m******e Mansion

Chapter 17- Sunday 4 a.m.

    I stared in horror with my mouth agape while watching the numbers slowly tick down. A minute at least went by before it fully registered in my brain what he had said. The red digits ticked away above the tv while my eyes scanned the night-visioned screen. Kadince and Mark were walking down an unfamiliar hallway, but Caspian sat enclosed by stone banging against the sides. There was no Lewis to be found anywhere on either side.

      I attempted to use my voice once more. The sound came out rough like it was pushed out through gravel. I don't know what caused my sudden voice loss. Maybe it was a cause of the food? On my second try what sounded more like words were formed.

      "W....where's L...Lewis?" I asked through the pain. I reached up to my sore throat once more while swallowing saliva in hopes of it hydrating my dry throat.

      "Oh, sweetheart. I told you not to talk, and what happens to him doesn't matter. He's not....fit for the games anymore," he said after a slight pause.

      "Wh...where is...C...Caspian?" I decided to ask. The swallowing technique seemed to work a little bit. It was obvious Olivander had no intention of straightforwardly telling me the case with Lewis.

      "Now that's a more simple question. He tried following us. I even specifically told you guys not to try and find me, yet he disobeyed. He must have forgotten the consequences. After you had passed out in my arms your friends decided to show up. So naturally, I made a quick getaway. When I disappeared through the floor I pressed a specific button to open a certain hatch so we wouldn't end up at the bottom. I quickly pressed another afterwards to close that seal in case someone followed. So he ended up at the bottom. Does that answer your question, my angel?" Olivander explained. The clock continued to decrease in number. It was down to eleven minutes. I decided to at least attempt to gain more time, and maybe even make a deal.

      "Oli?" I timidly asked without any c***k in my voice surprisingly. If I played the sweet, innocent card my plan might work better. It was worth a try at least.

     "Yes, Little Lady?" Came the male's reply. He replied with more care in his voice than he previously had every other time. I put my head down while examining my fingers before I replied.

     "I...." my voice trailed off as I glanced up, pushing my long, auburn hair behind my ear. I stared anxiously at the timer before ending my question," I w...was wondering i-if...we could make a deal?"

    "And what would it entail, my dear?" He replied with a hint of amusement.

    "Can you pl-please....turn the timer off f-for a moment?" I asked while still watching the digital numbers. That was phase one.

    "Well that depends...what is it that you wish to offer?" He smartly answered.

    "I...I can't think st-straight with it t-ticking like that....Please, Oli?" I begged once more. Those few years of drama class were paying off greatly in this moment. A sigh was heard coming from the intercom.

    "Fine, my sweet. But this had better be worth it. It'd be a shame if someone were to....die by default before the time was up," he discreetly threatened. The clock went black as I released the breathe I had been unconsciously holding.

     "Thank you....but....c-can I speak to you....in person? I want to s-see you," I quietly ended just silent enough for it to seem like I meant to keep it to myself, but loud enough that I knew he could hear it. I got the desired reaction shortly after.

      "Of course. I'll be there in a moment, darling," he said as the intercom shut off. That was phase two. So far everything was going according to plan. Nervousness flooded through my body as I glanced around the darkened room. My palms began to get sweaty as more time passed. I had hoped to witness where Olivander appeared so I knew how to escape, but as my back was turned to face the window I felt arms snake around my waist. Somehow he had managed to get into the room and onto the bed without me noticing. I let out a gasp of surprise before I felt a head rest upon my left shoulder.

       "What was it you wanted to ask, beautiful?" He purred into my ear. If he wasn't a deranged killer I would have been very bashful at the moment. Luckly, I was able to keep a clear mind. Not luckily, I had to act like I was.

      "I....I th-thought...maybe we could m-make a deal," I stuttered out. I was internationally cringing at this moment, but this ordeal didn't matter as much as my friends' lives.

     "And what was that deal...?" He trailed off as his warm breath tickled my neck. More pressure was being applied to my waist causing me to slightly squirm.

      "I-in exchange for m-me.....you l-let my friends go," I stated as boldly as I could with the fake stutter and an irritated throat. He buried his nose into the crevice of my neck while I felt him shake with what I assumed was laughter. After a few moments of this his head lifted while a few chuckles escaped his lips.

      "My darling, you're staying here whether your friends escape or not. Which of course, they won't gain the chance too. You left my grasp once, Klarissa....you won't do it again. And even if I could let them go, I wouldn't. They know too much. What if they got away and led the police to me? I can't have that, oh no, no, no. They'd take you away," he cooed as his soft lips grazed my shoulder. I held in a shudder of disgust before replying.

      "Please, Oli......I'll do whatever you want. Just please let them go," I begged, dropping the stutter.

       "You'll do whatever I want either way. Don't you see, my sweet? There's nothing else you can do besides give in," he answered while skimming his lips further up and onto my neck.

