Or a prisoner, but I don’t say that. “Are you ever going to let me out?”
I know I’m being dramatic.I’m not being forced to stay here.
But despite the fact that I know staying locked away in my bedroom is for my own good because of the unsavory people in the manor, I’m bored out of my mind.
My mind wanders off to all the places I could be right now—a never-ending stretch of beach with coarse white sand grains between my toes, a bustling city street lined with neon lights, or maybe even an old cobblestone village in Europe where the sun sets in a blaze of oranges and pinks across an endless sky.
Or better yet, I could be sitting on the stage of Lincoln Center, the stage lights blinding my eyes, the roar of the audience clapping in my ears.
The thought of all these amazing adventures and opportunities just out of reach makes me want to scream.
“Ugh.” I groan. “This is annoying. If I’m stuck here, I’m going to annoy you, cause I know you’re watching.” I scrunch my nose. “I’m just going to annoy you with all the random questions I have, and maybe you will get so annoyed you’ll have to put a stop to my nonsense.”
Leaning back into the bed, I place my arms above my head and get comfy. This could take a while.
“Question number one: If dinosaurs became extinct before humans existed, who made up dinosaur sounds and how?”
That’s a good one. If he’s not running in here to shut me up soon, I might have to revert to doing a striptease.
The only problem with that plan is who knows who watches this footage.
Something tells me only Gideon.
Gideon is way too much of a crazy, possessive stalker to let anyone else watch me.
“Next question: Why are Wolverine’s teeth not made of metal like the rest of his bones? That one has always driven me crazy. Now it can drive you crazy.” I sing-song.
I continue this ridiculous mission for what seems like forever.
I’m stuck in an endless loop.
At least when Gideon is around, it’s easy to pretend I’m not living in Groundhog Day over and over again, but with this extra time of solitude, I can’t help but become frustrated with each passing minute that I’m stuck behind these walls.
I feel a deep longing to break free and roam the hallways.
But Gideon scared me when he told me to stay put.Whoever is here, he seemed frightened of, and that’s saying something.
And the fact that I haven’t seen him other than when he sneaks into my bed at night has me rattled.
If things were normal in this house, I’d be staying with him, but since he told me he was going to use his key to visit me when he could and not to open the door for anyone, I know things are bad out there.
Seeing as I have no place to go until the manor is deemed safe again, I guess I better make the most of it. Focusing on the present moment, I take a deep breath and am about to take out my cello when the door opens.
There are only two people with the key, Gideon and the maid.
When the door creeps open, and unfortunately, the maid steps in, I deflate.
She brings in a tray of food, and on top of the tray is a long-stemmed red rose and a note. I smile, taking the tray from her.
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything else you need?” she asks, her eyes not meeting mine.
“I’m fine. Thanks. You’re free to go.”
She inclines her head down before leaving.
I’m sad that it’s not him, but I don’t want her to see my emotions. Other than the one conversation when she warned me, she’s never spoken to me again. I don’t know her or know if I can trust her.