Unfortunate Circumstances

[Soleil Overland]

When was the last time Lindsay had been outside? She couldn't quite say, but it had been long enough that the feeling of dirt and grass beneath her feet was unfamiliar. She dug her toes into the earth, closing her eyes and savoring the sensation as she tried to count the years. Fifteen - that was how old she had been when Daniel had saved her, whisking her away from a home where she was unwanted and bringing her to a place where she was safe. And now she was what, twenty-three? Lord knows she hadn't been keeping track of the years, but she strained her mind to remember the candles that Daniel had put on the cake for her last birthday. After a moment of thought, she nodded to herself. Yes, twenty-three. Eight years without setting foot outside. Once upon a time, she wouldn't have been able to imagine going a week without letting the sun warm her face, but now, after so long without it, the light was so bright that it was nearly blinding. Daniel surely wouldn't be pleased if he found her like this. He trusted her to stay inside when he left, even went so far as to lock the doors so she wouldn't be tempted, but when he'd dropped his keys on the way out, Lindsay couldn't help but jump on the opportunity for a bit of fresh air. How ungrateful of her, to go out behind Daniel's back when he was working so hard to keep her safe. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she suddenly felt sick, deciding that it was high time she went back inside. She'd have to tell him, of course, have to offer him his keys and confess to her wrongdoings. It was only right. Taking one last deep breath, she opened her eyes and turned back towards her home - only to freeze and dart as silently as she could to stand behind a tree.


There was someone there.


It most certainly wasn't Daniel; no, the form was too soft, the hair too long. It was a woman. Lindsay swallowed thickly, staring with wide emerald eyes at the back of the stranger's head. If it had been eight years since she'd been outside, that meant it had been eight years since she had seen any human being besides her husband, and she couldn't help how her heart pounded in her chest at the sight. What was she to do? The woman knew where Lindsay's safe haven was, could bring people back to the little nook that Daniel had created just for her, could infect their home with the cruelty of the outside world. But no - Lindsay wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let the purity of her sanctuary be ruined by some curious stranger. She glanced around, gaze settling on a thick stick. Her stomach twisted again, but she settled her discomfort by telling herself that it was for the best. The poor woman may still be able to be saved - maybe she hadn't been corrupted yet. And Daniel, well, of course Daniel would want to help, though it may take a bit of persuasion to convince him to let the woman stay when there was always the risk of her hurting Lindsay. The petite woman smiled slightly at the thought, small hands wrapping around the branch and lifting it as she crept forward. Such a good man, that Daniel, always looking out for her.


Thud!


Lindsay slammed the branch into the back of the woman's head with all the force she could muster, cringing away as the woman dropped to the ground, unconscious. Lindsay looked around, confirming to herself that the woman hadn't brought anyone with her, and then approached, managing to lift the limp stranger into her arms and carry her inside, being sure to lock the door behind her. She carried the woman down the stairs and into their underground hideaway, down a hallway and into one of the rooms off to the left. Daniel had explained to her that they kept this room for if anyone got in and needed to be restrained until it they were sure that they wouldn't tell anyone about their little secret place. Then, once we're sure, Daniel had told her, cupping her face and tracing her cheekbone with a calloused thumb, I'll take them back out and let them go. Lindsay let out an exhausted breath, hefting the woman into one of the special chairs Daniel had made for just such a situation and strapping down her wrists and ankles, gingerly adjusting her head so it wasn't dangling at too awkward an angle. Considering she hadn't carried anything heavier than a cutting board in the last few years, Lindsay was utterly exhausted, wiping sweat off her forehead and tucking loose strands of golden hair into the messy bun she had tied at the nape of her neck. With one last glance at the stranger, Lindsay walked out of the room, brushing specks of dirt off of her dress and heading into the kitchen. She slid a few containers of apple sauce, a few bottles of water and an ice pack into a small plastic bag, and then headed back to the room. She pushed the door open and peeked inside, wincing when she realized the woman was already awake and - oh dear, she had been spotted.


Offering what she hoped was a warm smile, Lindsay opened the door the rest of the way and walked over to the stranger. "Terribly sorry for hitting you so hard," she apologized softly, crouching in front of her and setting the bag down, rummaging in it for a moment before pulling out the ice pack, "You startled me, that's all. Been so long since I've seen anyone around here." She leaned forward, gently pressing the ice pack to the bump forming on the woman's head from the blow. "I'm Lindsay Pettigrew. What's your name?"

 

[Javvie]

The hour was getting late and Eliza knew that she shouldn't be out here alone. However, her phone was fully charged and she had a full pack just in case. If she was abandoned, she could call 911 and all would be well, it was just... The woods here felt strange. She was staying with some friends and had needed time alone. Being an extrovert was exhausting at points, and sometimes she wondered if that was her true personality.


Shaking her head, she made her way through the trees and looked up at birds overhead. Yep, time to go home.


Then, her hazel eyes caught something. Was that... A door?


"What the hell?" She asked as she came to reach for the door and then suddenly, she felt extreme pain in the back of her head and then...


Nothing.


Opening her eyes, the red haired woman groaned as she came to go to grab her phone.


However, her pale wrists were bound and her ankles as well. Tugging, Eliza panicked as she felt a pit in her stomach. This was where she was tortured to death or raped or something worse...


Then, a woman came in. She had to be the tiniest thing in the world, tinier than Eliza. Eliza herself was a fairly tall woman and muscled from athletics... This woman carried her? To say she was baffled would be the understatement of the century.


