“Only phone’s in the house. I don’t believe in them.”
“You don’t believe in phones?”
“You want to stop thinking about getting off this place and start thinking about how you’re going to get by here.”
“Thanks for the advice that was neither requested nor wanted.”
“You’re so sure of yourself but you’ve no clue about what’s really going on, have you?”
“And what is really going on?”
“I remember you, Anna. You won’t remember me. Last time you were here, I was just one of many gardeners, just faces in the background, right? Barely even warranted a glance but I saw you a lot back then.”
“Bit creepy. Should I be worried?”
“I saw you trying to get his attention. I saw you flirting with him as best you could. I remember thinking back then how hard it must be to want someone who doesn’t want you back.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You want him, Anna. I know that and so do you. You want to be married to him. You want to be in his lap. You want him to spank you and fuck you and make you scream his name. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “I…”
He’s still talking, walking slowly over to me with a piece of driftwood in his hand. It looks a lot like a crop. I blink and it’s not Sergio. It’s Leo.
What’s going on?
“You want this on your ass,” Leo says. “Want me to punish you for being bad, for trying to escape yet again. I told you there would be consequences for your behavior. Keep doing this and you’ll have a plug in your ass and a gag in your mouth. I’ll make you walk around with your tits exposed and your panties around your ankles. I’ll make you spread your legs where the whole world can see. I’ll use a wand between your legs to make you come over and over again. I’ll sit you on a Sybian while I jerk myself off into your mouth. See that sculpture?”
He points to the wood carving near the cliff. I squint and I can make out what it is. It’s me in detail. I’m bent over, spreading my buttocks, my pussy and asshole on display. “That’s how you’ll look if you keep denying the truth. I’ll humiliate you for your crimes and you’ll love it because you’re a slut, Anna. You want me to fuck you, don’t you? You want my cock in your mouth until you choke. You want my cum spraying all over your chest, marking you, shaming you. You want to show the world that you are mine, don’t you? Don’t you?”
I shake my head, muttering a protest. “No, I don’t want that. Why are you saying that?”
“I’m not saying it. You are.” He swings the driftwood at me and just as it’s about to collide with my head, everything goes dark.
I sit bolt upright, my eyes opening. I’m on the beach and I’m alone. The jetty’s there in front of me but there’s no Leo. There’s no Sergio. There’s no pile of driftwood. I’m on my own.
My head is throbbing as I get to my feet. What happened? Did I pass out? When? I don’t remember passing out. It all seemed so real.
I feel hungry. I wonder how long I’ve been out for. The tide is further in than when I got here but was that when I was awake or in the dream?
I look across at the sculpture. It’s not me so that’s one positive. But what is it?
I cross to it and look closer. It is a person but it’s not me. It’s a much older woman. She’s emerging from the rock like she’s bursting out of it. Her face is full of sorrow. There’s even a tear on her cheek. Her arms are by her side but her hands haven’t been carved. It’s clearly unfinished.
“He gave up on it,” a voice says behind me. I spin around, half expecting to find Sergio holding a piece of driftwood. He’s not. Instead, he’s got a flask that smells of hot cocoa. He holds it out toward me. “Saw you coming down this way. Thought you might want a drink to keep you warm. Going to be a cold one tonight.”
I take the flask and have a sip. It’s laced with rum. “Thanks,” I say, trying not to cough as I hand it back. “Any idea why he didn’t finish it?”
“Nerves in his hands were damaged in the fire. You not noticed them trembling when he’s concentrating?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“I don’t think the damage is there anymore, if you want to know the truth.” He taps the side of his head. “It’s all in here now. I think he can’t go back to this one because it reminds him of his mother too much. He was working on it before the crash.”
I run my fingers along the stone. “That’s why it’s so weathered, then. Must have been sitting here for a while.”
“More than ten years. I keep telling myself that one day I’ll see him working on it again. That’s when I’ll know he’s going to be all right. It’s the fear of fire, it’s deep inside him. Only thing that makes him freeze.” He points down at the base of the statue. “Supposed to be flames. She’s like the phoenix emerging from the ashes. Or Venus from the clamshell. Who the fuck knows for sure?”