My Perfect Love Story

Chapter 14: Clouds

The bed sucked me into a comforting place. It felt like I was sleeping on a bed of clouds. Nothing was capable of waking me up from the only comforting moment I have in this house. Then, I felt two bulky arms wrapped around me. My eyes opened wide at the usually passionate touch, I expected him to squeeze me tightly but I felt so comfortable. I was scared to move, I didn’t want to wake him up.

He never held me so close to him before. I didn't know if I liked it or not. Normally, I would love and yearn for this touch, as it does feel good. However, knowing it is Michael who is giving me such physical attention ruins the moment. He proceeded to caress my arm lovingly, but I knew his true intention. His short, sweet kisses that are planted on my neck may be enough to hypnotize the naive. He groaned quietly as his movements became less light and more present.

I wanted to protest his touches quickly, but I remembered the situation I was placed in. He gripped my leg tightly and I shrieked loudly. Quicker than I can make sense of the noise I made, his large palm pressed against my neck aggressively. Thankfully, not enough to block my airways. He flipped me on my back and sat on top of me. I stared into his eyes, I noticed that they change tones of color subtly.

He stared into my eyes in all seriousness, ”Such beautiful features, your eyes tell a dramatic story, but it's yours nonetheless, ” His voice was calm and deep. His morning voice was one I've never heard, so deep it captures my attention to his voice from his eyes. “I have killed many people in my life. Most of them meant nothing to me, my first kill gave me an adrenaline rush. I couldn't comprehend what happened because I was trained to do what I now do best. Kill! With no emotion connected. I felt like I lost my humanity by my third kill and it stayed that way. Until I met you. My family looked picture-perfect, they would the last guess of anything bad but lord knows what they've corrupted, ” 

My heart beat fast as I realized I was in bed with a murderer. He looked so distraught, almost as if he was taken to another place. “Just looking at you that Christmas morning was enough for me to know I needed you in my life. You didn't deserve the life you had but that's what you got. I could kill you for drawing so many lines with me during your small duration of being here, but I won't. Just don't do it again, love.” He whispered the last part in my ear, scaring me deadly. He got off of me and made his way towards the bathroom.

“W-WAIT!! What do you do?” My voice was extremely shaky as I asked a compromising question. He chuckled lightly, a smirk rested on his face.

”You'll find out soon enough, love.” He walked up to me. My heart skipped a beat as I was skeptical about his next move, but I was relieved when he laid a long kiss on my forehead. He looked down at me as I looked up at him, he turned around and walked back towards the bathroom.

While he was walking, I heard him whisper, “So innocent.” Funny. I thought I had my innocence stripped from me when I got here. My most sacred possession was still kept but I've seen more than I should. If he thinks this is me being innocent, what else is in store for me?

The shower ran and the bedroom door opened. “Good morning, madam. How was your sleep?” I was relieved to see Iris walk in, I was still remorseful for yelling at her and she was the closest I had to company.

“Good morning Iris, my night was fine, you don’t have to call me ‘madam’.” I corrected her politely, I’ve learned that taking your anger out on others will do nothing but worsen your pain.

“Yes ma’am. I am just here to retrieve the dirty laundry.” She still managed to include a name of respect when addressing me.

“Okay, I want to apologize for the way I spoke to you this morning. That was wrong of me, you were only trying to warn me,” I watched her as she grabbed the hamper filled with Michael’s dirty laundry. The irony of it all, we both knew he had way more dirty laundry to unfold.

“Sweetheart, I wasn’t trying to warn you. You’re in too deep.” She said it so casually. It was obvious that a murderer is obsessed with me and every worker in this abandoned, yet the glamoured house is scared of him, but there was something off about this situation.

“What do you mean, ‘I’m too deep’? ” I was starting to get impatient with the vague answers I continued to receive.

“I have said too much madam, I must be on my way.” Before I could protest Iris’ abrupt dismissal, she was out of the room in seconds. I sat and thought about everything that was said to me.

I began to breathe heavily, scared for what may come in the future. I inhaled sharply as my anxiety began to grow, as I exhaled with all my might, the tears flew down my face. However, I refused to sob. I held an emotionless expression, eyes wide, staring into nothing as I was baffled.

I gripped the sheets on the bed, praying that I would fall in the clouds. The fluffy, u problematic clouds. They watch over everyone and everything during the day, watching as the people on Earth corrupt their lives.

The evening is my favorite part of the day. The clouds set as does the sun, shifting towards a different direction, diverting its attention away from the corruption of one side of the country to the other. Like me, at night I have peace and I try to avoid the calamities of life and pay attention to my imagination, where everything is possible.

