Song: abcdefu - GAYLE
☠️ Cassius ☠️
"The room is prepared, boss," The maid says dutifully with her hands in front of her clasped together.
"Yes, yes, yes," I acknowledge dismissively, waving my hand to shoo her away. I have no patience whatsoever after Sage insulted my intelligence.
Am I really that ignorant? Negligent? Should I not have trusted those people to do basic work? Well, they're incompetent anyway, but I don't want more paperwork. That means more late nights and less sleep. Sleep is very important.
I'm still contemplating this when I arrive at the stairway of the dungeon. I shake the thoughts off, determined to get to the bottom of this. Is there really someone that is corrupted under me? Taking advantage of me?
I round to the corner and I see... Sage. Hanging out with criminals. Laughing with criminals. How is she more comfortable with murderers and rapists and thieves than with me? Me, who cared for her, who saved her from death? (He doesn't realize that she didn't know it was him at the moment)
I scoff at my own thoughts. What is this feeling? Something close to anger but not quite. I clench my jaw. If she enjoys their company so fucking much, she can live with all those useless criminals. (Again, he has forgotten they might not be criminals)
I storm away from the place and up the staircase again. Yes, the action is petty, but I don't care. If she wants to stay with them, be with them, then she can. She can stay with them as long as she likes.
Yes, and I will be your only companion again. The voice hisses. I told you already, Cassius, she will not stay. When will you actually listen to my voice?
I grunt. "I've listened to you plenty of times when I kill."
The voice ignores the statement. You will be alone forever, and no one even wants to get close to you. Look at how dangerous you are. And your attitude. It... sucks. You're just stuck with me, the only thing on your side.
"Shut up."
It does, but the whispers don't subside. It never does anyway.
🌿 Sage 🌿
I see a figure at the corner of my eyes retreating to the stairs. The guards' shifts don't change until midnight. So who's leaving? It can't be any of the people trapped here, since the security is so good.
I turn to catch a glimpse of dark hair. The bossy guy who owns this place? (I still don't know his name. I should ask for it soon. For now I name him bossy guy.)
"I think I should go." I tell the girls. "I kind of forced Bossy Guy to give me a better room. (It better be a suite) And I think he just came to get me."
"Yeah! Go get your man!" Opal claps in excitement.
"Still not my man!" I crush her dreams of me ever liking Bossy Guy.
I walk up the stairs to find it barred. What the actual hell? I bang on the door. "Why is the goddamn door locked? Let me out!" I yell to the guards standing outside.
"Sorry. Boss's orders." One of them replies, but he doesn't sound sorry. At all. Son of a gun. I don't like any of them anyway. Well, except for Guard no. 2. He was nice to me.
"Boss my butt. He's the one who's letting me stay in one of those fancy rooms up there." I hit the door again with my fist, careful not to break through it accidentally. (I ate today so I have enough strength to smash through the door. Ooh, I like using the word smash. Makes me sound very cool)
"Yeah, no. Boss ordered us to keep the doors closed at all times, no matter who the person is or what they're doing. Sorry to burst your bubble, man, but you're not special. You're stuck down there like every other guy."
Oh, that son of a (You know what? This deserves a curse word. No, multiple.) BITCH! How dare he trick me? That fucking scammer! He can burn in hell for what he did to me, locking me in here again!
I laugh, the sound bordering on unhinged. "Oh, when I fucking see you again, Bossy Guy, I will kill you with my own damn hands. You fucking tricked me, and I actually fell for it!" I curl my hands into fists, channeling most of my anger into it to try and calm myself down. It doesn't work.
I scream to the door. The guards on the other side slam their elbows against it in an attempt to shut me up. I don't.
"Bitch, shut the fuck up!" One of the people from the cells yell. "It's night. Let us sleep in peace, will ya?"
Oops. I forgot there are people here. "Sorry!" I whisper yell back. "My bad. I won't do it again."
I walk back to the cells dejectedly. "What happened? You were yelling so loud about someone tricking you?" Opal asks immediately when she sees my face.
"The guy you thought I'm going to have an epic romance with? He locked me in here. When he promised me a better room up there. Is that not a trick? Sorry, girl, for crushing your dreams. There will be no enemies to lovers. Or grumpy sunshine. Or forced proximity. Or forbidden love. I genuinely hate him." She looks so disappointed, but it can't be helped.