"Ow." She winced when the woman touched her head. When she asked her name, she glanced into her eyes. "Eliza. Eliza Baxter." She looked down and tugged on her wrists again.


"Where the hell am I?" She asked her.

 

[Soleil Overland]

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Eliza!" Lindsay said with a kind smile, holding the ice pack gingerly against the bruised bump, "Even if the circumstances may seem a bit unfortunate at first." There was no doubt in Lindsay's mind that Eliza would be opposed to her new living arrangements in the beginning - Lindsay had been, too. The idea of being confined to a relatively small space didn't appeal to the outdoorsy girl, and the thought of being cut off from the whole world had been terrifying. But in the end, Daniel had been right, as he always was. Solitary living had grown on her, and she was sure it would grow on Eliza too.


At the next question, Lindsay's smile faltered slightly. That was a difficult one to answer, considering she didn't yet feel entirely comfortable telling Eliza their exact location - the other woman hadn't had a chance to adjust yet, so she may run off and try to tell somebody, as Lindsay had a few times near the beginning - and besides, Lindsay didn't really know precisely where they were. In the woods, she could tell that much, but she had been blindfolded when Daniel first drove her out here, pulling against the binds that held her wrists and screaming at him to let her go, shouting that this wasn't funny, Daniel, please! What a fool she had been. She should have had faith in him - he was only looking out for her. He'd carried her inside and left her there, crying to herself, as he drove the truck away and walked back once he had returned it to whoever he'd borrowed it from. What a waste of perfectly good tears.


"You're in our home," she answered simply, smile turning bright once more as she found a way to answer without revealing any important information, "A nice little safe haven, don't you think? Actually, you probably don't think that yet, but it'll grow on you! It's a little drab, I know, but we couldn't take our chances with painting it, the smell would have been awful, with all these tight spaces keeping it in..."

 

[Javvie]

Eliza's eyes widened. No, this woman was insane. Legitimately insane and there was no way that she could stay here. She had hit her with... Something, and had dragged her in here. That was certainly not normal and the way she spoke of this place was also not normal. Everything about her demeanor was so calm, as though she hasn't kidnapped her right from the surface like a modern day Hades. This felt much too strange to really consider that it was even real.


"Grow on me? I can't stay here." Eliza told her. "I have a life that I can't just vanish from. People are going to look for me. You'll go to jail." She hoped that if she threatened her, that this would just be a small weird story to tell at parties or something she could claim was a dream. "If you let me go, I'll just leave! I won't tell anyone! Please, I can't stay here!"


Eliza had a promising future for herself laid out. Fresh out of college, she was supposed to teach English in the fall at a high school and she had recently been engaged to her long time boyfriend. This was certainly not the best time for this to be happening.


"Lindsay, please, I don't want you to get in trouble. Just let me go. Please." Had she ever said please so much in her life? Probably not, but it was better than cursing her out. She seemed too sweet for all that.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay tilted her head, smiling sadly. Poor Eliza, she just didn't understand yet. She may have wanted to believe that the people she had left behind would look for her, but they wouldn't. Of course they wouldn't. Everyone out there was cruel and unable to love, but Lindsay had been so blessed as to find one of the few people out there with a good heart, and he'd vowed to take care of her and protect her. It was unfortunate that Eliza hadn't been able to find someone like Daniel; if she had, she wouldn't have been out wandering the woods, she would have been locked away safely, just like Lindsay was. A treasure to be guarded.


"It's okay, Eliza, I know it's scary at first," she soothed as she leaned away, removing the ice pack because it appeared that most of the swelling had gone down, "I was afraid too. I mean, it seems crazy, doesn't it? To be whisked away from the world, just like that." She snapped her fingers with a tiny melancholy laugh as she tucked the ice pack back into the plastic bag. She then settled, looking up at Eliza with a reassuring smile and her hands folded in her lap. "But believe me, you'd be much better off down here. Why would you want to return to such an evil world? Down here, everything is safe and warm and -"


"Lins." The blonde jumped to her feet and whipped around, blinking up at the giant brute of a man who stood in the doorway. Daniel was intimidating, there was no denying that - easily over six feet (especially tall compared to Lindsay, who barely broke five), with broad shoulders and large muscles, dark eyes that seemed bottomless and a thin beard - but Lindsay had grown so used to the sight of him that she wasn't startled.


"Welcome home, Daniel," she greeted in an adoring tone, but didn't move towards him, waiting for him to look at the woman behind her, to question, to glare, to push Lindsay away so there was no chance of the stranger grabbing her. But it didn't happen. Instead, Daniel just gazed down at her with dark eyes that were steadily narrowing.


"There's dirt on your dress," he noted quietly, voice deep and low, like a roar if he screamed and like distant thunder when he whispered. Lindsay blinked a few times in surprise, shoulders slumping as she looked down at the floral garment and noticed that he was correct.


"O-Oh, yes, well -"


"Did you go outside?" he asked as he advanced, voice still calm and smooth, but Lindsay had long since learned to hear the tones that hid beneath his voice, and the tones here weren't good. All the same, that didn't stop her from pressing up into his hand when he ran thick fingers through the golden locks atop her head, the touch almost gentle. Lindsay lowered her gaze, feeling her stomach churn. She didn't deserve this affection.


"I wanted to see the flowers -" she peeped, tone guilty and apologetic, but she cut herself off with a sharp whimper when the fingers gliding through her hair suddenly gripped it hard. However, she didn't reach to try and pry his fingers away. This was what she deserved.


"You know you're not supposed to," he reminded her in a steady tone, and she managed a nod, feeling tears prick at the backs of her eyes, guilt making her nerves rise in her like bile.