“Get in the shower, we have a long day ahead of us.” I jumped up in fright as I was drawn from reality and into the clouds. His body was dripping with water as he was fresh out of the shower. Without another look, I made my way towards the bathroom.

I closed the bathroom door and sighed in relief. Sharing air with such a dominating man is nerve-wracking. I turned on the hot water, it was time to loosen some tense muscles. The steam began to spread through the room and my mind started to wander.

I thought about me being kidnapped. Seeing Terrance for the second time. Meeting Iris. Michael’s confession to me and my mom. My mind wanders more as I wash the blind dirt from my body. I shed a tear as I become confused the more I think about my situation. So, I decided to end my shower quickly and leave the bathroom.

I step out of the shower and realize I don’t have any of my toiletries with me. I sigh deeply as I drop my head low, realizing that I will have to walk out of the bathroom naked or ask Michael for a towel. The embarrassment and shame build up in me as I think of asking Michael for my towel. The thought of my naked body will be on his mind and it will torment my mind.

I opened the door slightly, poking my head out to see Michael staring at me with his deep, brown eyes. As soon as my eyes met his, I shifted them towards the ground. “Michael, I don’t have a towel.” I watched as his straight lip turned into a taunting smirk.

Without a word, he walked towards my towel that was in the closet. After grabbing it, he walked towards me and held my towel out. I watched his eyes attentively, he stared back with amusement in his eyes. I reached out for my towel only for it to be pulled back. I huffed aggressively and rolled my eyes.

Realizing what I did, I notice the amusement leaving his eyes and turn into anger. He gets angry quickly and he surely didn’t appreciate me rolling my eyes at him. But that’s something I knew and continued to do. Can I have at least one peaceful day? Just 24 hours in the silent clouds, embracing the fresh air, no noise, as my eyes stayed closed.

My eyes held a pleading look as he chuckled at me and said, “you never learn. What am I gonna do with you?” He said as he made his signature move. He stroked my cheek ‘lovingly’.

I guess not.

_____

I sniffled shortly as I sat in the car next to Michael. The new bruises on my skin were welcomed instantly as my body didn’t have enough time to react. His movements were so fast, the pain felt okay. Is that a bad thing? I think it’s good, the less pain I feel, the less I would suffer.

I tried to limit my interaction with him. Talk when I need to, look when I’m summoned, react appropriately. I looked down and noticed Michael’s bruised knuckles. At least I wasn’t the only one with bruises. I gave him some of my own, the irony of it all. I regret it. 

He put his hands on me. I put my hands on him. I fought back and left bruises. He countered my attacks and did worse damage. It wasn’t simple hits or choking, they were punches. Brutally. I had a black eye and a busted lip. Bruises all over my body, all the ways down to my calves.

I hate being vulnerable. Inferior. Having to listen to someone who is on a higher pedestal than you. Having that person be a man! It hurt to move my face. It hurt to think. It hurt to show emotion. Everything I did resulted in me being hurt. My life was painful.

The chauffeur drove the vehicle on a highway. He had black glasses on, reminding me of the Men in Black. The windows were dark, letting me know they were tinted. I prayed for my life to continue as long as it could. I didn’t know how long that would be but I don’t have the greatest feeling about where Michael is taking me.

The thought of him killing me makes my heart rate increase. The look on Iris’ face when she saw my bruised face was relieved. She said, “Thank god, it’s not bad.”

All types of abuse are bad. If they had standards to place abuse, Michael must’ve done some inhumane things to women. I was quick to figure out that Iris wasn’t relieved that Michael didn’t kill me, she was relieved that I was alive. There is a huge difference. Many females have lost their lives in the hands of Michael, but I wasn’t one of them.

The look on his face was a look of anger. He wanted to hurt me, he purposely inflicted pain on me as he did other women in his life. However, I was still alive. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or something to be cautious about.

The chauffeur was driving 75mph on a traffic-free highway. The speed he was driving at made me think something was wrong. I became anxious, I had to breathe. 5,4,3,2,1. 5,4,3,2,1. I didn’t that 5 times before I could distract myself from the speed of the car. I was scared to look up so my eyes stayed on the floor of the vehicle. I can feel him staring at me as my breathing pace steadied. Can he please stop?

“Sir, we are here.” The chauffeur said, causing Michael to make his way out of the vehicle without a word said to me or the driver.

Can I please be one with the clouds?

                                                                 ~My Perfect Love Story~