Page 9 of If You Love Me

The door to the small bedroom opened, and Leon stood there with a smile.

“Good morning, wife,” he said, cheerfully.

I’d learned to accept that he was never going to stop calling me his wife or the name Lisa. Instead of trying to beat it into hishead that I wasn’t who he thought I was, I said nothing when he greeted me that way.

“How did you sleep, beautiful?”

Again, I offered him nothing.

“You can’t give me the silent treatment forever, Lisa. To think, I had a surprise for you. I was gonna let you out of here today.”

My eyes widened, and my ears perked up. “What?”

I’d been stuck in this room for so long that I feared I’d go stark mad. The single window had bars on it, so there was no way to get out. Even if it didn’t, there was nothing around for miles and miles but woods. I had no idea where I was or how to find help, but I damn sure would have tried.

Leon walked over and stood in front of me with two sets of cuffs in his hands. One set was for my wrists, the other was for my ankles. I knew the routine. We went through this every time he escorted me to the bathroom to shower.

“Don’t try anything stupid,” he said, cuffing my ankles first.

He released the chains that bound my arms to the bed and cuffed them behind me before helping me to my feet. With a firm hand around my biceps, he guided me out of the bedroom and down the hall. I looked toward the front door, contemplating if I should make a break for it, even though I wouldn’t make it very far.

I sighed heavily as he yanked me toward the kitchen. When we got to a door with multiple locks on it, he unlocked them and opened it. Behind that door was a steel door with a keypad. He stood where I couldn’t see and punched in the passcode. The locks disengaged, and the door opened. He flipped a light switch.

The next thing I knew, he was lifting me over his shoulder and carrying me downstairs. When he placed me on my feet, I looked around the space. I could smell the scent of fresh paint.The walls looked new, and so did the furniture. This must have been what he was doing when I heard all the movement outside my door.

“What is this?” I asked.

“I wanted to make sure you were comfortable,” he said. “I made you a space where you have everything you need. You don’t ever have to leave.”

There was a twinkle in his eyes, like he was proud of his work. He started rambling as he pointed out the bathroom and small kitchen area. There was a TV, books, magazines, and a radio for my entertainment. All I could do was stare at him.

“Well… do you like it?” he asked.

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “I want to go home.”

“This is your home.”

“I want to go home to my family!” I screamed.

He shoved me on the bed and towered over me. “You’re so fucking ungrateful! You never appreciate anything I do. I break my back trying to make you happy, and all you do is bitch and complain. Don’t make me have to teach you another lesson, Lisa.”

The slap to the side of my face stunned me. I knew at that moment that Lisa, whoever she was, left for a reason. If she didn’t leave, I was certain that his “lesson” didn’t end pretty.

“I’m sorry…” I whispered, cowering into the fetal position. “I’m sorry. I like it. It’s really nice.”

He backed off momentarily. “You’re just saying that.”

“I mean it. You did a good job.”

I heard him take a few steps back and looked up from my position. He smiled a crooked smile at me.

“Great. Well… you just stay down here and get acquainted. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and removed the cuffs from my hands and feet. My first instinct was to fight and run, but I remembered that slap to the face that still had my cheek stinging. Alas, all I could do was watch his back as he ascended the stairs and closed the door.

Down here, I had the freedom to roam about. Leon was smart enough not to leave anything behind that I could use as a weapon. There was one way in and one way out, to my knowledge. Even if I made it out of the basement, I still had to get past him to get outside. He was a stocky man, with muscles everywhere. There was no way I could beat him in a fight without playing dirty.

For ten years, I’d been gone.

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