Only Happy Accidents (A Split Love Story) #wattys2017

Why

"Luis it's been three days.. You spend hours out there with him and we haven't gotten any closer to finding a way out.." Claire whispered to me impatiently. I pursed my lips, the truth was.. part of me didn't want to leave him.. and I knew if I helped them escape then he would believe I was different than he thought.. I knew it was awful of me to put these girls though this..

Dennis had taken Marcia's jacket and skirt because he claimed they had gotten dirty.. But he never gave them back.. He's begun to almost ignore me, he'll pull me out of the room to have me sit behind him as he worked on his computer. Sometimes he wanted me close, and other times he wanted me as far away as possible, he just seemed to enjoy my presence being near him.

Patricia had taken the light during one of these times and explained to me..

"You're an interesting one.. Dennis.. He's.. Comforted by you.. He doesn't look at you the way he looks at the others.. He respects you, but I can tell.. you're the one he wants to look at the most.." But then Dennis took back the light, cursing and throwing me back into the isolation room..

I was ripped from my thoughts by the jingling of keys, I remembered something the other day that Hedwig had said to me.. "Mr. Dennis worked really hard to make it so no one could hear you in here.." Right as I was about to speak the door came open and Dennis stood there silently staring at me, waiting..

I stood to follow him out of the room, and as I crossed the threshold of the doorway I glanced over my shoulder at the girls, easing my fist slightly to mimic a knocking motion on the wall. I wasn't sure if they would get my hint or not.. But it seemed to be the most discrete way of showing them a way out..

As we entered the the room just outside I went towards my usual place but Dennis kept walking, exiting the second door and holding it open for me. I froze in confusion for a second but followed.

Once we were in the hallway I decided it would be a good time to bring up something that had been eating at me all morning..

"Dennis..?" I asked. He turned his head to the side slightly just to show he was listening. "My shirt.. Its been washed.. I assume it was you who did it.. But why? You never gave back the other girls dirty garments.."

"It was Patricia." He said bluntly.

"But Patricia wouldn't-"

"It was Patrica.." He interjected, shooting me a look that told me I should drop the subject.

"Where are we going anyway..?" I asked, trotting a bit to catch up with him.

"Those girls refuse to shower out of fear of me.. I feel like I can smell the from a mile away.." He says as we enter the kitchen where there is a stack of papers he seemed to have been filling out.

~*~

Hedwig had taken the light not too long ago because he saw Dennis had paper and he "wanted to draw too." I thought quickly, assuming Dennis would be rather angry to find scribbles all over his paperwork. So I grabbed a notepad that was sitting near by and tore a couple of pages out of it.

As I sat doodling on one of the papers I was startled by the echoing sound of loud dull thumps.

They took the hint.

"What's that?" He asked, jumping up from his seat. I grabbed his arm.

"Probably just a squirrel!" I said almost frantically, trying to hold him off.

"We don't have squirrels down here dummy!" He said with a laugh, yanking his arm away and almost skipping out the door.

I followed closely after him, trying to convince him it was nothing but it was no use.. We made it to the room just outside the little cell where the noise was coming from.

"What are you guys doin'?" He said trying to open the door, which surprisingly wouldn't budge.

"Just a second! We're changing!" Marcia yelled though the door, Hedwig started pushing hard on the door.

"Guys this isn't funny!" He yelled, his voice cracking a bit, he was on the verge of tears. "You're gonna get me in trouble!" Grunts of frustration could be heard from behind the door, Hedwig turned to me teary eyed.

"Luis do something!" I just held on the the doorframe, conflicted.. Suddenly Hegwig's body grew very stiff and as he pushed the door it started to move. Dennis was back..

He successfully threw the door open and scowled as he noticed one of the girls was missing. "Get in there!" He growled, and grabbed my arm, throwing me in with Marcia. I hit the ground hard, emitting a loud yelp of pain as I hit the concrete floor.

Dennis looked back at me startled, guilt written all over his face, but he shut the door and took off running to find Claire.

I laid there on my side watching Marcia's feet.. "I'm sorry.." whispered to her.

"What's he going to do to her?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"I don't know.."