We woke with a start to the sound of the door to the first room bursting open, accompanied by cries of child-like agony. After a few seconds of the shaky fumbling of keys, our captor came bursting into our cell wearing a plain black t-shirt and sweat pants. His face was streaked with tears, the way he held himself let me know it was Hedwig who had the light.
He quickly shut the door and rushed over to my cot without second thought and threw himself on top of me, wrapping his arms around my stomach and sobbing into my chest. The other two girls were frightened, but I'd grown fond of all of the personalities that had been displayed to us since our arrival, and they seemed to be the most fond of me..
"Hedwig...?" I whispered gently, rubbing soothing circles into his back. "Did something happen..?"
He frantically nodded his head, I could feel the tears and snot dripping from is nose ooze into my shirt. Dennis would not be pleased..
"What's wrong talk to me.."
"I-I was trying to sleep.. but then I had a dream that-.. No.. NO!! I don't want to talk about it!!" He sobbed, shaking his head side to side frantically.
"O-oh okay.. okay shh... You don't have to talk about it just.. breathe.. deep breaths.. it was just a dream.. a bad dream, you're okay..." I said soothingly, attempting to rock him side to side, still rubbing his back. This seemed to help tremendously.. as soon as he had calmed down enough that his sobs were reduced to hick-ups he fell right back asleep. I rested my mouth on the top of his head, continuing to rock him for a source of comfort and to make sure he was truly asleep..
"How did you know..?" Claire asked quietly so not to wake him, her voice trembling slightly with fear. "That it was Hedwig.."
I stared at her a moment, they had become weary of me since I've become closer with our captor, but recently they've come to think I did this to gain his trust so we had an escape route.. I turned to face straight again. "When you've lived in the way that I have, you learn to watch people.. make eye contact, know their body language.. When you do this enough.." I looked down at the sleeping man in my arms.. "It's almost like you learn how to read minds.. people become predictable once you know what you're looking for.. sometimes it comes without thinking.." I watched as a small smile turned up on Hedwig's cheeks as I moved to stroke his head.
"And you're not scared.. at all?" Marcia asked, shifting uncomfortable in her sitting position. Looking at me skeptically.
"This man isn't evil like you may think.. He isn't crazy either.. He has a disorder, a medical condition that he can't help.. Just like you can't help that you have dark hair and eyes.. He truly believes that he and the other personas are in danger.. The human mind does some irrational things when it feels threatened.. It's in our nature.. He's only following what he believes is right.. It's very real to him.. Whether it is to us or not.."
I watched as the tension grew in the mans face, Dennis was taking the light but he was still fast asleep. I felt his arms wrap tighter around me. Something in the back of his mind must long for this loving contact. This brought a small smile to my lips..
I slowly drifted off to sleep to the feeling of his warm body melted into mine, and the gentle sound of his heavy breathing..
The franticness of the night caused us to forget that the key to our freedom was so close.. only being clutched by our captors firm hand beneath my back..
Waking up only hours later, with no sign of the man but the smell of fresh laundry detergent on my previously dirty, snot covered shirt..