One week. One week has passed and my time in this place seems to be at an excruciating crawl. Time creeps slowly along, while I try desperately to find an escape from this place. Cidney has been here to help me recover, and I'm happy to say I'm almost fully recovered. Movement of my muscles are still slow, and my head still seems slightly foggy. I haven't seen Lusso since he lead me to my own room.
I rest quietly on my lavender colored bed, and the pale pastel walls around me could almost be relaxing. I prefer to lose myself in the canopy of dark colors, but I suppose I like these too.
A knock on the door pulls me into a sitting position, a head rush accompanying the sudden movement. Without invite the door flies open, reveling a excited looking Cindy. "Anna!" she squeals as she bounces into the room, the blonde curls dancing around her waist. I wince at the sudden noise, not ready the amount of energy that just entered the room.
"You will not believe the sales I just found on Ashley Lauren!" She runs and jumps onto the bed next to me.
I roll my eyes. "Cidney, you do not need another dress. When do you even wear them?"
"I don't need a reason to wear them, I just like them," she scoffs. Cidney has a problem when it comes to dress shopping. She has a closet full of dresses, most of she has never even worn.
"You have a problem."
"Yes, I know. Now shut up and endorse my bad habits," she thrust the laptop onto me and begins pointing to the screen. Over the last week, Cidney and I have become friends. I don't really have anybody else, and she's really positive. She sometimes makes me forget how bad things are right now.
We stay in my room for hours, browsing Cindy's laptop. I wonder for a short time if I could use her laptop to contact the police, but know there's to many factors that could go wrong. Thankfully there's a TV in my room, so we often find entertainment in a movie called High School Musical. I've never been to a real high school, and I wonder if that's what high schools really like.
Just before the end credits start to roll, there's a firm knock on my door. Cidney perks up beside me. "I know that knock. See ya." Then grabs her laptop, and darts out the door. Lusso steps into my room, and I suddenly understand her urgency to leave.
"Come on, we're going for a walk," he demands, and I hesitantly make my way out the door behind him.
We walk through the cold, winding halls, and I'm suddenly uncomfortably aware of how small I am next to him. He effortlessly towers over me, built with lean muscle and raw power. I could never run from him. There's no where for me to escape him. The thoughts are rapidly becoming overwhelming, and panic floods me chest. I can't breathe. I can't talk. I feel sick.
The emotions of rational fear cause ordinary things like breathing and walking to require unobtainable amounts effort. I trip on nothing, and anxiously await for new pain to ricochet through my already weak body. But I never reach the ground.
I squeak as I'm gripped around my waist, the bearable tenderness in my torso swarming into newly stimulated pain. Being so weak, I can't help but crouch over and fall into a coughing fit, my lungs burning as I heave violently.
When I finally get a hold on myself, I'm leaning against the wall hyperventilating, still panicking. Black spots corrode the edges of my vision, my head spinning as I grasp for something to hold on to.
I find something, a face in front of me. It's foggy, but I know it's Lusso. Though its a bit different, in my dazed mind he looks younger. Maybe it's the way his hair is less visible, the usual ink frame not as daunting on his already rough features. Focusing on why Lusso looks younger, I'm distracted long enough to even out my breathing.
"You done?" his arrogant voice rings when I'm eventually able to comprehend again. I try really hard not to react. I really try not to break down in front of this monster, because he doesn't deserve it. But in the end, I fail.
I break into sobs, finally allowing myself to pity my situation. I cry for the life I built and lost, for the years I spent starving all for nothing. I'm never going to leave this underground prison. I'm going to rot and die here, with some asshole who is a waste of good looks.
I hadn't realized I had sunk down the wall until I was sitting on the concrete beneath me, my head tucked between my knees pray I'll return home someday. Mr. Wang will still be next door, and everything will be like it was before.
"Hey, I'm sorry okay," a quiet voice speaks right next to me. I peak from under my arm to see it's Lusso, squatted down beside me. He looks genuinely concerned, but I'm not stupid enough to believe such a monster could ever sympathize with another being. "Please, just come with me?"
I have no idea why I agree, but I let him help me up and lead me to his office. He locks the door behind us, and I stand as small as a possibly can in the closest corner. My face is still sticky and red with tears, and I know I look like a mess.
Lusso rolls a chair over to sit a few feet in front of me, leaving me suddenly uncomfortable under his heavy gaze. I glance around, my eyes going wide when they land on the collection of weaponry laid out on the desk behind Lusso. He flashes a smirk when he realizes what I see. What a sick man.
"Annabella, how are you feeling?" His low voice mocks me. I settle myself further into the corner, wishing I could dissapear into it.
"Why are you so cruel?" my small voice trembles as I try to contain the hiccup that stays caught in my throat.
He chuckles. "Oh, Bella. You haven't even seen the half of it yet."
Hearing someone call me that feels like a stab. Bella. I haven't been called that since I was a kid, and even then only by my closest friends. Him saying it disgusts me.
"My name isn't Bella," I cringe.
A flicker of dark emotion flashes in his eyes, and I'm afraid he's about to cross the distance between us and hit me. Instead he leans forward in his chair looking me over, then opens his cocky mouth again. "I didn't say it was. Bella is an italian word." He winks, and I mentally slap myself for not being verbally diverse.
"However, that's not what I called you here to discuss. You have a purpose here, or you wouldn't be alive," when I stay silent, he continues, "Your studying medicine in college if I'm correct?" I slowly nod, unsure of where he's going with this. "Excellent. So assuming my sources are correct, you are only a year out from completion. Which I give my complements to, only being 18 and working in such accelerated classes is quite a feet."
I continue to not acknowledge the conversation. Lusso huffs, "Your going to work here as our medic."
"No," I state without thought. I'm so stupid. My injuries are just beginning to heal, I don't need any new ones.
Lusso's immediately in front of me, almost to close for comfort. "Annabella, it is in your best interest to not fight with me." His voice is low, menacing and dangerous.
I glare with a fire of defiance in my eyes, knowing I'm going to "accidentally" hand out the wrong medications more than once.
He takes another step towards me, and the sly look in his eyes has me looking for somewhere to run. He gazes down at me and thoughtlessly licks his bottom lip, while all's I can think about is how incredibly close he is to me. His chest is nearly hitting mine, and I don't remember when the tension in this room became so thick.
Then, with no reason apparent, his whole demeanor changes. His eyes flicker to the corner above the door, before he staggers back. I follow his gaze, and see nothing but a camera mounted there. What boss installs a camera in their own office?
"You start tomorrow," he growls, before quickly leaving me outside his office, the door slammed shut in my face.