I’m all you have right now.”
Those words were like a knife in my heart. My face crumpled, making me fall over onto my stomach. It may have been a childish move but I didn’t care; my life was turned upside down, and I still had no idea why. I kept my face downward on my folded arms, wanting him to leave.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat things,” he said. “There’s a lot you don’t know, and it’s better that way. You were drugged, which is a part of the reason your stomach is acting up I’m sure, plus the movement of the water. I’m going to get you some Sprite and an anti-nausea pill. You might as well get comfortable. You’re going to be here a while.”
He stood up and left, locking the door behind him. I turned my head to look at the empty room, confusion ripping through me. How was I going to get myself out of this?
My head jerked when I heard the door open and saw him walk back in. He carried a can of Sprite and set it on the table beside the bed, along with two small, round, white pills. He sat back down on the chair with a thump and leaned back with his sculpted arms folded over his chest, nodding his head toward the drink.
“Take a few sips and swallow the pills,” he told me.
I didn’t move, even though I’d clearly heard him. I may have come from a sheltered background, but I wasn’t stupid enough to just do what this guy told me. For all I knew, those pills were poison.
He ran a hand over his head and let out a huge sigh. “Penelope, they’re stomach relaxers, for seasickness. I’m not here to harm you. Take them.”
His face looked sincere, but for all I knew, he’d mastered that look right before he killed his victims. At another lurch of the boat, my stomach recoiled, making me grab the pills and down them in two large gulps. At this point, death was preferred over the situation I was in.
His face relaxed as I put the soda back down. “I didn’t do that for you,” I told him in a surge of defiance. “I figured death would be better than this.”
His eyes blazed for a minute, then went back to stone-cold nothing. A few seconds later, a smile appeared on his face, not reaching his eyes. I wasn’t sure what to think and began to regret my outburst.
“Seems there’s some attitude in there after all,” he said, staying still. I grabbed the pillow and placed it in front of me. I wrapped my arms around it and pulled it close, trying to somehow protect myself from him.
“I’m going to remind you again—as long as you behave and do as you’re told, nothing will happen to you.” He looked at me intently as if trying to drive his point home.
“Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” I blurted, then put a fist to my mouth, scared at what I’d just done.
He leaned over on that ugly chair and rested his elbows on his knees, massaging his temples with his fingers. He seemed conflicted, but why would he be? I hugged the pillow tighter to my chest, waiting to see what he’d do.
He raised his head and looked at me. The gold in his hazel eyes seemed to be burning, making me more nervous.
“I just want to go home,” I said softy, not able to take it anymore. I burrowed my head into the pillow and felt my hair fall all around me. As I rocked back and forth on the bed, the drowsiness from the pills began to take effect.
I heard him shift in his chair and then sigh again. I refused to look over at him, partly out of defiance and partly because my eyes were getting heavier and heavier with the effects of the pills. I moved so I could lie down, turning away from him, and closed my eyes. I’d ask him more about what was going on later after I woke up, unless this was all a horrible nightmare.
Suddenly he lifted my waist and legs up, making me cry out. “Settle down,” he said. “I’m just putting you under the covers. Get some rest, Penelope,” he told me, sounding annoyed.
I went still and put my hand under my cheek. I couldn’t open
Those words were like a knife in my heart. My face crumpled, making me fall over onto my stomach. It may have been a childish move but I didn’t care; my life was turned upside down, and I still had no idea why. I kept my face downward on my folded arms, wanting him to leave.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat things,” he said. “There’s a lot you don’t know, and it’s better that way. You were drugged, which is a part of the reason your stomach is acting up I’m sure, plus the movement of the water. I’m going to get you some Sprite and an anti-nausea pill. You might as well get comfortable. You’re going to be here a while.”
He stood up and left, locking the door behind him. I turned my head to look at the empty room, confusion ripping through me. How was I going to get myself out of this?
My head jerked when I heard the door open and saw him walk back in. He carried a can of Sprite and set it on the table beside the bed, along with two small, round, white pills. He sat back down on the chair with a thump and leaned back with his sculpted arms folded over his chest, nodding his head toward the drink.
“Take a few sips and swallow the pills,” he told me.
I didn’t move, even though I’d clearly heard him. I may have come from a sheltered background, but I wasn’t stupid enough to just do what this guy told me. For all I knew, those pills were poison.
He ran a hand over his head and let out a huge sigh. “Penelope, they’re stomach relaxers, for seasickness. I’m not here to harm you. Take them.”
His face looked sincere, but for all I knew, he’d mastered that look right before he killed his victims. At another lurch of the boat, my stomach recoiled, making me grab the pills and down them in two large gulps. At this point, death was preferred over the situation I was in.
His face relaxed as I put the soda back down. “I didn’t do that for you,” I told him in a surge of defiance. “I figured death would be better than this.”
His eyes blazed for a minute, then went back to stone-cold nothing. A few seconds later, a smile appeared on his face, not reaching his eyes. I wasn’t sure what to think and began to regret my outburst.
“Seems there’s some attitude in there after all,” he said, staying still. I grabbed the pillow and placed it in front of me. I wrapped my arms around it and pulled it close, trying to somehow protect myself from him.
“I’m going to remind you again—as long as you behave and do as you’re told, nothing will happen to you.” He looked at me intently as if trying to drive his point home.
“Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” I blurted, then put a fist to my mouth, scared at what I’d just done.
He leaned over on that ugly chair and rested his elbows on his knees, massaging his temples with his fingers. He seemed conflicted, but why would he be? I hugged the pillow tighter to my chest, waiting to see what he’d do.
He raised his head and looked at me. The gold in his hazel eyes seemed to be burning, making me more nervous.
“I just want to go home,” I said softy, not able to take it anymore. I burrowed my head into the pillow and felt my hair fall all around me. As I rocked back and forth on the bed, the drowsiness from the pills began to take effect.
I heard him shift in his chair and then sigh again. I refused to look over at him, partly out of defiance and partly because my eyes were getting heavier and heavier with the effects of the pills. I moved so I could lie down, turning away from him, and closed my eyes. I’d ask him more about what was going on later after I woke up, unless this was all a horrible nightmare.
Suddenly he lifted my waist and legs up, making me cry out. “Settle down,” he said. “I’m just putting you under the covers. Get some rest, Penelope,” he told me, sounding annoyed.
I went still and put my hand under my cheek. I couldn’t open
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