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MADDIE ALBAH
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DISCONNECTED
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FOUR DAYS LATER
THE WARM, calming water ran down her back in rivers. Maddie's eyes were focused downward, eyeing the murky water from the soap she had bathed her with. He was pouring a little pinkish-red plastic cup of the water over her caramel skin, feeling it's comfort engulf her. She had a knee to her chest, anxious Reece might be able to see her naked skin.
The first time she had a bath here, she hadn't been informed he would be in the bathroom with her, sitting on the lid of the toilet seat. His hazel eyes had been nowhere in the direction of her figure in the bathtub, and instead had stared down at his lap with his arms crossed over his chest. Which she had been immensely grateful for. She didn't like people of any gender to see her body, especially seeing the white lines drawn on her caramel thighs with a dull blade from her scissors.
Reece's reaction yesterday, sent her heart into motion, fluttering with warmth, and awe in his soft eyes toward the scars. She didn't expect him to be so calm and sympathetic about it. Her initial thought was for him to grimace and turn his head away, saying how ugly it made her body look, but he did the complete opposite. And instead, he had placed his larger hand over her cheek, cupping it. The warmth from his hand was comforting, followed by the gentle look in his hazel eyes, the blue specks seemingly lighter than usual. His soft lips barely parted as he whispered: "Battle scars, I see. Strong, girl, mhm?"
His voice was just above audible, so soft and gentle, yet, still having a pinch of his usual gravel voice underneath. His thumb caressed her cheek near her brown eyes, tender and almost affectionate. However, she didn't want to over think his actions toward her. He was still her kidnapper, though, so she didn't want to get too attached emotionally. Although, the warm feeling giving her heart a hug said otherwise, and she became worrisome about it.
But today (August 4th, 2018), she couldn't help feeling so detached from herself, like she had emotionally left her own body and was just there to experience everything. Touching things with her sensitive fingertips and not having a single sentiment toward whatever she was feeling. Maybe the soft fur of Milky's coat when Reece would bring her in to eat with them. She was extremely loud when it came to food, head up at Reece's hand holding her bowl of wet food, walking into the mattress room. Yet, the white cat's fur didn't give her the serotonin she had usually experienced petting a stray cat on the side of the road, back in the Gold Coast.
"You okay there, flower? You seem down?" Reece asked, regaining her attention as she had been lost in the large amount of thoughts rushing around. She lifted her head and gave him a soft stare over her arm, hugging her knee. She pulled the corners of her pink lips up in a whisper of a smile, nodding her head.
It was fake, the smile, the nod affirmation she was okay. All of it. She was having trouble figuring out why she felt so disconnected from everything around her.
"Okay then," he said, lowering his chocolate brows at her, his eyes showing concern as he watched her silently. The only sound in the bathroom was the water Reece was pouring over her back. "Did you have anything in mind for dinner? I can make it, if you want?"
She kept her soft stare on him. Although, by now, it might've started to make him feel uncomfortable as he scratched the overgrown stubble on his neck, his eyes darting away every so often. She lowered her attention to his neck, noticing how long it had gotten since the night of her birthday. She wondered if it was itchy for him or bothered him after a while. It looked like it was irritating to grow out — usually after a week of growth, her pubes started to itch badly, and the hairs on her leg felt a bit strange.
A sudden need was felt in her small hands, wanting to reach out and touch his growing beard, feeling it's texture and how smooth or rough it might be. However, she ignored it, trying to shake the need off and forget she even thought about such a thing. Touching her kidnapper's beard, how unbelievable of her?!
"No, not really," she finally answered after leaving the atmosphere lingering with his question, and slight awkwardness from her silence.
He raised a brow then. "Nothing at all?"
She nodded.
Reece pressed his lips tightly together. "Okay."
He continued to pour water over her petite body, like he had been for the past two days. Yesterday was when he openingly told her he wanted to bathe her, saying he'd like to wash her hair for her. But only if she consented to him doing such things. As she had thought about it for several long seconds, staring into his two half coloured eyes as they seemed to captivate her every single time, she gave him a soft nod of her head in response. And in an instant a grateful smile washed its way onto his thin lips, excitement sparkling in his eyes.
"Hair?" Reece questioned after a few minutes had passed. She nodded, moving around so her back was facing him, the murky water around her swishing and splashing about from her movements. The water pushed against her body as she repositioned.
From behind her, she could hear the sound of Reece flicking the little lid up on the two in one bottle. He didn't have any other hair products but his own, but she didn't really mind because her hair was still washed either way. She hated it when it was dirty and extremely greasy, the oils going to her face and making her skin oily and gross.
"Head back, my dear," Reece told her.
She tilted her head back, lifting her hands up and out of the water to cover her nipples, the nibs feeling hard against her palm. Most likely from the water still on her hands. However, when Reece placed his hands on her head, rubbing the soap into her damp brown locks and on her scalp, her nipples seemed to harden and become more sensitive at the sudden touch. She inhaled to distract herself from the abrupt feeling in her breasts, hoping it'll go away before he finished.
The two in one soap smelt like generic men soaps, masculine scent of wood or some type of cologne.
As he ran his calloused fingers, lathering the soap in her hair. He was gentle, making sure his digits didn't create any knots, or untangling them gingerly if he had come across some. She enjoyed the feeling, the touch of his delicate fingers as she closed her eyes, noticing how soft her breathing had become. If she were to lay here for eternity, she would because as of right now, she was calm and at ease, distracting her from the feeling of disconnectedness with the world around her.