"I know, Daniel," she sniffled, voice suddenly much smaller in the large room, "I'm sorry..." He hesitated, letting her repeat the apology in tiny keens before finally releasing her and stepping past her to look at the stranger. Immediately, Lindsay launched into an explanation, telling him how she found Eliza and claiming that she thought the girl could still be saved. Daniel was silent for a while before turning to Lindsay and grasping her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.


"If I allow you to keep her as a present so you don't get lonely when I'm gone, I don't want to hear any more nonsense about wanting to see the flowers," he told her sternly, like a master disciplining a pet, "The girl is a privilege, and I can take her away just as easily as I gave her, so I suggest you start listening to me, understand?" Lindsay nodded eagerly and his hand slid from her chin to cradle her cheek, and her tiny palm cupped his hand a moment later, murmuring thank you's and turning her head enough to press grateful kisses into his palm. With that, Daniel took his leave, and Lindsay turned towards Eliza as soon as the door closed, beaming despite the lingering tears in eyes.


"I knew he'd let you stay!"

 

[Javvie]

Eliza swallowed as she was feeling herself get more and more irritated. Why wasn't she seeing that this was wrong? Why was she just acting as though it were normal to take girls? Biting her lip, she jumped when the man appeared, her eyes watching the scene before her.


Holy shit.


Sure, she had heard of things like this. Normally, they were on 20/20 and she would eat ice cream while Todd would analyze everything wrong with what the cops and the lawyers were doing. He was a lawyer, he sort of knew what he was talking about.


Now, her episode of 20/20 was in front of her. It was classic. Big, burly man with a small, pretty girl. He controlled everything and she was a slave to his whim. It was like Beauty and the Beast without the man turning into an androgynous prince at the end. No, this was dark. This had more layers to it than she knew and her captor might as well move to Sweden with the amount of Stockholm Syndrome she had.


Eliza felt her hands twitch. She wanted to defend this girl. She wanted to take her from this freak of the week and get her help. The girl was young, maybe her age, and this was clearly old hat for the both of them. This was normal.


What really got to her, though, was the way that he spoke of Eliza as a gift. A gift? He really just said that? She wanted to just snap her teeth at him or something, show that she was not someone to keep around. However, that wouldn't work.


When he left, she felt like she could breathe again. Then, she processed what she could. Her mind was spinning and her head ached so badly. This was insane.


"I can't stay, though. My fiancé is a lawyer. He is going to try to find me." She stated. "I'm not a present, Lindsay, or a pet or whatever you want me to be. You can't just keep me here. You have to let me go. Just let me go the way you went to see the flowers. I'll pick you a whole bouquet!"


God, she didn't want to be trapped her with this nut case and her abuser. This was not how she wanted to spend her summer.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay smiled that same sympathetic smile, as if Eliza was the warped one, as if she was the one who didn't understand, who was in the wrong. She didn't understand, that was it. Daniel had warned her that people wouldn't, which was part of the reason they had to hide away. People wouldn't understand their relationship. Jackson, Lindsay's older brother, had frowned on it, even before he knew they were dating. He didn't like that a twenty-something was hanging around his teenage sister, advised her to steer clear of him, told her that he was looking out for her because he loved her. Clearly, he hadn't - if he had, he would have understood that Daniel was just keeping her safe.


However, if anything got through to Lindsay, to the tiny part of her that whispered that this was wrong and she should be somewhere else and she certainly shouldn't be making someone else stay here too (a part that was usually ignored, squashed down by the majority of her that claimed this was entirely right), it was the mention of a fiancé. Her gaze softened and she didn't meet Eliza's gaze as she sat in front of her once more.


"That's unfortunate, it really is," she murmured, reaching up to tuck a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, "But I said that you'd be better off here, and I stand by that opinion. Even if your fiancé does love you, the rest of the world won't. So few people in that world that have it in them to love." She shook her head, tsking under her breath. "Down here, they can't hurt you, don't you see?" she continued, a tranquil smile forming on her face once more as she rummaged through the bag, "And I don't think you're a pet, no, no, I think you're a friend. But Daniel may feel differently, and if he's been so kind as to let you stay, he'd be very hurt if I turned my back on his benevolence and let you leave. Are you hungry?"

 

[Javvie]

Eliza came to feel the tears come. She did not cry very often, but she was terrified. Was she supposed to live here forever? Was she supposed to pretend like this was right? It felt like the most awful fate. What had she done to deserve this? It did not make any sense. So much had been going right, but that was all gone.


Eliza shook her head and the tears were falling hot down her freckled cheeks. She felt like she always looked very pathetic when she cried and this made it all so much worse. Now, her new 'friend' had to watch her cry. As if it wasn't horrifying enough to be captured against her will and brought here.


She was quiet and didn't feel like talking anymore. It was like talking to a brick wall. The crying and the whole experience made her so tired anyway and she felt her eyes grow heavy with fatigue. "I want to go home." Maybe this was how Daniel had broken Lindsay. Had reduced her to nothing and then built her back up through his love only. She was slowly seeing how someone who had no one else could give in to that.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay tutted softly, gaze sorrowful and sympathetic. She didn't like seeing the other woman cry, but she'd shed her fair share of tears in the beginning. It was only to be expected. It was a frightening experience, to be sure, to be suddenly separated from everyone else and made to live alone, but in the end, it had done Lindsay good. She knew the truth, now, and eventually, Eliza would know it too, but it took time. She just needed time.


