keep me afraid

42 - Wonderland

"I'm going to fucking get you right, Angel. Oh, we have just started. You shouldn't have done that. You have no idea what's waiting for you at Eve's Croak. You'll see. You'll learn. I know you will." He smiled as he shoved the door shut.

All of a sudden, the world stopped spinning. I was stuck. Alone. Terrified. What the hell am I going to do?

My gaze remained fixed on the carved wooden clock on the wall, its steady ticking serving as a backdrop to the conversation between Antonio and the institution's head.

Antonio's voice carried a stern and determined tone as he spoke, "Are there any options for reserving private rooms? I need a space where I can keep an eye on her."

The woman across from him responded with a composed but apologetic manner, "I regret to inform you, Mr. Hale, that our most secluded rooms are set up as doubles."

The frustration in Antonio's voice intensified as he retorted, "This is beyond frustrating! I've offered my support to this organization, and yet you can't even arrange for a private room for my wife?"

At the mention of "wife," I felt my eyes open widely as I began to engage in the conversation.

With a hint of helplessness, the woman replied, "I understand your concerns, Mr. Hale, but unfortunately, I can't alter the available options."

Antonio
What an absolute joke. This situation is a disgrace. Given the substantial amount I'm investing, I might as well welcome fucking crazies onto my own property and establish my own facility."

Fuck this.

A mixture of annoyance and exhaustion filled my voice as I accepted the keys handed to me by the woman. With a firm grip on Angel, I proceeded to guide her down the seemingly endless corridor that stretched ahead.

She didn't speak, not even one word, I watched as she walked beside me, her body slightly shaking in fear. I liked it.

"Baby." I let out as I opened her room door. "Come sit down on the bed so we can talk." I said with a sigh as I watched her slowly inch over and sit uncomfortably on the edge of the bed.

"You listen to me." I crouched over her, "You will be in here as long as I deem fit. Once you have decided to be my good girl and fully devote yourself to me, then you will be allowed back in our house. I'm only doing this because I love you baby. I want what's best for you, I want to take care of you and you won't let me. You'd rather be selfish, but I can still fix you." I smiled, cupping her cheeks, "You're my baby after all. I love you more than anything. They have very extreme measures here, I have told them to call me and ask permission before giving you any punishments, if they EVER and I mean EVER do something to you without my permission. You let me know."

"But...but...how?" Her frail voice cracked.

"This," I placed a one function phone that only held functions to call on her lap. "I have granted permission for you to use this, it will only allow you to speak to staff and me."

"I love you. I'll see you soon, okay? I'll be back tonight to check up on you."

Love

I couldn't recall the amount of time I spent crying alone in that room. 5 minutes? 10? 20? 60? I was truly losing my sense of time.