Page 86 of Dollhouse

I do as the text says and toss my phone in the trash, gripping the hem of my dress and raising it further up my thighs to allow for more mobility, instantly wishing I had panties.

I remove my shoes and climb onto the vanity countertop, reaching for the window that’s near it.

To my luck, the window is easy to open, yeah, I have to stand on my top toes to reach it but it slides open easily. I don’t know how far the drop is going to be or what part of the street the window will take me, but I have no choice.

Maybe that’s a lie. We always have a choice.

I am choosing not to let another person die because of me.

I’m figuring out how to climb out the window when an ear ringing beep starts, and a white light begins flashing.

Fuck!

I cover my ears looking around the bathroom.

The fire alarm.

The alarm is going off.

Uncovering my ears, I am able to hear beating on the door.

“Tate! Tate! Unlock the fucking door!” I can hear King’s booming voice through the door and over the deafening alarm.

Wait, I didn’t lock the door.

He can’t get in.

An eerie shiver shot down my spine as realization hit that this was all planned. Everything was fucking planned! Their plan all along was to give me away to the person who wanted me. That was their plan when they took me from Sinners, and that is still their plan now. Nothing has changed.

God! How stupid can I fucking me?!

I have two options.

Either open the door and confront King with what I know or climb out the window in hopes to rescue Cassie, even though there’s a good chance I myself can die.

I take too long to decide, the choice is made for me by the smoke that’s beginning to creep in from underneath the door and fill the room.

Fuck it.

Standing on my tiptoes, I stretch up to the window and grab onto the sill, using all of my strength to climb up the wall with my bare feet and pull myself out of the small space.

Halfway through I lose my balance and go falling, screaming as I fall.

I land on my back in a dumpster full of trash bags.

The smell blows around me and instantly I begin gagging. It broke my fall, but the smell itself is bad enough to kill me.

Groaning, I spread my hands out around me in attempt to grab onto anything I can to be able to pull myself out. My fingers touch something warm and wet, my entire body freezes.

What the fuck is that?

Please don’t let it be wet garbage. Which is highly likely considering I’m still in the fucking dumpster.

Cautiously turning my head to the side, my eyes widen as I am met with lifeless brown eyes.

Bringing my hand to my face, I see what it is that I touched.

Blood. His blood.

---