5. Belle

Eventually, I picked myself up off the floor, brushed my hair, and then did all the things expected of me. For this is to be the rest of my life.

So, I may as well get used to it.

Well, not if I have anything to do with it. If I don"t fight for my freedom, then I will never escape Francis.

I slept the night shivering on a cold, bare mattress in the end since Francis had taken all my pillows and blankets, and I really don"t know what I did to receive his harsh treatment.

So, he doesn"t like to be touched, but that is no reason to strike me.

My cheek is still bruised from the impact.

Yet, I still never shed a tear. For these eyes can"t cry.

I am a broken soul, but there is still a flame flickering deep inside me.

I feel it whenever I remember that sweet little girl. She was a rebellious soul; I know it for certain since she"s the reason why I am here now.

That little girl wandered too far into the woods, only for the big bad wolf to steal her away from the ones she loved.

That boy had been my brother. I just wish I could remember his name.

But I don"t even recall my own name. I think my name is Belle... I know it definitely isn"t number twenty-three.

Everything before the Facility is a blur. I can"t even recall my first day.

There, I was raised with another bunch of girls.

But I did have a home before. I have to believe that I did.

Most of the girls there had been abandoned by their parents, but I know that wasn"t the case for me.

I was taken.

The front door clicks, but I hardly react now. I just stand rigid in the middle of the apartment, hoping he finds my cleaning to his satisfaction.

My hair has been brushed to perfection, but no matter how much I shower, I can"t rid my body of the scent of caramel.

It seeps from my pores, and my stomach won"t stop cramping.

And I know it"s not menstrual cramps.

The door opens, and Francis appears. Once again, his unremarkable face leaves me feeling cold and empty.

His gaze falls on me, and I spy no love. Just cold disinterest.

"Belle."

I nod. "Hello, Francis."

Always so formal. And it occurs to me that I have never once seen him smile.

I haven"t seen a genuine smile in a long time. That sweet boy from my dreams is the last smile I remember.

No one smiled at the Facility. It was a dreary place.

Francis runs his finger along several surfaces, and when he finds them to his liking, he pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleans his finger.

He even makes a point of peering into the kitchen, and when he finds it spotless, he steps toward me, making sure to keep three feet away.

"Well, I can say that I am certainly satisfied."

Silence. As always, I keep my gaze on the floor.

"I hope you"ve learned your lesson from yesterday."

My cheek burns at the comment, but I don"t dare reach up and rub the mark that he left on my skin.

"Belle?"

I inhale. "Yes, Francis."

Yes, no more books. I get it.

I wonder when I will get to smell the pages of a book again.

Feel the soft cotton of a blanket…

It happens out of nowhere next. My head spins, and I grab onto the nearest object I can find, the back of the couch.

It"s not as if Francis will catch me.

Francis doesn"t even ask how I am. He merely narrows his eyes and sniffs, and then a look of trepidation distorts his features.

A cloud of sickly sweet caramel blooms from my skin, and the look of pure hatred that takes over his face catches me by surprise.

What have I done now? It"s not like I can help being sick.

I must be coming down with something.

Francis recomposes himself. Then he sighs, smoothing down his suit. "It seems the time has come…"

Wait. The time for what?

What is he talking about?

The man extracts a small bell from his pocket, and I don"t understand.

But before I can ask what it"s for, he gives it a little jingle, and I pass out cold.

***

Blood-streaked walls flash through my mind, and I scream, jerking awake.

I"m back in my room, the bare sheets beneath me drenched in sweat.

What happened? Had I passed out?

The last thing I recall was talking to Francis. But does that mean he carried me to bed?

That"s so not like him. As if he would willingly touch me.

He had a little bell and what was it for?

I"d never seen that bell before…

With shaking hands, I reach up to wipe the sweat from my face, but when I pull my fingers away and find blood instead, I scream yet again.

Blood. There had been blood in the end.

Everywhere.

No… not blood. It really is just my sweat.

But why am I having visions of blood?

The memory of the bell"s jingle echoes through my mind, and I curl up on my bed, finally noticing for the first time that I"m wearing a different dress.