"Now, now, don't cry," she whispered sweetly, reaching out to gently wipe the tears off Eliza's freckled cheeks, "It will be okay, you'll see. Everything will be alright. Once you adjust, you'll be just as happy as I am!" She smiled brightly, unaware of how little reassurance the phrase offered. Sensing that exhaustion was more prominent than hunger, she gathered up the bag and stood, calloused feet practically numb to the rough cement beneath them. "I'll be right back," she promised, before slipping out of the room. When she returned, the bag of food was gone and she carried a pillow instead, tucking it behind Eliza's head. "I'm sorry I can't let you out of the chair yet," she said softly as she adjusted the pillow, "But you have to stay there until Daniel says it's okay. I'll see about getting a bed in here for then, alright?" It was then that Daniel's voice rang from down the hall and Lindsay scrambled to her feet. "Coming!" she called, and darted out of the room.


The next few days passed without incident. Daniel worked silently in the entrance of the room, attaching something to the corners of the door frame, while Lindsay sat on the floor and chatted with her new friend, filling silence with nonsense when Eliza didn't want to answer her - Daniel was clearly conflicted on how he felt about this, considering he'd call her over just to kiss her and remind her that she was his wife whenever she was being too friendly, in his opinion. Lindsay tried to make sure Eliza was as comfortable as possible, adjusting the pillow frequently and feeding her whenever she was hungry, but it was difficult with Daniel constantly looming over her shoulder ("You're gonna spoil her," he growled as a warning when Lindsay took too long carefully brushing Eliza's hair for her). Finally, after about four days, Daniel entered the room with Lindsay skipping behind him, looking even brighter than normal. He crouched down, attaching what looked to be something like an electric dog collar around Eliza's ankle before pulling back and stepping out of the room, watching from the doorway as Lindsay, after getting his permission, undid the binds keeping Eliza stuck to the chair.

 

[Javvie]

Eliza was very quiet for most of the time. Her whole body ached, she smelled awful, and she was so homesick. She missed Todd's stupid jokes and her parents nagging, even. Things that she hated about people, she wished that she could even have them do those things around her. Anything to alleviate her agony from this experience.


Lindsay, thankfully, was very talkative. She would talk about anything. Eliza would drown her out sometimes, struck by a worry or thinking about how they were looking for her. There must have been a huge search party. Her picture was probably everywhere. People were probably devastated. It just weighed so heavy on her.


Eliza watched as Daniel attached the collar to her ankle. Of course, he thought of everything. Unfortunately, Lindsay was on her best behavior, so her chances of getting out were very slim. Standing when Lindsay undid her, her legs took a few minutes to stabilize before she finally got the feeling in her ankles and wrists.


"Am I allowed to take a shower?" She asked as she was sure that she was the most disgusting woman ever. "I don't think your clothes will fit me, though." Eliza frowned. Lindsay was much more petite than her. None of her clean clothes would fit on her at all.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay nodded happily at the request of a shower, rocking on the balls of her feet. Daniel, clever Daniel, had befitted two different doorways with the receptors that would shock Eliza if she walked through them (Lindsay had been uncertain about this, but Daniel had cupped the back of her head and kissed her firmly, telling her that it was just to keep her inside until she learned) - the one to the room Eliza would be sleeping in, and the doorway that opened to the staircase that would lead one right out of their safe haven. Currently, only the one on the staircase was active, so Eliza could walk in and out of her room easily.


The clothing was an issue, however, and Eliza was right; she was taller than Lindsay and had more muscle, so it was unlikely that Lindsay's clothes would fit her, as flows and loose as the dresses were. So, Lindsay turned to Daniel, clasping her hands and looking up at him imploringly. He narrowed his eyes, lip pulling back into a snarl.


"I've spent enough money on your little friend as it is," he told her bitterly, crossing his arms over his broad chest, "The anklet was expensive, you know." Lindsay walked forward and placatingly smoothed out the fabric of the man's shirt, tilting her head as she looked up at him.


"Please, Daniel," she cooed endearingly, batting her eyelashes, "I won't ask for anything else, promise. Just a few sets of clothes, that's all, just enough that she'll have something clean to wear. Please?" Daniel eyed her for a moment, then meaty hands came down and grasped her narrow waist, dragging her closer and growling something low enough that only she could hear. Lindsay averted her gaze and nodded, and Daniel, apparently satisfied with the response, turned and stalked away, vanishing up the stairs. Lindsay, meanwhile, turned back to Eliza, smiling brightly and clapping.


"Well, that's taken care of!" she said cheerfully, "He should be back by the time you're out! Come, come." She reached out and grasped the girl's hand, leading her out of the room and down a narrow hallway lined with doors, stopping beside the third on the right and opening it to reveal a simple but serviceable bathroom. "Here you go! I'll slip the clothes in when he's come back."

 

[Javvie]

Eliza narrowed her eyes when he spoke about how expensive she was. She hadn't asked to stay here. As though she had asked to have an electrical shock device attached to her. While she had come to tolerate Lindsay, and even felt a bit sorry for her, she hated Daniel with a passion. She hated everything he stood for and the way he barked for Lindsay like a slave.


If her eyes could kill, Daniel would have fallen dead when he whispered to Lindsay. What a pig. He dared to call a relationship where sex had to be favor for clothes a marriage? She wanted to throw up. It was one of the most sickening things she had ever seen.


"Thank you." Her eyes followed Daniel as he left before her excited captor led her to the shower.


Eliza was about to go in before she stopped and turned. "He shouldn't be forcing you to do things you don't enjoy. I know that it's not my business and you'll say that you like doing what he says but... Intimacy is supposed to be fun and spontaneous. It's supposed to feel good." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I said too much."


