Fifty Shades of Lincoln

Chapter 3

Christian's large hand flew out in front of me, and Ana looked to him and immediately took a step back. Something peculiar had gone on, something dark and twisted.

"I'm Ana," she introduced. She then opened her arms to her children. "Those two are Phoebe and Theodore. Phoebe is two years older than you, and Theodore is three."

The two smiled and gave me a small wave. "You can call me Teddy," Theodore—Teddy—told me. "Theodore is too damn long."

"Language," Christian scolded.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Damn isn't a curse word." Teddy turned his attention back to me. "And besides, she's old enough to hear them." Christian gave his son a look which I suspected was similar to the one he had given Ana, and Teddy didn't speak any more on the subject.

"Don't mind my dad," Phoebe chimed in with a smile. "He has proficiency in being a control freak." Proficiency—now that's a new word. Times like this were when I longed for a real education at schools like normal kids attended.

The family looked to me as if they were hoping I would have something to add to the conversation. But all I could do was look down at my ripped up, stained boots. They didn't belong in a place as elegant as here.

Shaking under their stares, I spoke, keeping my voice as monotonous as possible to avoid voice cracks, "I'm Katherine. But—I—errr...You probably knew that already." I let out an awkward chuckle, and the rest of the family did so as well. I wasn't sure I had said anything funny, but I must've done something right to have received that reaction.

I flinched as Ana held out a hand to me, but after realizing it was meant to be a kind gesture, I took her hand in mine—careful not to squeeze too hard due to my newfound excitement.

"Come on, sweetie," Ana said. "I'll show you your room and you can wash and change your clothes. How does that sound?" I nodded, not exactly sure if I should've sounded more eager.

Wiping away my worries, Ana walked up the stair, bringing me along with her. She proceeded up the stairs, down a twist of long hallways, and into a bathroom. The marble floors shined beneath the bright light that hung above us. A gigantic bathtub placed atop of a grey, marble platform called for me to enter it, to bathe for the first time in who knows how long.

Ana giggled at my awe-filled face. "I'll go pick out an outfit for you," Ana told me. "My friend Kate and I went shopping for you a while ago. Kate loves to shop, especially for other people, so she had a blast."

My eyes widened. A while ago?

Ana gave me a serene smile. "We had been planning to rescue you for a very long time. I know you must have felt so alone, but we always had you on our minds." Looking to my blank face, Ana added, "I like to call her Mrs. Robinson. Christian disapproves, but I believe the name fits her well." Laughter ripples through my body. The feeling was foreign to me, but I enjoyed it very much. For the first time in so long—for the first time ever, I felt wanted.

Ana left the room, closing the door behind her. I made my way to the bathtub, turning the faucet on as I got there. I stuck my hand out to the water, then quickly pulled it back as the hot water staggered me. Mother had never paid the electricity bill—ever.

I stripped off my clothes—first my boots and socks, then my ripped and stained too-big jeans, then my white t-shirt which was only held together by a few fraying stitches. Mother had never allowed me to wear undergarments. She had told me that they hampered my life's sole purpose.

I stepped into the water, sucking in a breath as the warm water swallowed me. I grabbed a bottle of soap and squirted a large glob of it in the water, resulting in soap suds covering my bare body. I let out a sigh as I leaned my head back against the tub and closed my eyes. Other than the water coming out of the faucet, the room was calm and silent. I could've laid in the tub for the rest of my life if it was beneficial. But alas, it restricted much of my movement.

Behind me, the door opened, and unexpectedly, I didn't flinch—or even turn my head to see who had entered.

"All right. I brought you a sweater, jeans, and some undergarments I thought would fit. We can always go and pick out more, so make sure to tell me if there's anything you'd like a different size in."

I nodded and turned my head slightly to look at Ana. Just the jeans were probably more expensive than everything I had ever owned combined. Mother would've called me an exploiter—and if that was really what I had become, I might've wished to be one my entire life.

Ana walked over to me and ran her fingers through my awfully greasy hair. She grabbed a bottle, squirted its contents into her hand, and began scrunching it throughout my hair. After Ana has decided it was sudsy enough, she grabbed a showerhead and began rinsing my hair.

It felt nice to have someone take care of me. Mother would've scolded me if I ever asked her to help wash my hair—which was the exact reason why I had never learned how to.

Ana repeated the process once more using a different bottle. This time there were fewer suds, but perhaps that was normal.

After Ana finished she brought a towel over to the side of the bathtub.

"I'll leave you to dry off and change into your clothes. If you need anything I'll just be down the hall, so feel free to call for me," Ana told me as she stepped towards the door. I nodded in understanding and Ana left the room, leaving me alone in the bubbly bathtub.