        "Please....I won't ever fight you! I'll give in without a second thought! I'll...I'll even....." I trailed off. Just the thought of my next words caused me to chicken out. I couldn't bear to say it.

       "What? What would you do?" He purred once more. His smooth voice combined with a slight purr made my heart slightly melt, but I kept my composure. I had to do this for Kadince at least. His right hand began to rub circles into my side causing me to become even more uncomfortable.

       "I'll.......I'll......I'll even l-lo....love you," I quickly said at the end before tensing and shutting my eyes. When words are spoken they can never be taken back. I immediately regretted them the second they passed my lips, but I had to do it. I needed Kadince, Mark, and Caspian to survive and make it out.

      "Oh really now?" The male's voice questioned in my left ear. Goosebumps began to form on my arms when his breathe continued to hit my neck. Nodding my head, he seemed to ponder it.

      "You do drive a hard bargain, my Little Lady. I must admit, it's very...tempting," he whispered before nipping my earlobe. His grip had tightened once more. It didn't hurt yet, but it was starting to irritate my skin.

      "Please....just g-give me an answer," I whispered while cursing myself for genuinely stuttering. 

      "I'm sorry, dearest...but I already told you....they can't leave. You'll eventually learn to love me. Just like how my mother eventually gave into my father," he mumbled against my flesh. Despair was beginning to overcome me.

       "Please, Olivander. You have to let them go..."I begged. I was willing to give up anything at this point. I had to get them out of here. 'Klarissa, pull yourself together. You can think of something!- Oh what's the point? We might as well give in. It'd be better than fighting the inevitable.- We can't stop fighting! We promised we'd keep Kadince safe!' My brain started to give me a headache once again.

      "I'm sorry, my angel, but I can't! Don't you see? Please, I'll give you anything you ever wanted. Just let me rule you!" He tried reasoning. I felt so helpless. Attempting to move out of his arms, he tightened his grip to form a slight throbbing in my sides . A tear gathered in my eye. How could I ever save them like this? 

      "No....I'm sorry...I promised myself I would protect Kadince....CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?" My emotions burst at that moment. Yelling was a terrible idea because my throat was still in pain. Another coughing fit took place in my chest. Olivander loosened his grip with one arm and moved it to my hair. Pulling his fingers through my locks, I moved my elbow to my mouth. Hoping to maybe punch him, I did it quickly, but he seemed to expect it as he moved backwards. I doubled over as best as I could while sitting down, still held to his body. When I had finished I moved my elbow away to spot small flecks of blood. I discreetly wiped it off as Olivander began to whisper in my ear once again.

     "See what happens when you fight me?" He said. Tears had escaped my eyes during my coughing fit so I attempted to wipe them away, but the male beat me to it. The hand that was previously in my hair had moved to my face as he gently rubbed them away. I couldn't fight him in that account. He wasn't doing anything wrong anyways.

     "Can.....can you at least allow them to stay here then?" I decided to ask as a last attempt. It was obvious that he would never allow them to go. 

      "They'd only get in our way, darling. This is the only way," the male explained. I couldn't understand his reasoning. I mean, Mark probably would cause issues, but the rest would be fine. I couldn't stand this man! At times I felt like I belonged by his side, but the next my mind was telling me to get as far away from him as possible.

      "Oh," was all I replied with. My plan had failed. I tried so hard, but it wasn't enough. Why is it never enough? I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. I'd lost so many people in less than twenty-four hours. Lidia, Nathaniel, Miranda, most likely Lewis, and now everyone else. I'd had enough of crying, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to appear weak in front of Olivander, but I couldn't take it. Tears left without my consent once more. Why did I have to be such a crybaby?

      "Shhh, shhh, it's okay. You'll be okay," he tried calming me by stroking my cheek, but I jerked away. His touch was soothing, but I didn't want him to be the one touching me. It was probably a bad idea, but I would deal with the consequences.

      "Dear, please don't do this. Come here," he said before leaning down to grab my legs and pulling my whole body onto his lap. I grasped my legs to my body as he wrapped his own arms around my form. Cradling me to his chest, he began rocking back and forth. I put my face into my legs, not being able to look at him. I didn't want to see his demonic purple eyes staring into my own. It was still very dark in the room, but I could see his sleeve in the darkness. He was wearing the same suit he has been a little while ago. Maybe.....I had a new idea. It would require a lot of bravery, but I had to do it.

       Slowly moving my head away from my legs I looked up at Olivander. He had been staring down at me as I had previously thought. I couldn't go back on my plan as soon as I started it. Luck would have to be on my side. The longer I stared at him, the more confused his face got. Realizing I was at an awkward angle, I reached up to grasp his shoulders. This caused him to grow even more confused. 