Going into the shower, she decided to make herself even more expensive by taking the hottest, longest shower of her life. She heard the fabric slide along the floor and she came out of the shower. She crinkled her nose as the dresses were nearly identical to Lindsay.


So, this was what it was like to live in a cult. Sort of.


Coming out of the room when she was dressed, she went back to her room and sat on the bed that Daniel had installed for her. Cheap bastard. She curled up on her side and stared at the wall, sure that Lindsay would be back to chatter when she realized Eliza was finished washing.


Her mind was churning, thinking of a plan. However, she knew that to get out of here, she had to do two things; get Lindsay completely on board and kill Daniel. Or lock him in his own chair. Although, the first option was much more appealing at this point.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay blinked a few times in surprise as Eliza spoke, before a smile (admittedly not as bright as they usually were but a smile all the same) formed on her lips and she opened her mouth to assure Eliza that it was fine, of course she wanted it if Daniel wanted it, but the woman had already vanished into the bathroom, leaving Lindsay in the hallway with nothing but her thoughts.


And Lindsay didn't much like the thoughts that invaded her mind at that moment.


She wouldn't call them doubts, exactly, because she never doubted Daniel, not any more. She'd be more inclined to call them uncertainties - much feebler than doubts, but tiny whispers of unsureness all the same. The blonde took a deep breath and forced the thoughts away, heading into the main room to wait for Daniel's return.


When he finally did, Lindsay took the dresses in her hands and headed back down the hallway, sliding one under the door of the bathroom and going to put the rest in one of her own drawers, since Eliza didn't get a dresser. Asking for that would be pushing it too far, Lindsay knew. She turned to the door, but Daniel was already in the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.


About an hour later, Lindsay emerged, closing the door behind her and heading back down the hallway. Steam was ventilating out of the open bathroom door, so she could assume Eliza was done in the bathroom. She poked her head into Eliza's room, still finger-combing her hair back into the bun she always had it in, and her face lit up at the sight of the other woman.


"Oh, you look lovely!" she said happily, looping her hairband around the bun before letting her hands drop as she walked into the room, "Personally, I think teal is more your color, it would go wonderfully with your hair, but purple looks nice as well!"

 

[Javvie]

Glancing over at Lindsay, she gave her a shake of the head. "I don't normally wear dresses." She commented before she sat up and stretched. Eliza had braided her red hair down her back and she was sure that she looked quite a sight. If Todd was here, he would tease her. God, she missed him. He was an idiot, but she missed him so much.


Eliza smoothed out her hands over her dress and came to frown. She hated thinking about everyone else. It drove her crazy to think of who was missing her and who was looking for her. A girl could go mad thinking about that.


"Lindsay, what was your life like? Before Daniel?" She asked as she was curious. "I know that you probably don't think about that time much, but I was just curious." Curiosity was what got her down here, after all. If Eliza hadn't been poking around, she would probably be home with Todd, watching trash TV as he looked up court cases that interested him.


Eliza patted the place next to her. "Here, sit with me." She was still apprehensive of the blonde, but if she was going to get out of here, Lindsay had to like and trust Eliza. It was her only way to freedom.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay nodded, as if she had been anticipating this response. "You didn't strike me as the type," she commented lightly, standing a short distance away with her hands folded, "But it doesn't change the fact that you look pretty in it." She smiled brightly, before jolting at the question, blinking a few times.


Eliza was correct in the assumption that Lindsay didn't think of the time before very often. What point was there in pondering it? That was bad, and this was good. She couldn't go back to it even if she wanted to, so why waste precious time thinking about it?


At the offer, she hesitated a moment before walking over to sit beside her on the cot. She was open and friendly, but wary. Who could blame here? Eliza came from outside, from the dark and cruel world above. Even if she wanted to believe Eliza was good, prior knowledge told her that it was unlikely.


"Well, if it's an interesting story you're looking for by asking, you're not going to get one," Lindsay acknowledged with a laugh, though there was a wistful tinge to it, "I had a father and a brother, and for a while, I had a mother, but she left before long. My father was a mean man, and I hated him with all of my soul. My brother was a good person, but he couldn't love, poor thing, he just didn't understand how. He saw the good in everything, I liked that about him, but it was such a hopelessly naïve view to have. He saw good in things that had no good in them, and that was going to get him hurt. I was smarter. I knew the world was evil, so when a chance came to hide from it, I took it. Or rather, Daniel gave it to me, but that's not the part of the story you asked for."


"I never had too many friends, to be honest with you. Never quite fit in, never had the best clothes, always a little quiet, that sort of thing," she explained with another sad laugh, "Thats why I was so over the moon when Daniel started talking to me. I mean, what were the odds that someone so much older and wiser would take any interest in me, as scrawny and pimply as I was at thirteen? Jackson hated it, though I could never see why. He could see good in everything, so why not Daniel? But that doesn't matter. We had a bit of a row about it, actually, when I was fifteen and told him that Daniel and I had been dating for a while. I ran off, straight to Daniel, of course, and he decided he wasn't going to let anyone hurt me the way Jackson and my father had again, so he took me here." She gestured around them, smile distant and eyes vacant. "Our safe haven."

 

[Javvie]

Eliza was quiet the whole time. The story explained so much to her in so little time. Of course she had been brainwashed by Daniel. She has been young, pretty, and terribly gullible. He had seen a chance to take something before it could even blossom.


