabinets and the drawers in search of anything that could potentially help me escape from this mess. I didn't find anything useful. Toiletries, spare towels, toilet paper. I opened the medicine cabinet. Eddie's razor was on the top shelf. It was an electric one and wouldn't do much good as a weapon. I was about to close the medicine cabinet when I spotted three prescription pill bottles on the lower shelf. Curious, I picked up one and glanced at the name on the label: Francis Voight.

Eddie's real name.

The pharmacy that had filled it had a Louisville, KY address. That cleared that up, anyway. At least now I knew where I was and what the true identity of my captor was.

I started to place the bottle back when I spotted the name of the medication on the label. Clozapine. I recognized that name. When I had been a little girl, I had had a schizophrenic aunt who took the same stuff. Clozapine was an antipsychotic. I shuddered. I examined the bottle. It was almost full and looked a little dusty. It didn't look like Eddie/Francis had taken it for a long time. I replaced the bottle and closed the medicine cabinet.

I felt an increasing sense of urgency. I couldn't stay in here too long or else "Eddie" would get suspicious. There was one last place I hadn't checked -- the cabinet under the sink. I opened it and spotted a first aid kit. I took it out and opened it, thinking it might contain scissors I could use to defend myself in case "Eddie's" other personality "Ted" took over again.

I flipped through the contents but there were no scissors. I cursed under my breath, about to give up and put the first aid kit back and leave, when my eyes fell upon a small roll of medical tape. This gave me an idea. Something I had seen in a movie years before. I wasn't sure if it would actually work but figured it was worth a try. I snatched the tape and slipped it under my blouse and bra. Then replaced the first aid kit, closed the cabinet, wetted my hands under the sink (in case he noticed they were still dry), turned it off and opened the door.

Eddie was still waiting next to the bedroom door as I returned. "I made you some breakfast so you won't get hungry while I'm at work," he said.

"Oh Eddie, that's so thoughtful of you!" I gushed.

"I get off at six. Then we can go to the Prom tonight! I can't tell you how excited I am!"

"Me too!" I said enthusiastically, without missing a beat. I guess I wasn't fazed by anything anymore at that point. We had just had Valentine's Day dinner last night, but now, from Eddie's warped perception of time, it was already the day of the Prom. After that...God only knew what was going to happen to me. I didn't plan to stick around to find out.

"I'll go down and get your breakfast," he said.

"Okay, I'll just wait right here."

He headed down the hall and started downstairs. As soon as he was out of sight, I dug the roll of medical tape out of my blouse and tore off a swatch. I carefully applied it firmly over the metal lock plate of the door, hoping he wouldn't see it. I hid the roll back in my blouse and returned to my original location.

A couple minutes later Eddie came back up holding a tray. He carried it into my room and sat it beside the bed. "Voila!" he exclaimed. The tray contained a bowl of watery oatmeal, a badly-burnt slice of toast, some rubbery-looking scrambled eggs, and a glass of orange juice that had a dead fly floating in it. I felt my stomach turn.

"Eddie, it looks delicious!"

He looked at his watch. "Well, I better get going if I don't wanna be late for work. I'll see you tonight, babe, then we can get ready for the Prom!"

Babe.

"I can't wait!" I said excitedly.

He started to close the door.

"Eddie..." I said, having a sudden burst of inspiration.

He paused, looking at me questioningly.

I flashed him an adoring smile, then blew him a kiss.

He caught my kiss, returning my smile, then closed the door.

I silently prayed that the tape wouldn't obstruct the key from turning in the lock. To my relief, I heard it click in place. I listened as his footsteps faded away.

I went to the plywood-covered window and listened. I waited. Several minutes passed. Then, faintly, I heard the sound of a car engine start, followed by the garage door opening. I heard Eddie's car rolling out and down the driveway. The engine grew fainter and fainter until I couldn't hear it anymore.

I waited several more minutes just to be safe, then I went to the door, hoping the tape had worked.

I pushed on the door...and it swung slowly open, creaking on its hinges. I exited the bedroom, alone in the house.