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Blair when she was 17.
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- I knock on the door not to hard but loud enough for anyone to hear so that they can open the door for me.
I bite my lower lip feeling a little nervous about talking to our new neighbor. I hope I don't say something bad.
"Come on now." I mumble to myself while tapping with my shoe on the dark yellow "Welcome" carpet as my hand goes to my mouth waiting patiently while with the other hand I keep cookies on a plate.
Frostvale is a small town in New York city and one of the most safest, calmest and probably richest small town but yet not many people know of it hence the inhabitants like to keep it a secret. This way our town wont be getting any danger from the outside.
My entire body freezes as soon as I hear the door get open. A woman my mother's age that had this dark shade of brown straight hair with some strands being slightly more lighter than the others complimenting her autumn eyes and her warm-tanned skin. "Buongiorno figlia."
She says with a smile and I put a nervous smile on as well, I'm assuming she is Italian. "Good morning ma'am, my name is Blair Wrenlee, I'm 17 years old. I like bunnies they're soft and I like baklava too. Your house seems nice, it's big and modern. Do you have any children? It's fine if you don't, I mean children can be a pain. I live one block away from your house and I wanted to welcome you here with some handmade cookies—"
I say the words in the speed of Flash as my nervousness takes place.
"Blair, Blair." The woman puts her hands on my shoulders with a warm smile making me stop in an instant. "Take it easy, Blair. Why so nervous figlia?"
"I just don't want to leave a bad impression of myself to our new neighbor." I left a small awkward chuckle which only made her laugh. Only that I realized l had spoken to much and God knows what nonsense I said. "Oh... I spoke to much didn't I? Damn me, it needs me to just open my mouth and speak gibberish."
I say under my breath hoping she doesn't take me for some insane person.
I am not insane.
This is embarrassing, really embarrassing. The woman looks very classy and elegant and here I am speaking nonsense. I can't bear all this embarrassment.
Kill me.
Kill me.
Kill me.
"No figlia— well you did say some stuff that I didn't understand but it is okay. I feel very welcomed already." She says with a reassuring smile and takes the cookies from my hands and takes one bite from of the cookies. "Mmm now this is a very nice cookie. Your mother is very talented figlia."
If she made them than sure she is. But I made those cookies and hearing this it makes me feel a little upset. But I'm gonna put a smile on and let this slide for now. And I love how she has an accent when she talks, it's so cute.
"Indeed ma'am." My smile grows to make it look as real as possible.
While the new neighbor takes another bite of the cookie, my eyes shift to a person inside her house. A man in a black suit with dark hair and firm expressions.
I wonder if that's her husband.
"Would you like to come in?" The woman says to me and I focus on her while smiling a little at her sudden request. "Oh I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amanda Callisto."
She extends her hand to me and I shake her hand with a warm smile. That's a very beautiful name.
"And I'm—"
"Blair Wrenlee, yes dear I heard you." I'm so ashamed at this cause I did tell her who I was when I spoke really fast. Like Flash but instead of using speed to run I used that speed to talk. "And I'd be more than happy to invite you in my house." She moves from the door to let me in.
For some reasons I don't wanna get in but yet I do. Her house has lots of white furnitures and everything is so modern. I have seen this house from outside but damn the inside is even more pretty.
"What is she doing here?" I hear a male voice say to Mrs. Callisto. It's that man.
I turn to look at him and extend my hand but before I could say anything he grabs Mrs. Callisto and takes her to a more private place.
"Why would you invite the girl here? Did you forget the whole reason why we even moved here in first place?" The man whispers to Mrs. Callisto.
I wonder what they're saying. Not that it's my business but maybe I should get out.
"Mrs. Callisto?" I yell her name out and she comes from the room with what looks like a forced smile. "My mother is calling me, I'm gonna head home." I lie.
"Of course figlia, take care." She accompanies me to the door and I leave.
When I turn my head to look at the house and than back at the road I notice some faces of people and their eyes seem focused towards this house as if they're protecting it.
Strange people.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
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Present day.
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- My heart skipped a beat. I look around the elevator only to see the lights going on and off for a second.
I feel so scared right now that I might have another panic attack. And I don't have my pills to calm me down.
They're at home anyways.
My heart is racing and the fear of being stuck eats my insides one by one. I feel my hands trembling and I feel so weak in front of him.
This seems to amuse him, like he enjoys watching me squirm. "What's the matter darling?" He says as a smirk crosses his face.
I wish I could just punch that smirk off of his face. He always seem to smirk at me like he is taunting me and wants to make me uncomfortable which is really working.
He leans closer to me and I feel like I'm gonna lose my mind. Even the collar on my neck is itching me more now. My eyes shift around the elevator and it gives me this uneasy feeling like it will go down in any minute.
My claustrophobia is making my heartbeat stop. "I'm gonna ask you a few questions dove and if you're smart enough you will answer me right away with no useless sarcasm." He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear with his gloved finger and I move my face right away only for him to chuckle slightly.
"Don't be so upset my sweet little dove, the sooner I know your reasons for being in my property the sooner you will— leave from my sector." He looks at me while putting his arms down and waiting for me to talk.