"You didn't graduate from high school, then?" She came to sigh. This was so much more complicated. If Eliza could get them out, then Daniel would be behind bars for a long time. It wouldn't matter, since she hadn't been the age of consent when he had taken her. Their marriage probably wasn't even legal, and anyone could see that Lindsay was gone. She was a puppet for her husband.


Eliza needed to have Lindsay break free of that. She didn't know how to make that so, but she knew that it was her goal in life.


"And that's why you took me? To keep me safe?" Eliza didn't want to go on about how wrong this was. Lindsay would retreat from her, like a scared animal. She had to fight Daniel with his own tactics.


Slowly, but steadily, she would sneak in bits of truth, like she had earlier today. All she needed was to do that about a different topic every few days and while it might take some time, she could possibly make Lindsay see that her life below here was a falsehood and that Daniel was a psychopath.

 

[Soleil Overland]

Lindsay let out a small breath, brushing loose golden strands away from her face and tucking them behind her ear. It had been so long since she'd given the outside world any real thought. There was no denying that it crossed her mind from time to time, of course it did. She'd briefly wonder what Jackson was doing now, if he had kids and a wife, or she'd think back to the pretty little garden she'd grown outside of their horribly ugly house and hope that someone had taken the care to water it in her absence. And then she'd remind herself where she was and why she was here, and such thoughts would fade fast.


"Hm?" Lindsay hummed, drawn out of her thoughts, when Eliza spoke again, "Oh, no, I didn't. We left when I was about halfway through my freshman year. It doesn't matter, though. He brings me books, sometimes, on calculus and volcanos and whatnot, the sort of things they would have taught me, had I stayed. My favorite is one he brought me on ancient Rome. Their culture is just so fascinating, and Latin is such a beautiful language." She leaned in a little bit, eyes alight with interest. "All languages are, if you ask me, but Latin especially," she told Eliza eagerly, "I've been teaching myself languages out of books, and so far I've taught myself Norwegian and Russian, as well as sign language. I'm hoping to learn Latin next, and I'd like to learn some French as well." It looked like she could have gone on for hours more about languages, but Eliza posed another question before she could.


"Why, of course," she answered as if it were obvious, blinking a few times and tilting her head, "I've always wished we could help others as well, but Daniel said that we couldn't help everyone, and even if we could, there was no guaranteeing that people would appreciate his help and protection. Always so nervous that if anyone else came, they'd take me away, back into a mean, mean world, so he couldn't let anyone else come down here, because they would put me in danger." She folded her hands, smile brightening. "Isn't that sweet? I feel so bad that he has to be lonely so often for my sake, but he says he doesn't mind."

 

[Javvie]

Eliza nodded. "Well, I am glad that he does that." She couldn't imagine a life without any knowledge. "That's a very good gift to have, languages. It's a shame that you will never use that knowledge. Maybe you can teach me some and then it won't be wasted."


Maybe if they had a language that only they shared, they could keep things from Daniel. Well, if Lindsay was open to that. She loved him so much, or was frightened of him so much, that she could not seem to think poorly of him. That truly baffled Eliza.


"But he's not lonely, you are. He goes to the surface all the time. I am sure that he does things beside running errands. He probably has a whole other world that he enjoys, but keeps you out of." The red head mentioned. "He doesn't let you have a life like that, though. Most couples have lives not with each other. They do not need to be so close, because they trust each other. I don't think he trusts you."


Eliza pursed her lips. "It's none of my business, though. It's not my marriage." She mentioned as she sighed and closed her eyes. "I miss Todd a lot." Eliza had told Lindsay of Todd while she was tied up. Her fingers twisted her engagement band around her ring.


"We were supposed to get married in August. My dress is really beautiful, white and a bit short with short sleeves and a flared skirt. It was my grandmother's and it's so fifties..." Eliza smiled and shook her head. "Now, I'll never have that. I'll never have someone who loves me like that."

 

[Soleil Overland]

At the prospect of teaching Eliza some of the languages she knew, Lindsay's face lit up. It would be so nice to be able to share that knowledge with somebody. Daniel never had any interest in learning them. As far as he was concerned, English was the only language that he needed. He could speak it, Lindsay could speak it, they could communicate with it, so it was the only language that was important enough to know.


"I'd love to!" she said eagerly, swinging her legs lightly and beaming at the taller woman, "I think you'd like Norwegian the best, but if we were trying to start with the easier one rather than one based of preference, I don't know which I'd choose. They're both such complex and lovely languages!" She gave a small laugh, smoothing out her skirt over her spindly legs.


At the next comment, Lindsay squirmed, as if slightly discomfited by Eliza's words. She knew that Daniel was technically around people a lot more than she was and thus was able to socialize a lot more, but that didn't mean he wasn't lonely. He couldn't connect with any of those people, couldn't form any bounds with them, because if they got close to him they'd inevitably want to visit and may find out about Lindsay, locked safely beneath the earth. He couldn't take that risk, so Daniel had very few friends. (Or, at least, that's what he told Lindsay.)


"Don't be silly, I'm never lonely!" Lindsay said brightly, pushing the troubling thoughts and letting the same cheer that seemed to follow her everywhere encompass her once more, "I have Daniel, and I have my books - what else could I need?" There it was, now she felt a bit better. She didn't need anyone else, so she didn't have anyone else. That was all. If Lindsay had really pushed for some more company, Daniel would have allowed it - after all, he did with Eliza - but she never had because no one else was necessary. Troubling thoughts soothed, Lindsay was quickly saddened once more by Eliza's following words, and she reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, and had words of comfort on her tongue when suddenly -


"Lins!"