I look around the place until I find my old cell. Guess I have to go back to looking at the poop covered ceiling. I sigh and go onto the bed, covering myself with the blanket that shouldn't even be considered a blanket, considering the amount of holes in it.
If Bossy Guy visits, I'm going to punch the hell out of his nuts. I swear.
🌿 🌿 🌿
Ellie is standing in front of me, blood dripping down her chin. She stares at me with mournful eyes. "This is all your fault," She accuses, pointing her bloodied finger at me.
"Ellie!" I reach out to touch her, to find any way to save her, to find the source of her bleeding.
She pulls away, shaking her head. She starts crying blood tears, and her nose starts bleeding until all I can see is a bloodied mess where her face was.
"Ellie, please!" I repeat desperately, reaching out again but it's no use. "Ellie, don't go! Please, I need you! Don't leave me! I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
I repeat it over and over again until she fades away. I scream into the empty space in the nightmare, but my voice won't work. All that comes out is silence, silence, and more silence. I can't bear the quiet.
Someone is shaking me. Shaking me hard. I spring up from the bed, breathing heavily. Bossy Guy is standing in front of me, his eyes full of concern.
I almost scream out loud then and there. I put a hand over my mouth just in case I actually accidentally do.
"Why won't you scream?" He whispers, looking so innocent, that little bas-tart. (Oooh, now I want to eat tarts.) "I saw you opening your mouth like you were going to, but you didn't. Why?"
I ignore him. How dare he? Locking the door to the outside and leaving me here, and now he has the audacity to ask me questions? About my own personal life? I scoff silently and stare him down.
He looks mad. Good. He should be even more angry, considering what he did to me. "Why aren't you answering?"
"You don't have the right to question me. You're the one who locked me up and kept... no, is keeping me prisoner here." I raise my eyebrows at him.
I turn to face the wall, giving him my back. I would rather have a staring contest with a wall and watch paint dry than to talk to him. (Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm really mad right now, so humor me)
I press my lips together. Has he already left? I don't know. It's okay, I'll stare at the wall a little longer.
I hear a sigh. Guess he's still here and I have to have a longer mental conversation with the wall. Before I can finish what I was saying to the wall, I'm getting picked up. (We were having a really meaningful conversation. I was warning it about how the poop on the ceiling can seriously affect its health.)
"Let me down!" I protest, kicking the air. "Oh jee-zus. You son of a bitch!"
"I thought you said your mummy taught you better?" He asks smugly. "You're swearing now."
I don't care if I'm swearing or not. All I care about is him putting me down! Right now! "Put. Me. Down, Bossy Guy!" I shout.
He shushes me. "There's people sleeping here, bird."
Bird? Why am I nicknamed a bird? Of all the cool animals, I get a freaking bird? It does remind me though, Opal is sleeping here. If she wakes up and sees me like this, upside down and getting carried over his shoulder, her thoughts about me not liking him will change. Again.
I pout, just a little, but stay limp on his shoulder and let him carry me. He won this battle, but he will not win this war. "I hate you," I whisper, my arms swinging in the air. Hypothetically, I could hit him on the back there, right on the back of his neck. I don't.
He carries me all the way past his office and into a room. Oh my god, did he keep his promise after all? Is this my room?
"This is my room." Bossy Guy says, crushing all my hopes and dreams. "You will stay here for the time being because of... difficulties in the room being prepared for you."
"Difficulties? I bet you trashed it so I can't sleep there." I raise an eyebrow, daring him to spill the truth. He doesn't say anything.
I sigh, looking around the place. There's no couch, no sofa, nothing for me to sleep on. "Where do you want me to sleep? The floor? That's less comfy than the cell." I judge.
"You can sleep on the bed," He says over his shoulder. "I can sleep on the floor. I'm going to take a shower now, so do whatever you want. Just don't destroy the room. Please."
He heads to the bathroom, leaving me alone.
Great. What do I do now?
💫 💫 💫
Hello again my angels :)
The next chapter is going to take some time to upload since I haven't actually finished writing it in my first draft yet. Anyway, I hope you like Cassius and Sage and have a good day.
Hugs and kisses,
sugarcookiewriter
Chapter 7 status:
Currently unedited