I try to regain my composure and toughness as I swallow back. "I've lost my memory didn't I? How would I know how I got here?"
He tilts his head clearly now not amused. "You're right, how would you know how you got here? You're clueless." He looks at me from my head to my toes and than back up again.
"Yes, I'm clueless." I manage to say while trying to calm my heartbeats because my heart is beating so fast from the fear of being stuck in this elevator especially with a devil like him.
"But that is not what I'm gonna ask you about dear." His eyes are looking directly at me piercing through my soul like he's trying to figure me out himself.
He looks around the elevator leaving an annoyed sigh. "Frostvale." He turns his focus on me only to meet my shocked face that he knows my small town although I tried to keep it a secret. "You told me you are from Frostvale town in New York while you were eating the vinegar-flavored cooked rice with a garnish of raw fish."
"You could just say sushi, it doesn't hurt you if you would stop talking so poetic type of way for just a little." I say unaware that I spoke out loud but when I see his eyes, he looks at me with so much disappointment as well as annoyance. I can't seem to understand this man.
"Do you mind, love?" He tilts his head in a demanding way like he wants me to shut up so he could finish his talk. I nod.
"Thank you." He takes a deep breath before speaking. "I figured that it is impossible to bring your memory right away as it's been only five days since your being here. So instead I'm gonna be asking you things about stuff that your current self knows."
At least he isn't mentioning anything about my latest escape so that gives me some kind of relief as I thought I'd be damned. I sigh relieved as my lips parted while looking at him. "What are you gonna ask me about?"
"That sounded like a question dove and I thought I made it clear that I will he questioning you." He says as he continues his gaze on me like he is scanning every movement of mine so carefully.
I roll my eyes a little as I look at my feet, but I'm just calming myself of thinking positive thoughts so that another panic attack doesn't occur me. Especially not in front of him. Again.
I'm thinking of the way Lucas was about to kiss me before I came in this place mysteriously, while a small grin crosses my mouth as my eyes shut down to remember every single moment of it.
I'm thinking of his lips on my skin, the way he was teasing me by giving me small but loving pecks on my cheeks, on my eyes, the back of my ears, my nose to my jaw all long to
my lips—
But he couldn't kiss me cause Griffin stopped the moment of me entering paradise. Now my grin turns into a small frown.
Positive thoughts.
Clear your mind.
Positive thoughts.
Clear your mind.
Positive thoughts—
"And there it is again, the distraction from reality." My eyes open as Blondie's voice echoes in my ears only to find him bothered by my resistance to his questions. I'm assuming he may have asked me something by the way he is narrowing his eyes.
He is facing me but he had walked far from me and my eyes go up as I look at him while his eyes shift to my lips and my eyes again. "Perhaps you're more curious to know what secrets you spilled in the dining room so let me narrate to you a bit about the time you decided to zone out while I interrogated you."
Please God, I hope I didn't tell anything that no one except for me should know. Oh God if I did tell him my fears he will be using them against me.
Please God tell me I didn't tell this devil looking person in the body of a Calvin Klein model that my father abuses me.
He steps forward just a little bit, his gaze on me never leaving. "You told me about your fears. Like how you're scared of being stuck in an elevator..."
Especially with a devil like you.
"...especially with a person like me." My eyes open wide alarmed.
I hope he doesn't read minds.
I hope he doesn't read minds.
I hope—
"Than you told me about your claustrophobia. The way how you fear of being locked up in a dark room."
Oh no, I hope I didn't tell him the reason why I have that second fear.
How my father locked me up down in the basement back in my house just cause I yelled back at him. Disobeyed.
I swallow as I look at Blondie while fear takes over my body. He only grins a little revealing his white as snow perfect teeth. "Apart from those, you told me that you fear snakes, spiders or just insects with one word. And loved ones dying."
He takes one step towards me and I try to be the sarcastic girl that annoys him as I force a smile on. "I-Isn't everyone scared of these basic things?"
"Fair point. But the thing is that one should never let their enemy know about their fears as it's quite obvious they will be using it against them. Weakness should be hidden even from the ones you call family." His eyes are on me. "No one can be trusted these days. No. One."
I hate to admit it but he's right.
He puts his hands behind his back as the grin reappears on his face. "Now back to my favorite topic. Right, your fears. You know as I keep mentioning the fears you told me, your eyes show fear, terror just right now and it amuses me to see you squirm like this."
"You stupid monster." I say all of a sudden making him surprised, as usual. "Go back to the burning hell you came from."
"With pleasure." His grin only grows wider as he says that but he doesn't seem to stop there. "But before I go there I still have important things to tell you. You told me how dirty places makes you feel uncomfortable."
"That is true. With that, the asylum you put me in the first night I was here was disgusting, no offense." I say confidently trying to look tough despite my fear against him.
"Well we weren't expecting a fugitive to sneak in my sector so my people didn't had time to prepare you a primary bedroom." He says in mockery and my mouth opens a little in surprise. "Perhaps you should have called or left a note you were coming, it would have saved some time to prepare you a more comfortable and fancy bedroom, love."
