Seduce Me ~ The Path To Forgiveness

Path Two, Step Four: Don't Blink

Dinner was delicious and quiet, the faces filling the room too busy giving me that subtle look one gives when they really wish to know something but don't want to ask to strike up a conversation. Normally I have no problem telling people of my past, comfortable with my confusing madness and accustomed to the looks it brings, but I find myself hesitant to tell my houseguests though I'm unsure why. I show them to the living quarters that take up the top floor and leave them to decide which rooms they want as I retire to my own, smiling back at Matthew who has lingered behind to wish me a goodnight before quietly closing the door behind me.

I strip off the many layers that make up my frilly outfit and stare at myself in the mirror, running my finger along the bubbled skin over my heart. It's been so long since I've remembered my time at the orphanage, since I've thought of the shadowy figure that stalked me my final week there, and it gnaws at my fragile mind. I do my best to shake off the fear that those memories have brought as I turn from the mirror and pull on my night gown, frilly and laced like all of my clothes. I make myself comfortable in the nest of fluffy blankets, puffy pillows and plushie animals that cover my bed and steel myself for another night of bloody nightmares.

I wake up as refreshed as one can be when their night consists of knives and whips to the sound of someone knocking on my door.

"Come in!" I call as I pull myself out of bed and stretch out the aches and sores caused by my tossing and turning. Matthew steps through the doorway, his initial look of bewilderment quickly replaced by a blush as he looks over my barely concealing gown before his gaze drops to the floor.

"You're adorable, is something wrong?" I laugh as I move to my closet and sift through its contents, having never been one for modesty.

"There's someone at the door, he says he has a delivery but whatever it is it's huge." He replies, his face flushing darker at my compliment.

"A delivery? They're a day early, or perhaps I'm a day behind?" I mumble the last bit to myself but it earns me an amused laugh. I pull out a dress of blue and black along with a pair of black stockings and matching gloves before stepping into the bathroom a closing the door.

"Wait a moment, I'll be right out!" I call to him though it takes me at least ten minutes to assemble my outfit and straighten out my mess of hair. When I step back into the main room I find him standing by my desk looking over the necklace discarded there, a crimson crystalline heart dangling from a silver chain pierced in the middle with cracks splintering out from the hole.

"How did it break?" He asks as he turns to me, still holding it in his hands. I smile at his question, a question I ask myself frequently.

"It's not broken, I had it designed that way." I reply and he studies it once more before setting it down.

"Why?"

"I guess you can call me sentimental." I shrug but offer no further explanation as I pull him from my room. "Come on, if we keep them waiting much longer they might leave with my new toy."

"It's a toy?" He asks as we reach the foyer where the front door is wide open and a man is waiting, tapping his pen impatiently against his clipboard.

"You must be Ms. Anderson." He says by way of greeting and pushes the clipboard into my hands. "Sign here so we can get started."

"And you must be in quite the hurry." I reply shortly but, once again, the crackle of distant thunder on this clear day reminds me to reign in my temper. The delivery man cocks his head to the side as though he too has heard the noise, though I know that's not possible, before snatching the clipboard back and heading over to help his co-worker.