      "What are you doing, angel?" Came his question. I simply looked up at him with as much care as I possibly could towards such a monster, and leaned up. Our lips collided as he seemed shocked. His eyes widened significantly as his grip loosened. He didn't respond for the first few seconds, but when his mind finally registered my actions he pulled me closer. His eyes closed as his lips began dancing with mine. His arms provided me extra warmth while my brain shut down. I, myself, almost forgot who I was kissing. Before my mind was completely lost in the moment I recalled why I was doing this. I began slowly moving my hands against his torso in search of a pocket.

        Olivander must have taken that as a sign that he could go further because I felt a tongue graze my bottom lip. To make sure he didn't grow suspicious, I hesitantly opened my mouth while internally cringing once more. Doing this sort of multi-tasking was difficult, but I didn't stray from my task. I had finally felt a solid rectangle shape in his jacket, so I carefully moved my hand into the opening to grab it. Luckily, Olivander was too distracted by tongue wrestling to notice my intention. Quickly grasping the remote, I carefully removed it. He hadn't noticed anything yet, so I stealthily pushed it into the top part of my dress.

       I then moved my hands into his soft hair and ran my fingers through it before pulling away. Upon realising the release of pressure against his lips, he opened his eyes. His purple orbs were glazed over with what could only be described as love with an undercoat of lust. I had kept my place on his lap so I had to look up to see his eyes as he looked down. His grip on me released, but I knew better than to quickly move away. That would be considered suspicious as well. Instead, I risked a hug first. It was very short and was one-sided, but it was better than moving away first.

     Getting up off his lap, his eyes followed my form. It felt like he was eye-r****g me to be honest. I couldn't help but hold a smirk of victory while my back was turned. I watched the tv screen, and upon seeing that Kadince and Mark were in a room, pulled out the remote. Glancing down at the buttons, I decided to just press the least sinister looking one before Olivander's voice broke the silence.

      "That wouldn't be the wisest decision, Little Lady. You don't know how to work that thing," he stated. I merely turned around, shocked, and stared in awe at his saddened face.

      "I could tell that kiss meant nothing to you. Your entire act was fake....why can't it just be real? Why can't you accept me?" He asked on the edge of voice cracks. His purple eyes showed nothing but a deep sadness. It physically hurt to see him like that. I might not like him, but I hated being the one to cause him such sorrow.

     "I'm sorry.....but I have to save my friends. I can't do this," I told him with regret. I faced the tv once more with the remote.

     "Stop.....just stop. You don't understand how that works. You could easily press a button that could kill us without you even knowing it," he said. I heard bed springs squeaking before I felt a hand touch my wrist. Glancing down, I saw his milky white hand wrapped around my wrist. Glaring into his eyes, I saw that same sadness. It had intensified so greatly that I had to look away.

     "Please, Klarissa...I don't want to do this, but if I have to, I will," he threatened. I didn't know what he was implying, but I knew it couldn't be good.

     "What could you possibly do to me anymore?" I questioned. He'd already done so much bad, I didn't think he could top it.

      "You really don't want to know. Please, I'll give you to the count of three to drop the remote.....One," he said. I didn't know what he was doing, but I saw his face morph into pain the longer I held the remote.

     "Two," he continued. His grip on my wrist greatly intensified to make sure it left a bruise. I still didn't want to drop it. I hadn't gone through all that to give up so easily.

      "Three," he calmly said before quickly twisting my wrist. I let out a yelp of agony as I immediately fell to the ground while dropping the remote. Tears pricked my eyes as I cradled my right hand with my left. It didn't break, but I was ninety-nine percent certain that he had sprained it. A nasty bruise had already began to form as the salty liquid ran down my face.

      "How could you!" I yelled up at him through my tears. His face held so much remorse, but I knew that monsters held no sympathy. This was all just one big game to him.

      "I told you to drop the remote, my lo-"

      "DON'T! That's no excuse!" I yelled at him before starting to cough once more. I held my injured wrist closer to me as I started to whimper along with my tears.

      "Please....forgive me, my angel," Olivander said while getting down to my level. His hand started to rub circles into my back as my blurred vision tried to locate the remote. Maybe if I pressed the right button I could kill us both. That way they could safely make it out. A black object came into view. Carefully resting my right hand onto my lap, I reached out for the remote. Upon grabbing it Olivander attempted to take it away, but before he could do anything I pressed a random button.

     "Oh dear....I told you not to mess with it," Olivander stated. Through the pain I somehow managed to reply excitedly.

     "W-what button did I press?" I inquired while grimacing.

      "That button, Little Lady, makes the crushing walls activate. The ceiling will begin to cave in, but it is covered in spikes. The victim will be impaled before they're crushed, and you were the one to do this," Olivander 'tsk'ed at me.

       "W-who.....who did I pick?" I asked in horror.

       "Why, Caspian of course."