Soon, Reece had gotten her to lower back her head as he scooped the water with the pinkish-red cup, rinsing the shampoo and conditioner out of her brown locks. The water ran through her hair as he racked his fingers through to help get the soap out. It took about three minutes for him to be sure it was all gone, and when he was done, he poured one last cupful of water over her hair, saying: "All done. I'll grab you a towel."
Maddie lifted her hands away from her B cup size breasts, running them over her scalp and ridding the extra water flowing down her back. She turned around to watch Reece in the midst of getting up as she covered her breasts up with her hands. By now the water was chilly and only a reminiscence of warmth remained.
She watched as he opened the cupboard doors under the marble white sink, grabbing out a cream coloured towel. Closing the doors he walked back and handed her the towel, to which he turned around to give her her privacy. Standing up, she unfolded the towel and wrapped it around her as she stepped out of the murky water, some bubble patches from the two in one soap still lingering on the water. The mat under her feet was soft, drying her feet.
Reece led her back to the mattress room, before leaving to retrieve some clean clothes for her to wear. When he had returned, clothes folded neatly in his hands as he placed them down on the mattress floor, she asked: "How long do I have to be in this room?"
Her voice was just above a whisper, allowing Reece to hear her as he lifted his attention up at her standing in the middle of the room.
He remained silent for a few long seconds, letting the atmosphere around them thicken with tension. "Until I know for sure."
"K—Know what?" Her brows furrowed down at him, watching as he then stood up to his full height, yet, he didn't answer her question. All he did was stare at her with this look in his eyes, as if observing her, the lids of his eyes slightly pulled together as the circuits in his brain turned on.
"I will come back when dinner is ready," was all he said before turning around and leaving, locking the door behind him as the sound of the key turning reverberated into the room. Maddie's brows creased in slight agitation, her upper cheek twitching in annoyances he never told her much, and instead ignored her.
Why couldn't he just tell her?!
Shaking her head, she tried to forget it and move on, hoping he just had his reasons to not tell her the answers to her questions.
Once dried and dressed in a creamy brown baggy shirt and some short shorts, Maddie decided the only thing better to do was to lay on the abundance of mattresses on the floor and stare at the ceiling. It was a futile attempt to entertain herself, much like if she were to stare up at the sky, creating pictures with the cloud shapes.
It started to feel like forever just staring, letting her eyes dry out from not closing them in a while, thinking that would keep her busy. It just dried her eyeballs out and made them sting. She darted her irritated eyes over to the door when hearing the click of the lock unlock from the outside. Reece stepped inside with a tray, and Milky dashing in screaming with her head up, eyeing the tray like her prey. He probably had her wet food as well.
Closing the door behind him, he then grabbed Milk's deep bluish-black bowl and placed it down by the door. Reece had said a few days ago, he hates the smell of cat food. Yet, Maddie didn't mind it, the smell reminding her of tuna — he also said he hated the scent of that, too, when she had told him.
She sat up as Reece sat down in front of her, placing the tray between the two of them. Two glass bowls of mashed potatoes and a saucey meat and veggies below the fluffy cream mash. Shepherds pie.
"It smells yummy," Maddie commented, looking away from the bowls and to meet his eyes. He gave her a thankful smile.
"Well, you must be hungry, so eat up," he told her as he grabbed his bowl, already grabbing his fork and swirling the contents around before eating a large forkful. Maddie, though, simply stared at her food, feeling no desire to eat, not because she wasn't hungry, but because she didn't feel like it. Would it make her enjoy her food, the flavour, how it melted in her mouth? Or, would it feel like she ate air?
It just didn't feel right to eat it and she didn't know why.
"Flower? Aren't you hungry?"
Maddie looked up, finding Reece's soft expression staring back, his chocolate brows raised. Without a word spoken, he sat his bowl down before shifting closer to her. And when he was sitting next to her, he picked her bowl up, mixing the contents together just like he had done with his own. Lifting the fork up, he hovered it in front of her mouth, the smell contaminating her lungs as she breathed in.
"Open, my dear, you gotta eat," he whispered to her, his gravel voice raspy as he spoke so low. She opened her mouth, only because she didn't want to see the concerned look lingering in his hazel eyes. It felt as though she might've failed him in some way and she, for some reason, didn't want to do that.
He placed the fork of food in her mouth and she took a bite, chewing down on the food when he removed the cutlery. It tasted good, she didn't know how she was supposed to feel but it was good.
Reece continued to feed her, like he had done previously at the other house, until she had eaten everything in the bowl. Milk, at some point, decided she would sit in Maddie's lap, purring against her hand as she lightly stroked the cat's white as snow coat. Usually she would feel so happy a cat chose to sit on her and rest, but she just felt like: oh . . . okay then.
It puzzled her to feel so out of place from everything around her.
Once both bowls were empty, Reece placed them on the tray he brought in, getting up and grabbing Milk's as well before leaving, saying he'd bring up a drink for her. And just as he shut the door, a soft, just barely above audible static sound was heard in the depths of her mind.
ＡＵＴＨＯＲ'Ｓ ＮＯＴＥ
Word Count: 2300+
Sorry if I took so long to update, it's been maybe a week, but I had the flu and got really unwell. And while I was blowing my nose with a million tissues and sweating due to a fever, I hit 1K followers, I never thought I'd have a thousand people actually following me. 🥺🤍 So thank you to those that are/have followed me! Also, if the chapter sucked a bit, I have a headache — that is my excuse.
p.s the chapter was shorter than i was hoping bc i didn't have much to work with from the lil outline i have.
— DYLAN.