Page 23 of The Caged Girl

“Papa,” I cried as the pain penetrated through my throat.

“I feel like the most powerful man in the world. Iamthe most powerful man in the world. Your life was in my hands, and there is nothing more masculine that that.” Papa began walking away and stopped.

“Come. Come now, son.” Following him, we began walking toward the side of the estate I’d never been to. “Shoes.” He pointed at the basket full of the same platform white sandals we were forced to wear whenever we were anywhere in the house close to this side.

Papa swiped his badge over the keypad, and the door silently slid open. I stared down the hallway. Everything was white and excessively clean, and there were small fluorescent lights above each door.

I walked closely behind Papa before we turned to a room that didn’t quite match the others.

He opened the doors and together, we went in. It was a conference room with marble floors, and there was a glass window on one side that had another room with a small cot and a young girl inside.

Papa continued over to the popcorn machine. “My favorite snack to eat while watching her.” He smiled at me. I looked at her as she stood and made her way to the glass. Her thin frame was covered with an almost translucent white gown. Her long blonde hair looked tangled and the bags under her eyes were deep and dark.

“When I was a boy, I wished for a hamster.” Papa handed me a bucket of popcorn. “But my father said, ‘Why would you cage an animal when you can cage a woman?’ Women don’t realize they are, in fact, more powerful than men. They carry life, they can comfort and weaken a man through lust and desire. It’s our job, Alister, to make sure we hold the power. An Ivory man doesn’t just hold the power above women, but also above all other men. You must always have something over their heads to be successful and powerful.”

Papa started to eat the popcorn before leaning back in a chair. “You’re eighteen now. I’ve waited longer than my father did.”

“For what, Papa?” I asked as I watched him stare at the young woman with tears streaming down her face.

“To watch you become a man.”

I wanted to die. Ian told me what Papa made him do when he was eighteen. He was gloating about it while I knew it may kill me.

“There’s a concealed door through the side.” He handed me his badge. “Swipe my badge and then go in the cage and show us you are a man.”

“Papa, I don’t…I don’t want to do this. Please,” I pleaded with him as I looked down at the floor.

Not even ten seconds later, he lifted his hand and slapped me across the face. “You are a fucking pathetic little boy.” He stood and threw the popcorn to the side. I gripped my cheek as my flesh burned and my father went into the stark white room.

He swung his fists at the girl before he slammed her into the small cot and strangled her. He looked straight at me as he choked her.

My lips parted and I didn’t know what to do. If I tried to help her, he’d kill us both. Papa slid his pants off and forced himself over her. The room was soundproofed so I couldn’t hear her screams, but I could feel them in my soul as her mouth opened. Then she looked over at me and mouthed, “You did this,” before closing her eyes and laying there as my father raped her.

“You coward.” I could see her lips form into the cruel words. How dare she? Father was right; women had no right to do this. But the reason Papa didn’t hurt Mother was because he was using the caged girls to get his desires and rage out. This was the reason we were a happy family. I could do this for others; I could become powerful in my own way.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

I wokeup feeling groggy and mostly surprised I had even fallen asleep. My arm was aching.

“Madam, I’m here to remove your IV,” a soothing voice called out. Turning my head, I saw a girl in a short white apron dress donning a pixie blonde haircut. Her pale green eyes looked strangely calming.

“IV?” I rasped as I looked down at my arm and saw a needle taped down to my vein. “What is this?” Lifting the blanket off my body, I still had the nightgown on, which didn’t mean much at all.

“You were unsettled at night, my darling raven.” Alister walked into the bedroom, adjusting his cufflinks. He was wearing another entirely black ensemble.

“What did you do?” I sat up and ripped the IV out as the woman—Taylor, I remembered from orientation—stood by the bed and immediately tried to intervene and settle me down as if I were some toddler throwing a tantrum.

Alister came over to me and brushed his fingers against my jawline. “My darling, if I wanted to do something to you, I wouldn’t have drugged you. I’d have made sure you were wide awake, enjoying every moment of it.” He dragged his index finger against my neck.

“You must get back to work today. Except, I’ve decided to make you a floater between heaven and hell.” Alister smirked at Taylor, who was standing in all white. It occurred to me that he had designed this entire resort to encapsulate quite literally heaven and hell.

“I don’t understand what that means?” I slid out of bed.

“Mrs. Rothschild’s husband, Declan. He’s…well, a bit shaken up after last night. Clearly, he isn’t man enough. You’ll need to ensure she is enjoying her stay here while we have Declan complete the Euphoria program.”

“The dead woman he…” I crossed my arms.

“At the end of each guest’s checkout, we have a ceremony where they are to take the life of a nightingale. Those nightingales get to continue serving men, even in death.”

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