House of Dolls

Her Discovery

For Nathan, seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, and the next hour felt like an eternity. What was in store for him in the future? What did it have in store for him, Anna, and the new baby on the way? Nathan was a master manipulator, and Anna was his pawn. She followed his orders, believed his lies, and fell in love with the man who imprisoned her. In that hour, he had wondered the most if Anna would try to flee once and for all.

Nathan had spent most of the hour staring off into space, trying to figure out how the next chapter of his life would unfold. He wanted Anna, but he didn't want to give up any more of his collection, which he kept hidden from her. She believed she was the only one Nathan had taken and the only one he desired. Anna was oblivious to what he had been hiding beneath her because he had blinded her with his charm.

Nathan sat back on the counter, still stunned, as the next hour passed. He soon became enthralled by what Anna had revealed to him. His short-lived excitement had quickly turned to worry, as he realized she would have to give birth at his house. He couldn't risk anyone catching Anna, and his worry quickly turned to panic. Nathan paced back and forth in the bathroom, a worried expression on his face.

"What is it, Nathan?" Anna inquired quickly. She could tell he was worried about something.

"No one can find out about this or you being here, do you understand?" Nathan rushed over to Anna and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Anna sat agitated "I need to be able to have this baby in a hospital, Nathan! I'm not going to be able to do it here! I'll tell everyone that I came here of my own volition." Anna couldn't bear the thought of something bad happening to her baby while she was trapped in Nathan's house.

Nathan was taken aback by what she had just said to him "They searched my house, Anna! I lied to them about knowing your location! I assisted them in their search for you! How will anyone believe you came here of your own volition? Do you realize how absurd that sounds?" Nathan was immediately irritated by Anna's response. Even though she was pregnant, he preferred that she remain at home, out of sight of others.

"Please, Nathan, I swear I'm not going to say anything! I'll claim that I asked you to lie for me." "Please, Nathan, just trust me," Anna said as she approached Nathan and placed her left palm on his cheek. As she felt her walls closing in on her, she became desperate.

Nathan snatched her hand from his face, grabbed her shoulders, and shook them with such force that it jerked her head back. "I can't let you do that, Anna! People might think I took you instead of taking care of you if you leave and start talking. Isn't it true that I've taken care of you? I thought you loved me, but you'd be willing to leave and risk having me taken away!" Nathan scolded Anna angrily as his manipulation continued. "All I've done is love you, Anna, and others may not see it that way. Don't you see what I'm saying?"

"I promise, Nathan..." Anna wanted to emphasize once more that she would not say anything.

"No, Anna! Not another word!" Nathan stormed out of the bathroom and into Anna's room in such a rage that he forgot to close the door behind him.

Anna sobbed as she made her way to her bed, fearful of what the future might hold. So many thoughts had been racing through her mind, and she had been struggling with them obsessively. "What if the baby is born at home and complications arise? What if there are any other issues during the pregnancy? What if they take Nathan away from me if I leave the house?" Her brainwashed mind couldn't stop spinning with what-ifs.

While Anna sulked upstairs, Nathan went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of white wine. He needed to get his nerves under control quickly, so he chugged the entire glass in a matter of seconds. Nathan then leaned against the counter, his arms crossed against his chest, facing the basement door. He had been so preoccupied with Anna's brainwashing that he felt he had forgotten about the others for a brief moment.