I stare straight into the eyes of the monster himself. An angered expression takes control of his features and I cannot for the life of me understand what the hell he's doing here.

"Steven now is not the time," Peggy speaks up after a deadly staring contest. 

It makes no sense why we always do that; stare at each other like a bunch of creeps. It's as if we're challenging each other on who gets to speak first or attempting to achieve dominance of the situation with our eyes. We stare bullet holes straight into the soul of our enemy.

"Not the time for what huh?" Steven snickers as he steps into the room and slams the door shut behind him. I find my body shrinking in size as his seem to grow broader with frustration. "Not the time to let her know the truth? To let her know what she has caused?" he yells as he steps closer. 

Peggy immediately steps in front of him.

"I have work to do and so do you," she speaks firmly yet gently at the same time as if trying to calm him. He pushed past her and makes his way over to me. At least he tries to. Peggy catches onto what he is doing so quickly that in less than a second she's blocking his way.

Yet again, another staring contest takes place. This is going to be yet another excruciatingly long day.

-----

Like a snake that sheds its scaly skin, I climb out of the shower after shedding my own. I put on my nightwear after getting rid of each and every droplet of water that clung to my body, then brush my teeth. "I know you're still there," I announce after spitting out the mint flavored contents that began to foam in my mouth.

"I don't recall mentioning that I left"

Sarcasm.

Great.

I refrain from lashing his pride with a bold comeback and bend over to rinse out my mouth. "You take your glorious time to shower, you know that?" he continues. "Well, it becomes difficult to wash certain areas when I know that some creep, whose name I don't even know, is watching my every move," I snicker back.

"Can't help it, princess. It's my job to watch over you." 

Princess? No. That sounds revolting. I turn the tap handles to stop the water from gushing out of it like a barbarous waterfall. Then turn around to dry my hands on the towel I discarded to the ground not too long ago. "Me specifically or all the girls that you've kidnapped?" I ask as my make my way to my bedroom.

As I enter my bedroom, I notice the abandoned and disfigured chip roll on my bed. Crap. I really wanted to finish that. Oh well, can't eat it now, I just brushed my teeth.

"Let's clear one thing up, I've never kidnapped anyone. I never have and I never will. I am simply forced to watch everyone they bring in."

I reach my bed and place the tray, with the neglected chip roll, on the nightstand. Then pull the sheets back, but stop all forms of mobility as his words go straight to my head.

-----

"You're not going to tell her anything. In fact, don't speak to her at all," Peggy dangerously hisses. 

"So what? Are you going to tell her? Are you going to tell her that she's the cause the hours have changed? That she's the cause the Boss is stopping collections for 6 months?" Steven fumes and I can tell that his blood is beginning to boil.

What are these so-called collections?

"Steven I'm warning you," Peggy threatens, but he blatantly ignores her and continues.

"That she's the cause security is up by 70%? Which will cost 40% of our salaries, nevermind the fact that collections have been put to a stop."

What the fu-... Shut up, Jess! I'm equally confused.

"It's only temporary." Peggy tries to reason with him in the calmest way possible but her fists balled up and shaking, I doubt she'll be able to keep this calm tone for much longer. All the while I sit here, shifting uncomfortably, not knowing where to look or what to do. At least last night wasn't this awkward. It was certainly annoying and frustrating, but nowhere near this awkward or intense.

-----

"Forced? But I thought... I thought that-"  

"That I was the owner? The big boss? The freak behind it all?" he continues for me. Of course, that's who I think he is. Why wouldn't I? It all makes sense in my head.

"I would be lying if I said no," I say rather honestly and slowly climb into bed. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not." he deadpans. A frustration lingers in his tone and I decide to ignore it while pulling the covers across my legs.

"Well, you are kinda the one behind all the monitors. Soo..."

I make a pretty good point. He cannot deny that.

"That's not the point."

Oh okay. Nevermind.

"Well then if you're not the 'Big Boss', who is?"

It cannot possibly be Marcus. He's only the bodyguards/kidnappers leader. Or so I conclude. It cannot be Steven or Frank as they work for Marcus. Peggy's definitely not an option. So who's the big guy? Who's the person in charge of this entire ordeal?

"Sorry, hun. That's-"

"Classified." I finish for him as I roll my eyes a full 360°. I'll have to find out one way or another. Not that I'm planning an escape or any of the sort. Heaven alone knows those never work. To know everything will simply put my curious mind at ease.

"Good. She finally gets it."

"The only thing I need to get right now are answers, but since you won't be giving any, I'd rather get some sleep. Goodnight." I turn in my bed and make myself comfortable as I throw the covers across my entire body. All the while getting ready to close my eyes and enter a night of deep sleep.

-----

"Forty fucking percent! All because of her!" he yells as his hand swings up and points in my direction. Guess you shouldn't have kidnapped me in the first damn place, you idiot. Honestly, I haven't come across a greater imbecile than Steven. "And we both know you cannot afford to lose that much money." he ends in a soft yet harsh tone while grabbing onto Peggy's upper arms.

I have no clue if my eyes are forsaking me, but Steven's touch seems so gentle on Peggy. His hands lightly hold her bare arms in his grasp as if being cautious not to hurt her. I know this place is driving me insane, but I'm most certainly sure that hallucinations do not come with the package deal.

"Enough!" Peggy explodes.

