“Go ahead,” I said as my voice fell flat. “See if I care.”
I closed my eyes, waiting for permanent darkness to overtake me. I didn’t care any longer. You know, whether I lived or died. I had hit rock bottom, and I had no strength to climb back out of the grave I had somehow dug for myself. I deserved it, anyway. I had stuck with a man I’d been questioning for years. I allowed him to control my schedule and use up my sick days for his stupid last-minute plans. I allowed him unfettered access to my body if it kept him happy. After all, I couldn’t cook, and I was never home long enough to clean. The least I could do was give him sex whenever he wanted it.
God, what a miserable life I had carved out for myself.
“Turn off the lights when you’re done,” Ranger said.
His hand slid away from my neck as my eyes slowly opened. “What?”
He started down the hallway. “And close the door. Troop’s terrible about closing that door. Lets out all the good air.”
I furrowed my brow. “What?”
“And for fuck’s sake,” he said as he turned to face me, “don’t--.”
I cleared my throat. “Do you hate everyone all the time? Or, just those that aren’t afraid of you?”
He held out his arms as if he were a god. “Does an ant fear a boot before it’s too late?”
“You’re monsters,” I said as I shook my head. “All of you.”
He turned his back to me once more and turned the corner. “Well, judging by the sound of your fiancée, he’s more of a monster than we’ll ever be.”
His words ripped the air from my lungs, and I found it hard to breathe.
“And for fuck’s sake,” he said as he poked his head back around the corner, “don’t leave the fucking television running. Runs up the damn bills.”
To this day, I’m still not sure how long I stood there. A minute. An hour. An entire day. It all felt the same. But, once my legs started moving, they didn’t stop until I crossed the threshold of the hidden room. The door leapt to life, hissing and griping in its own little way as it slid down the wall and back into place. The door latched and the lights dimmed, illuminating the space with such a romance that it almost felt like heaven. The sconces along the wall flickered with a warm white light. Almost as if they were candles and not lightbulbs. The warm light beneath the couch caught my eye, lighting up the plush carpet beneath my bare feet. I curled my toes into its warmth. I lugged my tired body toward the oversized couch and flopped down, allowing the cushions to swallow me whole. And as I gazed up at the ceiling, I found myself surrounded by books.
Floor to ceiling shelving, with books. And DVDs. And games.
Video games. Board games. Card games.
It made me wonder who decorated the room in the first place.
Though, something told me it had been Dutch.
“God,” I groaned as I rolled over, “maybe I can get some--.”
Kshhh!“Get down! Get down! Get down!”
“Aaaaahhhh!”
KABOOM!
I jerked up at the sounds, making myself dizzy as something hard beneath my thigh clicked. Light poured from the wall to my left, and as I shielded my eyes I tried to reach for the protrusion beneath me.
Only for the light to keep flickering with all sorts of voices coming through.
“The Galapagos Islands are home to--.”
Kshhh!
“Run! Run! Run for your life!”
Kshhh!
“You can’t handle the--!”
