Page 45 of Twisted Salvation
“Truthfully?” she asks. “I wanted to meet you, and I was afraid you would end up killing yourself or they would kill you before I got the chance.”
“Rose, honey. You don’t owe me anything. I’m the one who abandoned you,” I say.
“Did you know that Paul is the fire chief that you surrendered me to?” she asks. “He said that he didn’t think that you knew it was them.”
“Feels like a lifetime ago.”
“Paul and Megan are great,” she says. “They’re going to be super pissed off at me, though. They won’t be angry for long because Trish is probably already tracking me, I’m sure.”
“What kind of genius brat spawn did I create?” I ask, making her smile again. “Rose, they are terrible people… Did they…”
“No. They are super disgusting, but no one touched me,” she says. “I’m sorry they have hurt you so much.”
“I… me too,” I say. “I wish you hadn’t used yourself as bait.”
“Eh… I… I found the landline here and called last week. I simply told him that I wanted my mom and I would do whatever it took to get her back. They are kind of dumb and drove straight to me. I managed to get out of the house while everyone was sleeping and took a bus a few cities over. The moment I was alone, they showed up. I wasn’t even actually restrained until about 3 miles ago.”
“It’s been what… Nine weeks? There’s no point in my being free because I have nothing to go back to. You need to get away from them because you actually do have something to go back to,” I say.
“Nothing to go back to?” she asks. “They all miss you. A lot. They don’t smile. I don’t think Dominic actually sleeps. Oh… I guess there is one good thing that came out of this.”
“Oh?” I ask, confused.
“Dominic and Matt aredefinitelyhooking up,” she says.
“How… Rose, you are fourteen years old,” I frown.
“With the internet,” she laughs. “Also, I was in public school until recently. I am set to graduate high school at 16 years old; I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary that I know what sex is.”
“That doesn’t prove that they haven’t moved on from me,” I say.
“Believe me, they haven’t,” she says. “When they talk about you, they light up. It’s literally the only time I see them smile. They are constantly reminding themselves that they will find you and bring you home to them. They have never even thought about giving up. Dominic and Matt took a leave of absence and no longer take clients. They focus all their energy on finding you. Natalie works occasionally, and Trish works on her projects sporadically. If they aren’t actively working on trying to find you, they are consoling each other. I got sick of seeing everyone sad and decided to take the situation into my own hands. They are all making it too complicated. It’s not really that hard. I kind of understand why they didn’t want me to do this, but it’s almost guaranteed. They would not be able to resist taking me because they are sick freaks. I left a note for Trish, so I know she will be able to track me. I’m very confident in the things that I make, so I know that the tracker works perfectly.”
“You are so smart,” I say. “But maybe way too brave.”
“We just need to hang in there,” she says. “I know what I am getting myself into, and I will do it over and over again just to save you the way you saved me.”
The van stops, and we both shut up. When they open the door, Walter simply points to the ground in front of him to tell me to get out. I comply without hesitation, and he chuckles. “Take her down to the basement. No need for shackles, because you know the consequences.”
“Come on,” I say quietly to Rose. The girl is a damn good actor because she simply nods her head and walks. Something about the way she carries herself makes her seem scared, but she’s not. She might be a bit crazy, but she’s not scared.
When we get to the basement, she curls her nose up. “Ew. What is that smell?” she asks.
“That… you’ll get used to it,” I mutter before turning to face her. She puts up a good front, but I can see that she is truly scared out of her mind now. I take her face between my hands, and a tear rolls down her cheek. “I want you to listen to me, and I need you to understand. I loved you then, and I love you now. I will not let anyone hurt you. Okay? When they come down here, I want you to go to the corner and don’t look. Okay? I don’t want you to see any of this. Cover your ears and quietly sing your favorite song to yourself. Don’t try to defend me. Don’t try to do anything besides protect yourself. If you see a way out, you get the fuck out of this house. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” she says tearfully. “I just wanted to save you.”
“And you have done an amazing job. You are so smart and kind. You have done what no one else was willing to do. Because of you, I might actually be free one day,” I tell her. “Own your choices, Rosey.”
When the basement door opens, I point for Rose to go to the corner, and she does. I move across the room where the mattress is and wait. “Fuck,” I say quietly to myself when I see that Walter has a whip in his hand.
“Face the wall,” Walter says simply. I do as I am told because I don’t have any other choice. “You were trying to run from me, Pumpkin.”
“You left me for a week with no food,” I explain.
“So, you didn’t call your little husband?” he asks. “Don’t lie to me.”
“With what phone?” I ask. “It’s been too long. He’s moved on. They all have.”
