When I hear these words, my breath is taken away, the terror overwhelms me like a massive tsunami obliterating everything in its path. It destroys me.
“Many have said I’m quite alike my brother, Frederick Grimhill. Though if you ask me, I got the better looks. That man never did anything good in his life.”
A spark of hope ignites in me for a fleeting moment as I consider that he might be better than Frederick, and this could be a chance at redemption. Hope, however, only leads to disappointments and failures, and this man in front of me stares at me as if he has far greater plans for me.
The fear that grips the very core of my being causes my blood to turn to ice. Frederick has a brother,hada brother, and they are almost exactly alike. A soft cry of despair escapes me as the realization of what this means settles in. I haven’t left Grimhill Manor. In fact, I’ve come as close to it as possible, and now the horrors will continue. After being there for almost two years, I thought I was finally free, suffering the punishments and pain the master caused every child. I thought I didn’t have to witness any more deaths and that I was finally freed despite being in a psych ward where nothing was as it seemed. But I was wrong.
“At least my bastard of a brother did something good for himself,” he smirks before brushing the hair away from my face, placing the strand behind my ear, my body jolting from contact with him.
A flood of horrible memories rush back to me, how the master always hurt, punished, and haunted me in my nightmares. He was a constant presence in my nightmares, destroying my life repeatedly. I thought he was dead, but here he is, his DNA existing in the same person I see crouching before me.
“You, my dear girl, are a magnificent beauty. You will be perfect for my collection.”
His smile is far from friendly, and all my resolve and anger to fight against everything and everyone at Dankworth Institute has gone with the wind. All I can do is stare at him and relive all the horrors.
My mother sold me to Frederick Grimhill, and now I’m in his brother’s grasp. The tremors in my body are like those of a leaf in the wind, my breaths coming in ragged heaves as I attempt to get away from him, yet it all turns out futile.
They share the same smile, those two brothers.
That same smile that is too wide to be normal, one that screams evil.
I choose not to answer him, feeling the old submissive nature resurface after months of battling against it. My first reaction to him is to back away, not dare to defy him because I know the consequences of making the master mad. But then there’s this part of me that knows this is not the same person as Frederick Grimhill. They may be related by blood and DNA. They may be brothers, but they are their own person, and Arthur Grimhill talks about Frederick with such distaste.
I know it’s foolish of me to test my luck like this. However, it’s something I must find out. “Why are you–”
He interrupts me, sensing my question. “Why I’m here and not in that distasteful manor? You see, I had greater plans. I saw a future. An entire institute meant for dolls to play with. How wonderful isn’t that?”
Bile rises from my stomach, and I struggle to control the urge to vomit.
“My bastard brother abandoned me, creating his own business. As if he could ever be better than me.”
He says it with a scoff as if he is praising his work, as if it’s something to be proud of. He is proud of using innocent children and stripping them of their humanity, only to manipulate them into obedience until they break. Until they don’t see any other way out than to succumb.
Oh my god, am I to be a doll again?
The thought leaves me feeling like I’m going to jump out of my skin, and my fingers pick at my skin, finding relief in the short-lived pain.
“You will see, Naya. I will take good care of you.”
His voice has a distinct edge, and I’m captivated by that alluring grin imprinted on my memory. The grin that has haunted me, for Frederick had the same.
There’s only one thing left to do. There’s no turning back now; I have to find a way out, and this time I’m not settling for anything less than success. I would rather die than become a doll again. A sinking feeling fills my stomach as guilt overtakes me at what I must do. I am determined to escape, and I won’t let any opportunity pass me by, no matter how small it might be. I just have to find Grey before that, but I still have to escape if I don’t. Never again will I allow them to turn me into some plaything so that they can make money off me.
“I will show you to your room. You have two days to rest before we start.”
I don’t know what he means by that; frankly, I don’t want to know. He picks me up, helping me stand on my own two feet, although I’m unsteady and on the verge of losing my balance. He undoes my cuffs, and the metal clanking echoes throughout the dark corridor as he leads me out. Even though it is entirely dark here, he seems to have the ability to find his way without needing light. Eventually, we reach a much longer hallway with a strange white luminescence that’s excessively bright. My eyes strain from the pressure of looking, and they water from the force of the oncoming light after so long without it.
Along the corridor are several small doors on either side. Arthur pauses in front of one of the pastel pink doors, which all look the same, located in the middle of the corridor. As he pulls the keys from his pockets, the sound of them rattling fills the hush of the corridor as he opens the door, pushing me into the room and clicking the door shut. As I walk further into the room, the sound of the lamps buzzing fills the silence that surrounds me as light floods the room in bright colors.
I don’t know what I expected, but whatever it was, this certainly wasn’t it.
The walls are brightly painted in pastel pink, which is too girly for my preference, and all four walls shine at me. My mind tries to process everything I see for the first time. Upon stepping inside, the floor creaks under my feet, and I am filled with dread and excitement at the same time. I expected an empty and bare room like Grimhill and Dankworth, with little color or personality. This room is bursting with personality, and I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the vibrant hues. Even though the bed in front of me is large, it appears diminutive due to the substantial size of the room. The bed is encircled with white pillows as if cushioned and padded to ensure there are no injuries on the edges, but there is indeed an actual blanket atop the bed, with a large number of pillows arranged on top. My eyes brim with tears of relief at the sight of this comfort, yet I know it is all a game. It’s a manipulation to make me feel safe and want to stay. I have to keep that in mind.
A white wardrobe without doors is placed along the wall, and I can distinguish the dresses on display inside. Seeing those dresses immediately brings to mind the feeling of being forced to wear them at Grimhill Manor, causing my stomach to sink to the bottom of my body.
The short walk to this room has taken its toll on my body as I’ve been entangled in chains for fuck knows how long. As I look around the room, my eyes seem drawn to the bed, where a sandwich on a tray lies on the bedside table. Walking over to the bed, I remove my pants until I am left in nothing but my T-shirt and panties as I sit down. It feels like heaven in this bed and I’m exhausted from all the aching in my body, making me long for rest.
I’m in a state of contemplation while asking myself if I should eat the sandwich, unsure if it has been poisoned. My stomach makes rumbling noises that cause me to feel nauseous, and I realize I have no other choice but to eat it.
