This will be deleted soon - The Wrong Hope *Complete and Free*

38. You Missed

Sally-Anne

Year: 1983 2nd August, Tuesday, Morning, Summer.

You missed…

The words felt like a slap in the face as they hit me over and over. I wished he would actually slap me or punish me. I needed to feel but all I had was a coating of numbness, suffocating and cold as I followed Guy’s bidding to the letter. Even my damaged arm didn’t hurt and had almost completely healed already. He was right; I was dumb. He didn’t even seem particularly mad and somehow that felt worse.

Guy told me to drink 5 bottles of blood from the cooler. They were a little warm and the taste was better than what he had been feeding me but I was so miserable I just couldn’t find enjoyment in easing the thirst. Not that it eased it that much. It was nothing like when Guy ordered me not to be thirsty, that had been a true balm. Now the thirst just itched in the back of my throat, a continuous need that wouldn’t be put to bed.

The voice was back too. Grumbling incoherently with violent undertones in the back of my mind like an echo of the thunder snow storm from my nightmare.

After drinking the blood Guy had me sit in the bathtub. The faucet dripped and the tub was stained. I thought I’d felt dirty after his hands had wandered my clothed body but that was nothing to sitting completely naked in the grimy bath with the cracked tiles and moldy curtain as Guy towered over me. His eyes raked over my flesh and his tongue would periodically dart from his mouth wetting his lips but that wasn’t even the worst. The worst was my heightened senses. I could hear the excited patter of his heart and the blood induced sounds from where my ear was level with his crotch were mortifying, not only that but I could smell the change. His scent shifted, becoming muskier and my mind knew the scent without knowing the scent. I put it down to the predator within.

I was thankful in a strange way that a lust for blood was the only lust I had. I shivered at the thought, pulling my knees closer to my chest, my nakedness making me cringe.

“Guy?” I whispered, hearing my voice echo off of the tiles. I sounded pathetic.

“What Doll?” He muttered, his words muffled by the cigarette dangling lazily from between his lips. I didn’t really know what I wanted to say but I couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

“W-what, um, er can, I ah…” I stumbled over my words, my mind switching tracks faster than I could articulate a sentence. Guy slid the bandanna off my head, the last stitch of clothing that I wore and rubbed my shaved head.

“Relax, relax Doll. I’m not going to hurt you. Just going to sort out this mess.” He said, swigging whisky and patting me on the head. “Here.” He offered me the bottle, reminding me of the time in the car. He’d teased me about my age, made me feel comfortable after he had torn me down.

I took the whisky and choked down a few burning mouthfuls. I hated the taste but loved the feeling. He took it back and offered his cigarette. I hesitated. They smelt awful.

“Go on Doll.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Just keep your focus general, don’t hone in or it will be too intense.” I took the lit cigarette and he turned away to pull on some rubber gloves. Tentatively I took a small drag. It was gross like when the chimney got blocked and the Monarch stove poured smoke into the kitchen. The house had smelled like a bonfire for days, every surface covered in soot. Ma had been livid, cleaning for days and Pa had been in the dog house all week for forgetting to sweep the chimney. It was a nice memory. I took another puff, letting the memory solidify.

Guy held a bottle of blood over my head. The whisky and cigarette had calmed me somewhat.

“Ready?” He asked.

I looked at him poised to pour the blood. I had no idea what was happening but I was out of choices. Either I cooperated of my own volition or he makes me. After hitting an invisible wall when I tried to attack him my doubts were gone, I was literally his Doll. I didn’t have the energy to fight. With a little nod I moved the cigarette away from my lips and closed my eyes. Guy poured a glug onto my bare head before rubbing it firmly into my scalp. The feeling was alien. I could feel it dribbling down my back as my head tingled. Guy added a little more blood and rubbed a bit harder. Blood dripped down my face, catching in my eyebrows and dripping on my lips. As an excuse to lick up the droplets I brought the cigarette back to my mouth. I drew on it deeply. The whole experience was surreal.

“That’s the ticket. Here.” Guy sounded pleased. I opened my eyes to see the half empty bottle of blood being held out to me, with my free hand I took it. The tingling on my scalp increased till it was burning. I moaned into the bottle as I drained its contents, trying to hide the discomfort. Guy rubbed my head harder and I pushed up into it striving to alleviate the irritation.

“Hey.” Guy knocked my arm and nodded at the cigarette. Surprised, I held it out for him. He took a deep drag keeping his bloody gloved hands on my head. The tingling burn turned to a crawling sensation making me gasp. Guy chuckled. As I looked at him, wide eyed, waves of my dark black hair began creeping down my face. The feeling of insects running over my scalp was hair growing at speed. When it got to my jawline the growth rate began to slow.

“I think that’ll do.” Guy reached for the shower head covering it with blood from his gloved hands. He was going to wash me off. I took a deep breath and tried to prepare but I wasn't quick enough. The water hurdled at me, 100’s of drops assaulting my skin. They stabbed at me ferociously and my brain couldn’t even grasp if they were hot or cold. A sharp scream erupted from my lips. I scrambled back, away from the offending droplets, no longer worrying about my exposed flesh. As the beads of water rolled down my sensitive skin I looked to Guy for help but he just smiled.

“Guy says,” He said with a knowing smirk, I felt I knew what was coming - he was going to punish me, “sit still in the middle of the bath right now and be quiet until I tell you we’re done.”

It felt like forever till he told me I could move again. I had been unable to acclimatise to the shower. Guy washed me roughly, shampooing my newly grown hair and soaping me all over while the drops of water ripped into my skin. I bit into my lip trying to ignore the pain from the sensory overload but in my head I was screaming. It was like the bucket of water Guy had given me to wash with previously. This time though he had no interest in guiding me, there was nothing to gain from being kind to me I supposed.

Thankfully he let me dry and dress myself. He told me to lie on the bed on top of the covers before he settled next to me. The day was long with his arm draped over me. He slept soundly snoring and dreaming away as I stared into space. All I could think about was Guy tapping me on the chest as he told me I missed. It was all I could think about as we checked out of the motel. It was all I could think about as Guy drove back to Tennessee at breakneck speed. More than once I found myself rubbing the spot where his finger had been.

The phantom finger was cruel and accusational as it pointed to my failure.