Someone had undressed me...

Francis? But why? He has an aversion to touch.

Something isn"t right, and now I have to escape before it"s too late.

Otherwise, who knows what will happen to me?

That bell… The strange scent of caramel…

I have to escape.

Tonight.

***

Several hours pass before I hear the door opening again.

But that"s okay. I"ve been lying in the dark waiting for him.

This time, I am ready.

Francis will never catch me off guard again.

"Belle?"

Normally, he would expect me by the door, but I haven"t been able to move from my bed. I"m burning up, even without my pillows and blankets.

I haven"t stopped sweating, haven"t stopped dreaming about blood…

Haven"t stopped hearing that bell.

I must act before he rings it again.

He stops at the threshold of my bedroom and just watches me.

But I"m ready.

"Belle?"

I don"t move. I merely pretend to be asleep.

I have no idea what time it is, but he doesn"t usually turn up in the middle of the night.

Well, not that I"m aware of.

I can almost hear the cogs of his twisted mind turning as he steps closer, and that"s when I notice the first fatal flaw in my plan.

How am I supposed to act if he always keeps three feet away?

He won"t even come anywhere near the bed.

All I have to do is catch him off guard.

I"m not sure how, but I have a feeling that this body of mine knows how to fight.

Muscle memory perhaps.

Come on, come closer…

Francis stops three feet away from the bed as I predicted, and it"s now or never…

If I have to get my hands dirty, so be it.

I must act before he rings that bell.

"Belle…?" he whispers now, his voice a dark caress on my skin, and I spring into action.

I jump out of bed, tackling him to the floor, and I am breaking all his rules about touching him.

I punch him in the face, over and over, sending his blood flying everywhere, but no matter what, I don"t stop.

It seems my body really does know how to fight, and it looks as if I"m not some helpless waif after all.

Well, that"s what he gets for striking me and taking all my books.

Time for payback.

Francis snarls, flipping me around onto my back, and it looks like I"ve woken the beast.

Too bad I"m far deadlier…

His hand goes straight for the bell in his right pocket, and I don"t think so.

I yank it from his hand, throwing it across the room.

Now he can"t wield it against me.

With one last right hook to his chin, Francis collapses to the ground, and he doesn"t get up for some time.

He lies gasping on the floor, coughing up blood, and I seize my chance.

I run to the door, hoping my gamble pays off.

The code ends in 23. Just four numbers…

I don"t get the right combination at first, but I don"t stop trying.

I will escape this prison.

Escape Francis.

He"s still coughing up blood in the bedroom, and it occurs to me that I"m about to leave behind my home of three years.

My vegetable garden. Jerry…

The robin.

But it was never a home.

It was merely a gilded cage.

One that had been built to contain a monster.

Me.

Francis had done something to me. I don"t know what, but it all started with that bell.

"Shit!" I yell when I get the combination wrong yet again, any chance of escape slipping further and further away.

I hear movement in the bedroom, and it seems Francis is waking up.

I have to be quick. Have to…

"You little bitch!"

The words take me by surprise.

Never once have I heard him curse. He"s normally so squeaky clean.

He abhors filth.

"Get back here."

I continue inputting the code for the door. I don"t even know what will await me on the other side.

For all I know, there could be another door waiting for me, one with another code, but I have to try…

Francis drags his body across the floor, and there he appears at the door. He uses the handle to drag himself back to his feet, a twisted smirk growing across his face.

His face…

Wow. I did that.

It"s covered in blood, and the horror seizes me for a split second.

Still. I don"t stop. I keep pressing buttons, and when the door clicks, I swing it open, seizing my chance.

"Belle!"

Woods.

Just woods on the other side of the door, and I run for my freedom, never once looking back at the home I have known for three years.

I never even stopped to see if Francis had pursued me. Only his voice chased me through the forest until it vanished with the wind.

Free. I am free.

I have no idea where I learned to fight like that, but I thank my lucky stars that someone, at some point, had taught me.

Already, I can feel that little girl coming back to me. The one I had almost forgotten about.

Soon, I will find her again.

And freedom will be mine.