"How dare you?" I point my finger to him a little offended. "First of all Blondie, I ain't no fugitive! To call me that is an insult as I have lived in New York City since I was three." He leaves a small chuckle.
"Again with the Blondie nickname?" He looks me with mockery.
"You call me dove. A fucking dove. And also love. Plus some other nicknames. My nickname for you fits you as you seem to be a dumb blonde man—"
That seems to have offended him a bit as he sighs. "Having blonde hair doesn't equal with dumb. This supposedly joke is very old and nobody uses it but since you're mind is in the past you may have a little overused jokes still left on you."
Maybe I shouldn't put the entire blondes in one bag with him. After all it is a very overused "joke" which makes no sense. Everyone is a little dumb but not everyone shares them in social medias so people get confused and try to call a whole community dumb if only one of them makes one mistake.
"There are tons of nicknames you could use for me, and since you're half Albanian I'd really like if you called me zemer."
(Heart)
He seems to be serious about this and I scoff. The irony that I'd call him such word is huge.
"Zemer?" He nods. "Now I would never call you such word but instead I'd prefer to stab you in your so called zemer of course that is if you had one." Okay now I'm speaking nonsense but I'm very infuriated.
"That is probably one of your worse comebacks ever yet I like it." He chuckles at me which is making me really wanna stab him. "Okay than you can call me shpirt,
(Soul)
, I have tons of more fitting nicknames you can use for me, "dove"." He says taunting me with the last word and I have it enough. "What's the second one?"
Confusion hits me as I look at him. "You said "first of all" now tell me the second of all."
" Well, "Blondie"..." I also say his name mocking his face expressions. "...second of all is that, you are really annoying. Absolutely annoying that you deserve to rot in hell."
"And you my dear look absolutely delicious that you deserve to drown in my paradise." His smirk appears on his face but I don't get it at first than it hits me.
For the first time my cheeks go a little red as I try to control my emotions. I'm as angry as I'm uncomfortable.
I know he doesn't mean the words he says because he only wants to make me mad so he can learn what kind of a "gift" I have but I won't give him that satisfaction. I calm myself down no longer smiling, smirking, or taunting.
As my eyes shift to his, his pale emerald eyes like a clean forest under the sunlight. I scan now his firm features. His hair is thick the richest color of gold. He is wearing his usual gloves or shall I say sleeves. Thick sleeves, long and crisp. His collar is high and regal. It looks like he is covering everything except for his face, as if he is trying to protect himself from my so called lethal touch.
"What a shame such beauty is given to a person who's heart is made out of stone." I say but he seems unfazed by my words so I sigh annoyed as I look at my hands. "Your mother must be proud."
I notice he took a step back almost dripping over his feet but when I meet his face I see: his eyes alarmed. He grabs me by my arm, his grip is a bit hard. "What is that supposed to mean? What do you know?"
I don't know what he's talking about but the grip is a bit tighter and fear is all around me again so I need to tell him. "Nothing!" I say as I put my other hand up in a surrender. "I-It's a slang used as a joke. It's a joke."
He noticed that his grip on my arm was a bit tight so he releases my arm and swallows as he goes back to his serious posture I mostly see him in. "Anyways."
I take a deep breath also calming myself and a few minutes go by but he isn't talking to me yet he doesn't press the button to start the elevator.
So I break the silence.
"Are there cameras in my room?" His gaze goes on me and he nods but now he is no longer taunting me. Good.
He seems to be upset at me.
It's not like I said something so jaw dropping dead ass joke that hurt his little feelings. Right?
"Indeed there are." Panic seems to want to occur me once again. "You cannot be trusted."
The idea of someone watching me puts me in horror. "Take them down." I say in a more commanding tone yet scared.
"I will not do such thing. Like I said you cannot be trusted. That you showed me when you tried to escape."
"I will not do anything bad just take them down." My tone sounds like I'm begging him but I'm more commanding him.
Because I never say please for no proper reasons.
"How about we speak about something more important." He suggests.
Now I'm confused once again. "What's more important then taking down the cameras in my room and to give me privacy?" I add with a slight anger in my tone.
"A humans life perhaps." My anger vanishes in instant. "The door of your room can only be open with a key card that is given to the people who are allowed to enter the room."
Wait.
"Do you remember love or did you even notice the door being slightly open the night you escaped?"
Yes. It was a little opened but I-
Oh God.
Someone must have left it open for me.
"Do you really think I wouldn't have found out about this important thing at the end of the day?" I'm looking at him in horror yet he seems amused now.
"The only people who have the same key card to enter your room are Private Kishimoto, Doctor Mendes and Nurse Eklund. Which means one of these people helped you escape."
"That's n-not possible..." I says as my voice is cracking a bit as if I'm trying to not admit that indeed there may have been someone who tried to help me.
But who?
"It is very possible. And I will make the responsible one pay for this in such a horrible way. As one of them broke the rules by helping a prisoner. My prisoner." All I can see in Warner's eyes is death.
Death.
(Published on January 17 2024)