open slowly, as quietly as possible.
The room was very dark, and it had a disgusting smell. Dead things. Piss. Shit. She covered her nose with one hand and squinted, trying to get her eyes adjusted.
“Hello?” she whispered. “Who’s in here? Can I help you? The sound of her voice stirred up other sounds, small sounds of whining and scratching.
No, that’s no snake. Just do this, Kelly!
She took two steps into the trailer, keeping her free hand on the doorsill.
“Hello?”
Things began to take focus. A small bin or cage against one wall, covered in a lumpy cloth. That’s where the whining was coming from. To the right was a huge cage covered in a curtain. The uneven hem of the curtain revealed the bars at the bottom.
And a pair of scuffed black shoes pressed up against the bars.
“Oh, shit,” Kelly whispered.
“Help me,” said a raspy, desperate voice from within the large cage. “Please, help me.”
“I…” began Kelly. Where the hell was the snake? Was it in the cage with the man who was speaking?
I can’t look. I can’t do this…
“Please, help me!”
Kelly licked her dry lips but they remained dry. “Is…is the snake in there with you?”
“There is no snake,” said the voice. “I’m here alone. Locked up. Trapped. Your father did this to me. Please, please let me out!”
Kelly drew back. “What? No. My father’s a good man. He wouldn’t lock someone up.”
“He did. You don’t know your father very well.”
“He said there was a snake in here.”
“There is no snake. That was a ruse so you would stay way and not come help me.”
“No, he wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t lie.”
“You are a loving girl, I can tell from your voice. I’ve been captive a long time. I fear I will die if I have to stay locked up. Please, please set me free. I won’t press charges against your father. I just need to get out.”
Kelly bit her lip, looked at the door, then back at the curtained cage.
“I…”
“Please! Help me!”
The voice cut her with its angst, and she could no longer resist. Stealing herself and taking a breath of the dank, acidic air, she pulled back the curtain.
He stood there, tall, broad shouldered, hair jet black, face skeletally angular and as pale as the moon. But it was his yellowed eyes that drew a gasp from her, his dreadful gaze that locked with hers and caused her heart to stop beating for two, three, four counts before it was able to pick up again. He smiled at her. The smile was horrific.
“You want to know who I am,” he asked, and though she did she was unable to nod. “I am your father’s great mystery, his great money-maker, which is a farce, a ridiculous, centuries’ old joke, for neither he nor his family have made squat displaying me, they have only delayed the punishment that my captivity will bring upon their heads.”
Kelly could not speak, she could not blink, she could not look away from the man with the yellow eyes. He tipped his head and considered her, then raised a brow. “You have come to change all that.”
She could not reply, she could not scream. She could only stare at him, locked face to face, and feel her sense of self fade away.
“Open the cage,” said the man. “You have the keys.”
She felt the keys in her hands, though could not look at them.
“Now!”
One by one, she fumbled with the padlock on the cage door.
“Stupid, slovenly slut,” he hissed. “You’re like your old man. A simpleton.”
Then Kelly pushed the correct key into the lock, and with a snap, it came open. The man chuckled darkly and pushed his way out of the cage.
“Now then,” he said.
She looked at him, stared into the yellow eyes, wanting what was there but not wanting what was there, waiting to see what would happen to her next, because she knew she had no choice in the matter.
He took her by the shoulders and said, “Ah, now.” His breath was rancid, like old butter and bad meat. He opened his mouth and she saw the
The room was very dark, and it had a disgusting smell. Dead things. Piss. Shit. She covered her nose with one hand and squinted, trying to get her eyes adjusted.
“Hello?” she whispered. “Who’s in here? Can I help you? The sound of her voice stirred up other sounds, small sounds of whining and scratching.
No, that’s no snake. Just do this, Kelly!
She took two steps into the trailer, keeping her free hand on the doorsill.
“Hello?”
Things began to take focus. A small bin or cage against one wall, covered in a lumpy cloth. That’s where the whining was coming from. To the right was a huge cage covered in a curtain. The uneven hem of the curtain revealed the bars at the bottom.
And a pair of scuffed black shoes pressed up against the bars.
“Oh, shit,” Kelly whispered.
“Help me,” said a raspy, desperate voice from within the large cage. “Please, help me.”
“I…” began Kelly. Where the hell was the snake? Was it in the cage with the man who was speaking?
I can’t look. I can’t do this…
“Please, help me!”
Kelly licked her dry lips but they remained dry. “Is…is the snake in there with you?”
“There is no snake,” said the voice. “I’m here alone. Locked up. Trapped. Your father did this to me. Please, please let me out!”
Kelly drew back. “What? No. My father’s a good man. He wouldn’t lock someone up.”
“He did. You don’t know your father very well.”
“He said there was a snake in here.”
“There is no snake. That was a ruse so you would stay way and not come help me.”
“No, he wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t lie.”
“You are a loving girl, I can tell from your voice. I’ve been captive a long time. I fear I will die if I have to stay locked up. Please, please set me free. I won’t press charges against your father. I just need to get out.”
Kelly bit her lip, looked at the door, then back at the curtained cage.
“I…”
“Please! Help me!”
The voice cut her with its angst, and she could no longer resist. Stealing herself and taking a breath of the dank, acidic air, she pulled back the curtain.
He stood there, tall, broad shouldered, hair jet black, face skeletally angular and as pale as the moon. But it was his yellowed eyes that drew a gasp from her, his dreadful gaze that locked with hers and caused her heart to stop beating for two, three, four counts before it was able to pick up again. He smiled at her. The smile was horrific.
“You want to know who I am,” he asked, and though she did she was unable to nod. “I am your father’s great mystery, his great money-maker, which is a farce, a ridiculous, centuries’ old joke, for neither he nor his family have made squat displaying me, they have only delayed the punishment that my captivity will bring upon their heads.”
Kelly could not speak, she could not blink, she could not look away from the man with the yellow eyes. He tipped his head and considered her, then raised a brow. “You have come to change all that.”
She could not reply, she could not scream. She could only stare at him, locked face to face, and feel her sense of self fade away.
“Open the cage,” said the man. “You have the keys.”
She felt the keys in her hands, though could not look at them.
“Now!”
One by one, she fumbled with the padlock on the cage door.
“Stupid, slovenly slut,” he hissed. “You’re like your old man. A simpleton.”
Then Kelly pushed the correct key into the lock, and with a snap, it came open. The man chuckled darkly and pushed his way out of the cage.
“Now then,” he said.
She looked at him, stared into the yellow eyes, wanting what was there but not wanting what was there, waiting to see what would happen to her next, because she knew she had no choice in the matter.
He took her by the shoulders and said, “Ah, now.” His breath was rancid, like old butter and bad meat. He opened his mouth and she saw the
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