She Belongs to Me (Rewritten Version)

The Final Chapter

Vincent:

The discomfort of sitting in a room where the walls, floor, and furniture were all painted ivory was more painful than I imagined. I felt like I was in some sort of sterile nightmare. The air conditioner must have been turned down all the way to zero, and the smell of bleach caused my nostrils to burn. This place was so awful that I actually missed sitting in my jail cell with Keith and Gerald.  I had to get out.

"Where are you going, Mr. Graves?" The man who sat in front of me questioned, his smile exposing the ghastly white teeth hidden behind his lips. He was the doctor who was so highly regarded by Levi, the one who could possibly save me from spending the rest of my life behind prison bars.

Something about him made my skin crawl.

Perhaps it was the way he smiled when he looked at me, or the way his blue eyes pierced the wall concealing all of my dark secrets.

Either way, I was so terrified of him that I found myself sitting back down in the white chair.  "I'm sorry, Doctor Greer.  It's just that...I don't really feel like I belong here, you know.  I'm not crazy."

"You don't have to be crazy to end up in a mental facility, Vincent." His smile widened, which made it even more unsettling. "Many people come here to take a break from the outside world for a while."

"But that's not why I'm here.  Everyone thinks I raped and kidnapped my girlfriend."

"You did rape her, though, didn't you?"

"No. Our sex was consensual."

"Do you really believe that?"

"It's not a matter of belief. It's a fact."

He penciled something down on his clipboard, then his blue eyes filled with delight. "I believe it will be very simple to convince the judge to let you come stay with us for a while. You'll be infinitely more comfortable than you would in prison, the food is very good, and there are lots of extracurricular activities that will keep you busy and happy."

Everything he said sounded much better than being in a stinky prison cell, but something in his eyes made me question his intentions.

"How long would I have to stay?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Vincent. The charges you are facing are very serious. You could be looking at anywhere from twenty years to life."

"Oh, God."

"It really depends on you. If you are given a twenty year sentence, but you exhibit rehabilitative behavior, there's a chance of an early release."

"Why are you doing this for me?"

His head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

"If you think I'm guilty of rape and kidnapping, why would you want me to stay in your facility?"

"My purpose here is to help people, Vincent. I can tell you're a good kid who got in over his head. That alone is enough to make me lobby for you."

"Will I ever be able to see my daughter?"

"That is not up to me. You would have to speak to your lawyer about that."

"I see."

"Truth be told, I would rather you forget about Emily Hayden.  She is the reason you're sitting here now.  You don't need that negativity in your life."

"But.....I love her."

"You only think you love her.  Once you spend some time with me and we're able to get to the bottom of your obsession, we will be able to free your mind from the bondage of unreturned affection."