The Witness

Day 10 of captivity

I think that's when it really started to kick in. The Stockholm Syndrome. I became less afraid of her and more curious. I began to wonder, who was this girl? Where was her family? Did she have any friends? Would they know she was a killer? I wanted to know if Dakota was a killer, or maybe... just maybe... she was a hero.

Day 10

"What classes are you taking?" I asked her when she brought me lunch. She had been gone all morning.

"I'm studying sociology, I want to be a social worker or a therapist. I want to help people like my sister Carolina. I still have a whole year left before I graduate with my bachelor's, but I'm going for my masters so technically I have three years left." She sat next to me on the bed while I ate the sandwich she made me.

"I'm going to school for economics, I want to run my own company one day. Although I'm not really sure want kind of company it would be. Haven't figured that part out yet. Maybe a company with better fashion taste than you." I took a jab at her.

"Ah, okay, okay, I see how it is." She laughed.

"Just kidding, I actually really like the clothes you wear." I smiled.

"Thank you." She flipped her hair.

We both giggled.

I pretended to flip my nonexistent hair which made her laugh harder.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Okay, don't judge me but I was wondering if I could help you with your homework?"

"Why?" she snorted in amusement.

"I'm so bored!" I whine. "I swear I know all the notes to the morning weather song. I just want something to do. Waiting to die is so boring." I huffed.

She giggled.

"Please, or can I least watch you do your homework? Anything but watching let's make a deal for the hundredth time would be better."

"Okay, I usually do my homework at night. I can come in here and you can watch me."

"Yes!" I whooped.

She giggled.

After that, she left.

I felt lonely when she was gone.

I ended up going through some of the bins in the closet and found most of the stuff actually belonged to Carolina, not Dakota. I found some of Carolina's old artwork from when she was still in grade school.

She's actually a pretty talented artist. She can draw anime really good. I found one of this cute anime girl, on the back written in pencil it said,

'To my hero, my wonderful, loving, and beautiful sister Dakota Foley. Happy Birthday.'

It made me tear up.

"She stopped drawing when the bullying got too bad," Dakota said from the doorway of the closet.

Once again I hadn't even heard her enter the room.

"She was so good," I examine the drawing.

"Yeah..."

I looked up at Dakota and she had to look away, her eyes were watered over.

I put the drawing away and stood up off the floor.

"I'm sure your sister is proud of you," I said.

She did look at me then.

I smiled at her.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"Can I hug you?" I ask.

She eyed me for a second before nodding. So I did. She hugged me back.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said.

That broke her, she just started crying and crying and crying. She shook like a leaf in my arms. Clutching onto me for dear life. This is the first time I've truly felt sorry for her. I think I get it now.

Her sister was like her best friend, to lose her probably meant she lost a part of herself too.

After she cried we just laid on the bed facing the ceiling.

"Now that I know why you did it... I don't think I would tell on you." I turn my head to face her.

She turned her head to look at me.

"You did it for your sister, that's sweet."

"Really?"

I nod.

"It was like... no one even cared when she killed herself. My family always saw Carolina as a burden. When she did it, I swear they were more relieved than sad. Whenever I try to talk about her, they just shut it down and pretend not to hear me. It's almost like she never existed like she was nothing in this family. But she was everything, even with her issues she was so freaking funny, and sweet, and she cared about people so much. If you were sad Carolina was the first in line to cheer you up and comfort you. She was the best person ever in the whole wide world. And now... she's gone. And I still can't even believe it sometimes. Sometimes I wake up and I expect her to be standing over me with a smile before she screams good morning so loud it'd wake the neighbors. Why are people so cruel?" she asked.

"I wish I knew," I said.

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked me.

"An older brother but me and my family aren't close either."

"How come?"

"My family can be pretty judgmental. All they do is bad-mouth each other. I've been experimenting with girls lately, I think... I think I might be gay. But I've been too afraid to face them, so I just keep to myself. All I do is work, sleep, and go to school."

"Where did you work at?"

"This lingerie store by the campus."

"Cindy's?"

I nod.

"I bet you have some stories." She says.

"You have no freaking idea. People are something else."

We both giggle.

"I used to have a job, before Carolina... you know. I worked part-time at a CPS office, I did clerical work. Made good money, saved a lot. Not that it mattered because my family made a lot of money off Carolina's death. I got my fair share. I'm set for a while."

"It's almost like she's still with you then, watching out for you as you did for her," I say.

"Yeah," she smiled.

We were silent for a moment.

"Let me go," I dared to say.

She eyed me.

"I swear I won't tell a single person it was you. I'll make up some story about a guy. We can both forget this whole thing ever happened." I try.

She sat up and so did I.

She moved to leave.

"Please," I grabbed her hand.

She pulled away and got up and began to walk to the door.

"I won't! I promise!" I grab her arm and prevent her from leaving.

She yanks free and runs out of the room, slamming the door shut.

"Please! I'll never tell! Let me go!" I beg through the door, banging on it.

"I'm sorry," I hear her say on the other side.

"Dakota! Please! No! Let me go! Let me go! Dakota!"