I hate to say this, but pretty much saw that coming... Enough gloating Jess.

Through all of this back and forth motion of words, there's only one thing that bothers me greater than the rest. It's something that has never crossed my mind before and I cannot help but ask...

"You get paid?"

Peggy spins around and stares at me with a shocked expression. She knows I've heard far more than she intended me to. Now she has no choice but to explain herself.

-----

"It's funny," he speaks up, breaking the soothing silence. Can't a girl get some peace around here!?... I yell internally.

"What is?" I question rather annoyed and turn to lay with my stomach faced down on the bed.

"If someone had told me a few days ago that you would become comfortable here, I would have never believed them. I guess seeing really is believing."

He begins to chuckle. It's a light and soft chuckle, one that could be deceived as coming from an innocent and kind good soul but circumstances remind me otherwise. "You make as if I have a choice," I mumble half asleep, but loud enough for him to hear me.

"You're right. But don't get too comfortable. You won't be here forever." His words grab my attention and suddenly I'm wide awake.

-----

"Vivian I can honestly explain," Peggy begins but Steven, being Steven, doesn't give her the chance to finish. "You don't need to explain anything to her. All she needs to know is that she's entirely at fault for whatever goes down from here on out."

Steven has to be smoking some next level crack. All my fault? When? Where? How? No one told him to bring me here. All I wanted was to leave this place for good and I would have succeeded if he hadn't gone on a scavenger hunt to retrieve me and force me to return to this dreadful place.

Sheriff Leonard Porter; the man who could have returned me home, to my safe haven. Instead, he returned me to my hell. He was my one-way ticket to freedom and in a matter of seconds, it was ripped from me.

"Don't you dare put all of this on her. She did what any human being in her position would have done. You as well as I know that blaming anyone won't solve a thing," Peggy reasons after she spins back around to face him. 

"You as well as I know that she's a walking disaster. One of the biggest mistakes to exist in the history of mankind." Steven drags my image through the mud right before my very eyes.

I feel like defending myself and screaming at him. I feel like clawing at his flesh until his very bones are visible. But I don't. I can't bring myself to do it. Every time I lay my eyes upon him, the nightmares begin to replay in my mind and a feeling of fatigue washes over me.

-----

"What do you mean?" I question as I hastily sit up in bed, awaiting immediate responses. 

"Goodnight Vivian." is all he says.

"Hey! You cannot simply end a conversation like that!" 

Except he does as silence is all I receive in return. I'm growing deeply tired off all these unanswered questions. It's enough to drive a sane person up against a wall. Luckily my sanity has long disappeared.

I let out a furious grunt as I realize that he won't be putting my curiosity at ease any time soon. So bickering any further would do me no good. I throw myself back and suppress the world around me.

My body sinks into the soft fabric and I wrap myself once again in the snugly covers. It doesn't take too long before my mind drags me into the oblivion of sleep.

-----

"I want to leave," I murmur, barely audible while looking down. 

Peggy opens her mouth to say something to Steven but stops as soon as she hears my faint voice. She rotates her head and looks and me questionably. "I want to go back to my room. I can't do this. Come and fetch me when you're done victimizing the victim," I say as I hop off of the bed. I'm not going to sit here, cramped and clueless when I could be sleeping in a toasty bed.

"You're not going-"

"For crying out loud Steven! Leave the girl alone!" Peggy yells, the vexation in her voice as clear as daylight. 

Yes I want answers and for Peggy to explain herself, but there's no way Steven is going to allow me to get any today. So there's truly no point in sitting here and watching a cat and dogfight. Steven opens his mouth to say something, but Peggy doesn't give him the chance to. I can tell that she's too had enough of him today.

"No, get out! You've caused enough havoc these past few days!... Come on Vivian. Let's get you to your room." With that, she grabs at my arm and passes Steven while purposely bumping her shoulder into him.

"Marcus is going to hear about this," Steven warns.

Peggy's body freezes in her spot like a deer caught in headlights, but her frozen state only lasts a few seconds. "Of course he will. I'm planning on telling him." she ends with a plastered smile, before throwing my file onto the table and exiting the room. All the while dragging me along.

Both Peggy and I have telepathically agreed that remaining quiet is what's best for us right now. So we do just exactly that. Once we pass the guards in the hallway and reach my room she opens the door. I step in, but a hand makes contact with my shoulder.

"I'll explain everything later okay? I just have a certain someone to deal with right now." Peggy assures me, then removes her hand from my shoulder. I nod in understanding and do the honors of closing the door for her. After closing the door, I rush to my bed and fly face flat onto it. Oh, what splendid joy. This is most likely my strongest relationship to date. I know my bed will never cheat on me.

"You're back early," mystery man's voice announces. I ignore his commentary and climb under the covers before wrapping myself in my very own makeshift cocoon.

I try to fall asleep but instead, find myself caught in a carousel of thoughts. Everything plays over and over like a merry-go-round in my head. Every notion, idea, even this week's events, demanding dissection before I could be allowed to sleep. As if giving me an ultimatum, determining my sleeping pattern.

I really just want to sleep.

-₹៛₹៛¤៛₹៛₹-

A/N:

Important question:
Do you want me to leave Chapter 31 and 32 with the flashback scenes in-between?

Or

Should I change it where Chapter 31 continues with Chapter 30?
And then Chapter 32 is the next day?

Let me know :)

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Love
-AmberLee