Songbird

5, in which I find myself a home.

     Time became relevant again. I kept getting lost in my needs that first week. By the end of the second week, I knew I needed a change of pace.

     Well, first I needed some decent sleep. Nightmares plagued me when my eyes were closed for too long. I was sent back to the mansion, woke up in the Vault, or found myself trapped again on the Phantom's cane. Matthew guessed the issue - they were common for the ones who escaped. He offered a possible solution.

     There were fully functional dollhouses - electricity, plumbing, gas - that he could get for me. It sounded amazing. So, a small, two story townhouse made its appearance, tucked away next to the kitchen on its own table. It wasn't until it was ready that I realized one terrifying detail.

     Matthew would have to carry me.

     I trusted him not to hurt me, but just the thought of being in someone's hand without that protective glass barrier I had before was heart stopping. When his hand was finally in front of me, I concluded a lot of people had this revelation. He wore the same patient expression he had the day we had officially met. For fear of losing my nerve if I spoke, I stepped up onto his palm.

     His motions were steady. I could feel the slightest shifts of his fingers, but never felt off balance. I tucked my legs beneath me.

     "Ready?"

     I nodded.

     The ascent was gentle. Practiced. I relaxed almost immediately. Memories of terror and vulnerability melted away. For the first time in an eternity, I actually felt safe.

     It ended far too quickly. Matthew let me hop off before sitting back on his haunches. I shook off my disappointment, heading up to the door. There was a surreal moment when I turned the handle. An ache for something I hadn't had for far too long. I opened the door and crossed the threshold.

     I nearly burst into tears. It was such a small motion, but it made me feel... free. Unconsciously, I closed the door behind me and wandered the rooms. A modest kitchen connected to a den that filled the first floor. A bathroom sat in a secluded corner.I soaked in the comfort of a stairwell perfectly fit to my size. Several parsed out rooms took up the second floor, as well as another secluded bathroom.

     My foot landed on a crack on the floor. I jolted out of my wonder and looked down. A seam ran the length of the hallway, up the wall, and over the ceiling. It proved a rude reminder that it was, in fact, a dollhouse. I huffed a sigh, then wandered to a window to open it. It moved easily, and I pushed open the shutters. Matthew sat a bit away on his laptop. I leaned on the window sill, jaw on my hand.

     "Working or procrastinating?"

     It made him jolt, and I managed to catch a glimpse of the screen before he shut it. Procrastinating with Minecraft. He cleared his throat. "So?"

     I pulled myself up, grinning, "I wanna make it home."