The Family Origin

Chapter Four: MAISIE POV

 A new potential client was in the bar. It seemed like the night would not be terrible when I talked to the strange man. He was pleasant to talk to and he even protected me from Amos's harassment. When he invited me out of the tavern, I assumed he would pay to spend the night with me. He was nice, but he was still a man. I was unprepared for him to cover a horrendous-smelling cloth over my face. My last memory was struggling against his hold.

I groaned as I rolled onto my side. A deep throbbing pain was laced across my skull like painful spiderwebs. There was a disgusting taste in my mouth. My tongue was dry and heavy. I barely opened my eyes, and the bright sun pouring into the room caused my headache to intensify. I clutched the blankets to my chest, and my thumb brushed against the bare skin of my breast. I never slept naked, and the blanket bunched in my hand was made from knitted yarn. It was not the scratchy material of the inn's sheets.

Where was I? The man did not know where I lived, and he was traveling. He could have brought me anywhere. How long had I been unconscious?

I gritted my teeth as I forced my eyes open. I blinked a few times to clear my blurry vision and saw that I was in a bedroom. The fading wallpaper was peeling, and a wood cross was over the closet. There was a large wooden dresser and nightstand. I was lying on a large bed. A knit blanket was covering my naked body, and a soft quilt was underneath me.

I rubbed my temple as I tried to recall what the man had said to me in the bar. He mentioned going to New York. Did he drag me to the city with him? Why did he sedate me? No one had ever done that to me before.

There was a window on either side of the bed, but I could not see outside. It was quiet, and I assumed the streets of New York would be busy with people. There were no sounds of voices. This may not have been the city.

I pushed myself to the edge of the bed. It took all of my energy to sit on the side. My muscles ached as I wrapped the blanket around my body to hide my skin better. Where were my clothes? I placed my hand on the mattress. My knees wobbled as I struggled to gather enough strength to stand. I could only shuffle forward a few steps before I lost my strength, crumpling on the floor.

What did he do to me? How long would this last?

The floor creaked, and the sound came closer as someone approached the room. My heart pounded as I tried to get back onto my feet. I could not stay in a weak mess on the floor. It was impossible to find enough strength when the door opened. The strange man from the tavern was in the doorway. He ran his fingers through his hair as he watched me on the floor, pathetically trying to stand. He closed the door before walking toward me. Leaning down, he scooped me into his arms. I struggled to form words or scream as he carried me back to the bed. I groaned and tightened my grip on the blanket. He set me down gently on the bed. I forced my heavy eyes to stay open as he brushed my hair out of my face.

"It's okay, Maisie," he said.

I reached forward and pressed my hand against his chest. It was an attempt to push him away, but he misunderstood my intentions and held onto my hand.

"Where?" I asked.

I wanted to say more, but my voice was hoarse from my dry throat.

"Where?" he repeated my question. "I brought you to our farm. This is our home, and you will be part of our family."

He tightened his grip on my hand. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes as I tried to process his words. If I blinked, I would start sobbing. This man was insane. Amos may have been rough with me, but he never drugged me so I would be unconscious.

"What?" I asked.

"Maisie, family is important to you, and your family is gone," he said. "We are going to give you all of that love again. This is where you belong."