The girl jerked away from Eliza and jumped to her feet, again smoothing her skirt in an almost anxious manner. "Coming!" she called quickly and quickly headed for the exit, only to pause in the doorway and look over her shoulder with a warm smile, "I'm glad we got to chat, Eliza. I'll be back with dinner shortly, and tomorrow, I'll break out the books on Norwegian!" She clapped merrily, and then scurried off down the hallway.

 

[Javvie]

Eliza began keeping tally of the days, if only to know that time was still passing. She kept track with dinners and would make a little mark on a sheet of paper. It was twenty five days in already and she found that it felt like such little progress was made.


The woman would sit with Lindsay, learn Norwegian, and be called away to sate Daniel's quench for power every night. Eliza began to find something strange, though. Instead of being annoyed or disgusted with Daniel, she was jealous. In her time here, Eliza began to look forward to when Lindsay would be with her and she began noticing things abou her.


The way she would tuck her hair when she was nervous and smile so brightly when the world went her way. When she was teaching, Eliza found herself observing the smaller woman in a way that she found a bit... Odd.


Perhaps not so shockingly, Eliza didn't consider herself to be straight. She had been bisexual for a long time, but she hadn't thought about women since Todd. He had been it for her.


Until now.


Daniel had announced that he would be gone for a few days and Eliza could not have been happier. It always felt lighter when he was gone, whether Lindsay admitted it or not. The two women could enjoy each other's company without Daniel calling for Lindsay or showing off his power.


Eliza had agreed that in return for the language lessons, she would read to Lindsay. She had convinced Daniel to buy her a few books of poetry, which she was reading now as she ran her fingers through long, blonde hair.


"If you forget me,


Think of our gifts to Aphrodite,


And all the love we have shared..." Eliza finished the poem by Sappho and shut the book, silently playing with Lindsay's hair.


"Thank you for letting me play with your hair." Eliza whispered as she came to smile. "I wish Daniel would let you wear it down or if you ask, maybe he can get flowers and I can braid them in." She muttered.

 

[Soleil Overland]

A little over three weeks had passed, and Lindsay was happier than she had been in quite some time. Though she'd never admit it to Daniel, as she knew what he would say if she did - "Am I not enough for you? So sorry that you had to make small sacrifices for safety, Lindsay, I have to work all the time to keep this place running, to keep it all pristine and warm, not to mention keeping you happy! But yes, continue to complain about how lonely you'd been before." - it was nice to have someone else around, someone she could talk to without feeling like she was walking on eggshells.


Admitting that she felt that way when talking to Daniel had been hard, at least until Lindsay came up with an explanation. It was only natural that someone so small and insignificant as she was intimidated by someone as powerful and worldly as Daniel. If she wasn't nervous around him, it meant that he had lost some of his ability to scare people away to protect her. That was all. He was so good at frightening dangerous people that Lindsay was afraid of him as well, to some degree. It was a good thing, a compliment to him. Lindsay had felt much better after coming to that conclusion.


She'd fallen into routine when it came to Eliza, and was relieved to see that Eliza at least enjoyed spending time with her, even if she didn't appreciate their compound yet. She'd bring in meals and sit beside Eliza, going over verb conjugations and the different subjects in Norwegian while the other woman ate, and then she'd have Eliza recite it back to her afterwards. It was a nice little system they had going, and Eliza was making decent progress when it came to Norwegian. But more and more lately, Lindsay had found herself straying from the routine, sometimes without even realizing she was doing it...


...and she found she enjoyed it.


Lindsay would go into Eliza's room with a plate of food balanced on one hand and an armful of books on the Norwegian language tucked under the other. She'd take a seat beside her, set the food in Eliza's lap, and grab the topmost book of the pile to work with. But more often than not, now, the book stayed closed in Lindsay's lap while the two talked. Most of the time, it was just Eliza telling Lindsay about her life on the surface, and somehow, the world didn't seem as cruel when Eliza was telling her stories about birthday parties or outings with friends. (Though she would never admit it, Lindsay sometimes pushed for these stories because she liked the way Eliza's eyes lit up when she talked about the outside.) Every now and then, Lindsay would drop facts about her life Before as well, but Eliza's stories were more interesting, more light-hearted and cheerful, so that was what they were usually talking about. Until Daniel, admittedly begrudgingly, agreed to buy Eliza a few poetry books to read.


Oh, how Lindsay loved the poetry.


And then Daniel announced that he was going to be away for a few days (on business, he promised Lindsay) and the poor girl felt horribly guilty for being relieved. He'd taken her into their room just after dinner but she hadn't gotten to sleep a wink until the wee hours of the morning, and by the time she awoke again, Daniel had already left. Lindsay had still been fixing her hair when she entered Eliza's room, cheeks flushing ever so slightly when the redhead requested it be left down, but she obeyed all the same and sat beside her on the cot, eyes closed in contentment as Eliza read to her, fingers weaving through the golden locks that hung in gentle ripples down past Lindsay's hips. Had Daniel ever been that gentle? Lindsay's stomach twisted uncomfortably at the unwelcome thought, though it was quickly forgotten when Eliza's voice drew her into a trance once more.


"That was lovely," Lindsay murmured as the poem came to a close, allowing her eyes to flutter open once more. The blush that had long since died down fired up again at the comment about her hair, and Lindsay began to nervously toy with a strand of it, twirling it around her finger and tugging on it. "He says that no one else should see me with it down. Something about intimacy," she told Eliza as nonchalantly as she could, fighting off the anxiety that clawed at her heart when defying even such a simple rule behind Daniel's back, "Doesn't explain why I had to wear it up all the time before you came around, considering no one else was here to see it, but I suppose he's just odd like that." Her voice was tinged with adoration, as it always was when she spoke of her husband, but if one listened hard enough, they could hear traces of uncertainty beginning to creep into her tone whenever she mentioned her name.

