All that is dark | ✓

1| prisoner

Footsteps neared, immediately putting her on high alert. Nathan. He wouldn't send someone else to her when he greeted her for the first time here, not when he would want to personally see her face now the roles were reversed, so it had to be him. Fine, if he wanted her to play the part, she would. She fixed her hair, getting to her feet to stand in front of the door, a smile on her face. When the doorknob turned, she could feel her heart skip a beat, though she didn't know whether it was fear or something else.

"Helene."

Nathan was breathtaking. He wasn't wearing his prison jumpsuit anymore, instead dressed in a black blouse and trousers, hair wet from the shower. It was dripping still, droplets clinging to his eyelashes, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead his gaze was focused on her, a warm smile on his lips. He had come too fast, she realized. There were cameras in here.

"You'll get sick," she scolded him, gently pulling her sleeve over her hand to wipe the water from his shoulders.

He stared at her, at the close proximity, her concerned eyes, her fingers grazing his neck. Still, his smile didn't waver as he reached out to grab her wrist. Her gaze flicked to his skin, the imprint from where the chains had tightly imprisoned him these past weeks still there.

"I don't get sick," he said," I am worried about you though, my lovely psychiatrist. I hope you know I had no choice but to inject you to get you to come along. There wasn't much time to leave."

"I get it," she said," thank you for remaking my room. It was to make me feel at ease, right?"

"Right," he said," though I noticed you were still a bit surprised when you woke up."

"I was still a bit drowsy," she shrugged," I thought I was late for work, to see you."

"You sure have your way with words, Helene," he chuckled.

With no warning he lifted her up then by her knees, Helene startled as she placed her hands around his neck to keep herself from falling. He carried her over to the window, paying the open door no mind. Even if he was holding her, he was too confident in keeping the door unlocked right now. The only reason why he'd do that was if he knew she wouldn't be able to escape even if she ran. Where could they be that he was so sure she wouldn't be able to call for help?

She followed his gaze towards the garden, not spotting anyone working there. Even if they did, she doubted anyone of sound mind would defy Nathan. What did he want to show her anyway? The barred windows? The fact that she had no chance to leave?

"Look," he said, eyes glittering," I planted these roses for you."

"What?" she blinked.

"You said red was your favorite color," he smiled," so I made sure this was prepared before I escaped."

"I -" she began, her determination wavering as a blush began to tint her cheeks," you did this for me?"

"I did," he said softly, leaning in so his lips brushed her neck," do you know how long I've wished to be close to you like this? To be able to touch you this easily?"

"I'm glad as well," she said, hand cupping his cheek," I'd love to see the roses up close. Can you take me to the gardens?"

He froze and she immediately knew she had made a mistake. Without a warning he let her fall on the bed, hands on her wrist as he leaned over her. His expression was undecipherable in the shadows, even the sunlight seeming to avoid him.

"I'm not going to escape," she said.

"Aren't you?" he said, turning to look at her with a smile," but I did see you run around looking for an escape when you woke up, Helene. I told you not to lie to me, though I suppose it's natural for you to be a bit shaken."

"I wouldn't even be able to," she said," you and I both know that."

"I know that," he said warmly," but I'm not sure if you do yet. I really like you, Helene, more than I've ever liked someone before. I took care to stack the books right, to get the roses, to tuck you in. Isn't this how love is supposed to be?"

Well, he was conveniently leaving out the fact that he had kidnapped her, but she wasn't about to correct him.

"It is," she said.

"And yet it doesn't seem like you understand," he sighed, letting her go as he walked towards the window. He stared out in thought for a moment, before looking back at her. "I don't mind solitary, you know. You said no place is safe if you're surrounded by monsters and you were right, except that at a certain time everyone became a monster to me. The word lost all it's meaning. I've spend most of my childhood locked alone in a room with no light or stimuli, but after I passed the hallucinations that accompanied the passage of time, it was quite relaxing, if you'll believe it. It gave me time to reflect."

"Nathan -" she began, pushing herself up in a sitting position as panic started to spread in her body.

He passed by the bed, hand briefly grazing her cheek.

"That's why I think it'll do you much good as well," he said," so you can realize you don't have to be scared of me. I'm on your side, Helene. You can look out the window every day and have my love be proven to you until you realize that."

"Please," she said, reaching out to grab his arm but missing," stay with me, I want to speak to you more."

"Later," he smiled," we have all the time in the world."

She got to her feet to run to the door, but he closed it right as her hand reached the doorknob. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. It was fine if he had kidnapped her as long as she could speak to him, manipulate the events to go the way she wanted to, but he couldn't leave her alone with her thoughts. She'd go insane.

"Nathan," she called out.

"I love you, Helene," he said through the door," remember that. See you in a month, my sweet psychiatrist."

And then she was alone.