The Need to be Needed

The Weakness

I wake up the same way I did yesterday, with my wrists cuffed to the bed and Diane laying on top of me. But this time, I'm not filled with the same sense of panic. Her warmth is comforting, and I try to forget that she has imprisoned me so that I can enjoy her presence for a moment.

Diane soon starts to awaken, her raspy morning voice humming as she stretches. "Good morning," I say, smiling at her.

"Good morning, sweet girl," she replies. 

As Diane sits up in bed and continues to stretch, I try to stretch too. It's then that I realize I can't feel my legs.

"Diane?" 

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I can't feel my legs..."

I could have sworn I saw Diane's face harden for just a moment. But suddenly it's gone, and she's back to her tender, warm expression. "You just haven't moved for a few days, sweetheart. No wonder your legs have fallen asleep," she says. Then, she gets up and walks out of the room.

"Diane?" I call out. But a moment later she returns, holding up a silver key. My mouth falls open in shock as Diane unlocks my handcuffs. I sit up, rubbing my wrists where the cuffs had been.

"Let's get you up and moving, baby," Diane says, helping me off the bed. Once my feet are on the ground, she lets go, and I immediately fall to the ground. 

I sit on the floor next to the bed, shocked from the impact of my fall. What's going on? Diane tries to pick me up off the floor, but I can't get my legs to move. I'm not able to support myself, so I end up being dead weight in her arms.

Diane sits me back down on the bed. I'm panicking now. What's happened to my legs? Tears form in my eyes as the impact of my helplessness sinks in. I can't run away now... I can't even walk. I need Diane.

She seems to read my mind. As she sits down on the bed next to me, she wraps one arm around my waist, and holds my face with her other hand. "Shh, it's alright," she says. "I've got you, baby girl."

I lay back down on the bed, and Diane picks up my legs and puts them in her lap. I can see her running her nail up and down the bottom of my foot, but I don't feel it. "I-I can't feel that," I say.

"Okay, my love. How about I make some breakfast for us, then bring it up here to eat? How does that sound?"

I nod, and Diane stands up. "Take your vitamin while I'm gone," she says, leaving the room. I reach for the glass of water and the bottle of pills. As I pour one pill into my hand, I see the picture on the bottle.

I hold out the pill in my hand, looking between that and the image on the bottle. The capsule on the front is white, while the pills inside the bottle are green.

These aren't vitamins.