 

[Javvie]

"I think that's silly." Eliza mentioned as she came to touch her cheek in the most gentle fashion. "If I was your husband, I would want to show you off." She teased. "Show the whole world that this beautiful woman was in love with me." Her thumb ran over her cheekbone and she looked into Lindsay's green eyes. Eliza was quiet as she just stared.


She felt torn. Was she just missing intimacy with someone? Did she truly find herself attracted to Lindsay, or did she feel sorry for her? Her mind was spinning with these thoughts before her hand dropped and the thumb that ran along Lindsay's cheekbone ran across her lips.


"If you were mine, you would be so adored. You would never be yelled at or hit. You would never be anything but happy and worshipped." Eliza leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Lindsay's, her whole body warming. Pulling her hand away, she playfully nuzzled her nose to here before she leaned in and allowed her lips to take Lindsay's own, her body shuddering from the contact.


It felt... Incredible. This wasn't like kissing anyone she had kissed before. This was like kissing someone's soul.

 

[Soleil Overland]

The blush brightened as Eliza reached up to cup her jaw, thumb gliding over the crest of her cheek, and Lindsay averted her eyes, tugging a little more harshly on that lock of hair. In that moment, it was painfully obvious that the girl wasn't used to being complimented. That wasn't to say Daniel didn't praise her, but he did, but they were all underhanded sneaky compliments that dragged down her esteem instead of boosting it up. But the compliments Eliza gave her, usually much more subtle and peppered throughout her sentences, were different. They made her feel warm and pleasant, and it was those feelings of joy that gave her the courage to peek up and meet the hazel gaze peering into her own emerald eyes.


Her heart beat a little faster as Eliza's fingertips slid along her jaw and she instinctively flinched, half-expecting a firm grip on her chin and a brief snap of pain as her head was forced back, whether to meet a dark gaze or to expose her neck. But it didn't come. Instead, Eliza's fingers merely grazed her chin, thumb gently running over Lindsay's lip, and the blonde fought off a shiver. She couldn't deny that horrible traitorous thoughts had been invading her mind lately, thoughts pertaining to the lovely woman sitting beside her. It was Eliza, not Daniel, that held her in her dreams, and Lindsay couldn't be more ashamed.


But despite that shame, Lindsay didn't pull away when Eliza leaned in, lips gently pressing against her own. No, quite the contrary - she melted into it. When was the last time she had been kissed like this? A kiss that spoke of affection and warmth rather than force and lust, determination to feel something, desperation to remind her who she belonged to. Lindsay's stomach twisted with guilt, so sick with herself for enjoying a kiss with someone that wasn't her husband, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to pull away. Tears welled behind her closed eyelids, and even she wasn't sure if they were born of relief or guilt.

 

[Javvie]

When Eliza finally pulled back, she nuzzled her face into Lindsay neck, her arm wrapping around Lindsay's waist. There was this feeling of content that spread through her as she peppered soft kisses along her neck, her hair, and along her jaw. Eliza glanced up to see the tears and she shushed her gently.


"Do not cry." She whispered as she kissed her softly to comfort her. "I know." Eliza knew that Lindsay did not feel this way with Daniel. There was no possible way that she could feel this with Daniel. He forced her affections, and Eliza let them pour from Lindsay naturally. There was nothing but gentle touches and caresses, as though she would bolt in any moment.


"It's okay to feel what you're feeling. I am here for you. My beautiful Lindsay." Eliza smiled as she kissed her lazily once more. She did not want her to be afraid. "And I am as much yours. Never forget that. I belong to you too." Her voice was soft.


"What do you want from me? You make the rules." Eliza urged. "Go on."

 

[Soleil Overland]

As soon as Eliza pulled back, the tears breached the surface, beginning to trickle down Lindsay's cheeks and leaving damp streaks in their wake. The guilt was overwhelming, she felt sick, but her fingers desperately gripped the fabric of Eliza's dress, not wanting to let the woman go. She clenched her eyes shut, hating the hot tears that rolled down her cheeks as Eliza covered her in kisses and hating herself for wanting to bottle every little kiss and save it, save the bursts of warmth that formed beneath them. How long had it been since she cried? Years, at least. She'd never allowed herself that privilege. Seeing her in tears only made Daniel angry.


The first proper sob tore through her, making her whole body shake, as Eliza whispered soothingly to her, wiping away the tears and leaning in to kiss her again. The touches were so gentle, the kisses so affectionate - Lindsay's guts coiled and for a moment, she feared that she was going to vomit, but thankfully, she didn't. This was so wrong, this was so right, it was so overwhelming and terrifying and thoughts she had refused to let herself think for so long were breaking through the wall she'd built around her mind, forcing her to accept truths she hadn't wanted to acknowledge, truths she hadn't acknowledged for eight years.


"What I want is for there to be no rules," Lindsay whimpered, and a fresh wave of tears rolled down her face, shoulders shaking as she wept, "I'm so scared, Eliza. I'm so scared of what's up there and I'm so scared of what's in him and I'm not sure what I'm scared of more and I don't know what I want because I don't want to stay but I don't want to go up there, where everything's unknown and there are no routines or certainty, and - and - oh, Eliza, I'm so scared..." She buried her face in her hands, slowly hunching over until her forehead touched her knees.