The next few years were dull for Thea, and she grew more and more complacent with her life. She'd essentially given up on freedom, instead just trying to survive.
Despite everything, she didn't want to die. Not anymore.
It had started with training. Simon instructed her on everything to do. Everything to be.
Don't speak unless he wanted her to.
Don't move after someone positions her.
Stay still while she styles her hair.
Don't struggle while he changes her. While he cleans her.
Be the perfect doll for him. For clients that payed him to play with her for hours at a time. She learned to just let it happen, to fall limp and ignore the feeling of the large fingers of strangers on her body.
She got used to rough clients that held her too tightly. At least Simon would treat her wounds.
He cared about her. He took care of her. He was gentle.
Thea loved him. And he obviously loved her. Why else would he have picked her of all people? She was so lucky, wasn't she, that he found her beautiful?
And now he had placed her into a doll chair and told her softly to make sure he could get to all of her hair. He ran a brush through it, being gentle on her sensitive scalp as he made it sleek and beautiful. Getting the tangles out.
"My dear Thea." He was murmuring, lifting her into his palm. She was used to it now, and as he trailed his thumb along her arm comfortingly, she shivered. "I want give you a few days to rest, darling. You've been such a good girl."
He stroked her cheek and she leaned into it, craving that gentleness after such a rough customer. She knew she'd have bruises and that was why he was giving her time to recover.
Giving her time in her glass display case.
He put her back into the chair and gathered her hair behind her. It was longer by now, still just as curly and rich brown as it had been when she first got here. It looked healthy, thanks to Simon.
She shivered again as he began to play with her hair. Thea knew that he did that when he was thinking. She'd learned that after the first year.
How long ago was that?
She shook the thought and simply let him continue, feeling her hair being twisted into an elegant braid. It was a bit tight, but if that's what he wanted, she wouldn't complain.
"Thea, darling." He picked her up again, admiring her with a small smile. He shifted her until she was on her back, resting a thumb across her middle and trapping her arms there as well. Like a heavy, flesh seatbelt. "I have a request from our next client, so just know that you will be fine, okay?"
Thea didn't respond. She knew he didn't really want her to. That didn't stop her heart from skipping a beat as she saw him retrieve something from his pocket. It was a pink, silken object and she felt his grip around her tighten a bit as he brought it closer.
She squeezed her eyes shut, listening to his murmur to not move as she felt the silk on her throat. And then it tightened and she could barely breathe as he tied it there. So she could get used to it.
But he pulled away and smiled and she dealt with it because that's what he wanted.
"Beautiful..." He breathed, warm air washing over her. She felt vibration pass through her as he walked her to her display case. He placed her inside and clicked her restraints onto her limbs.
She was flat on her back, legs together and clicked under a specially made right plastic clip. Her arms were similarly bound, but they were on either side of her. It was uncomfortable when she first got here. Now, she was too used to it to be bothered.
At least she could sleep this way, even if the glass all around her was cold. Even if this was all she'd amount to be now.
"I'll see you in the morning, Thea. Get some rest, baby." He clicked the case shut and turned off the lights as he left. Thea closed her eyes to sleep.
And she did. That is, until she woke up to hushed murmurs that she couldn't quite understand though the thick glass walls of her display box.
Her wide eyes met giant ones of the same quality. He was looking right at her, and she could barely make out facial features beneath the red hood of a hoodie. As she drew in a sharp gasp and tried to sit up, she saw him blink several times.
He was shocked. And she was stupid for even trying to move when she knew she shouldn't have. She wasn't supposed to move.
And the next thing she knew, her box was in his hands and he was walking over to his buddy, who was at Simon's computer.
They were robbing him. And she was something they were taking.
She tried to scream for Simon, but all that escaped her was a whimper. The silk around her neck prevented her from having the proper pressure to speak above a whisper. Or dawned on her that the next client was probably one who would have been one who sought pleasure more than anything, who didn't want to hear any complaints.
Not that she would have. She was too trained for that. Too good at being what Simon wanted her to be.
She squeezed her eyes shut, heart pounding. She felt...scared. It had been a while since she'd last felt that kind of fear. She'd been pretty numb for the past few years.
She opened her eyes as her box was set down, eyes widening as they took in the unfamiliar setting. It seemed to be the inside of a motel room, and she sucked in as sharp of a gasp as her box snapped open.
But she didn't dare move. She wasn't supposed to move. So she just squeezed her eyes shut as a hand reached in and fumbled with the latches on her plastic restraints. The man cursed under his breath until he popped one open with a click, freeing her legs.
It was obvious that he was expecting her to start kicking her legs or something now that they were free. She could hear the rustling as his hand withdrew.
But she didn't move. She wasn't supposed to move.
And the hand returned and undid her other latches. The hand wrapped around her a bit tight and carefully maneuvered her out of the box.
"Hey...um," the voice sounded uncertain as he manipulated her body so the she was propped against a curved palm as he held her, a thumb hesitating before resting across her lap. She blinked. "I know you're probably scared, but you're safe now." He frowned a bit at the silence, glancing at the other person across the room, a woman. "I'm Roy, and uh... That's Felicity."
Thea didn't say anything, simply wincing as his other hand moved close. Safe? They took her from Simon, the one who'd taken care of her. Her breath hitched as his finger brushed her neck, examining the silk around her throat.
Roy furrowed his dark brows and clicked his tongue in sympathy at the marks he could see peeking out from behind it. He muttered an apology and looked around for something sharp, turning back to the girl. She seemed to be in her early twenties or so, and he felt guilty at the fear he saw in her eyes as he brought his pocket knife closer.
Still, the girl just closed her eyes and didn't move. She didn't move even as cool metal pressed against the back of her neck. Didn't move as he sliced through the fabric around her throat.
Her eyes shot open and she raised her eyes to his, meeting his grey eyes. He looked concerned and he shifted her a bit closer. He tried to ignore the eerie stillness of her body.
Why wasn't she freaking out? Was it something that had happened there?
"Are you—?"
"Roy?" Felicity softly called from the other side, and Thea caught a glimpse of blonde as Roy shifted to look over. "This guys a maniac. Apparently he used to do something with girls he found. He'd kidnap them, try to make them his..." she grimaced, "dolls, and kill them when they struggled. He's been on the run for years."
Thea could feel tense energy in the palm she rested on, and she was trembling slightly as he spoke again.
"Felicity... you don't think he..?"
"That's exactly what I think." Her gaze fell upon Thea, who went a bit rigid as she shied away. She shifted slightly in Roy's palm before freezing again. She wasn't supposed to move. "I think this sicko found a way to make his victims smaller. Easier to control. She's lucky to even be alive, I think."
She turned back to her computer and typed rapidly, looking at Thea several times before turning her laptop to face them.
"That's Thea Queen, the girl who's been missing for almost five years now."