Chapter 5

Her feet barely climbed the steps from the basement. Gabrielle’s legs were gravely shaking beneath her because she didn’t know what this meant. He was taking her outside to breathe fresh air for the first time since she had gotten there but was there more to this deal? She dreaded the thoughts creeping into her mind as she followed Charlie’s wrist outside the basement’s top door.

The girl gasped at the splendor of the house. From the emptiness of the cellar she was expecting the rest of the place to be similar in décor. But the first floor was not as decrepit or miserable as she thought. It was actually more like a dream beach house was supposed to be: pastel colors painted on nearly every surface and seashells used in abundance. The furniture was mostly wooded or wicker with tied-on cushions and the fireplace was immensely beautiful. She noticed the word ‘kingdom’ carved into it. This man was clearly obsessive. Gabrielle just hoped he wasn’t too dangerously so.

“This way to the crashing sea, though it’s still not as fair as thee, my dearest darling Annabel Lee.”

Gabrielle seriously doubted that. Any normal man would have run away by now from the stink of her unbathed skin. But she wouldn’t dare ask for a shower. What if he chose to join her? She shuddered at her dark imagination.

Using his left hand to pry the glass door open to his glorious back yard, Gabrielle shyly trailed behind. The sky was much brighter than she anticipated. Being locked in a dark room could do that to your eyes. Charlie sensed her discomfort and, knowing she could barely see, took her hands in his to lead her down the path to his surprise.

A picnic.

Gabrielle was seated next to the insane man with a spread of snack foods and sandwiches between them. Her right handcuffed arm lay beside her to prop her up as she ate but in a way, she was happy. This was more food than she had been given in a day and she was starving. Charlie watched her eat it all. He was pleased to see she finally did not care to hide her appetite.

“My darling…”

Gabrielle unwillingly flinched as he said it. She was still worried of whatever else came from this deal. She was chained to the man with no escape. But Charlie did nothing more than speak.

“My darling. Of those who are older than we, of many far wiser than we… they will never understand the love I share for my Annabel Lee,” Charlie tried to explain. “I would never hurt or lay a wayward finger bold. I swear by all the blessed angels and the demons unforetold. You are safe for by my side, I’ll never have you marred. My Annabel Lee, you’ll forever be within my caring guard.”

Gabrielle nodded and continued to gaze at the sand in front of her. She wasn’t sure if she found his words soothing or immensely frightening. Charlie was completely infatuated with her and yet he knew nothing of who she was. That would drive most anyone to tears. But Gabrielle was strong and she returned to eating her food while Charlie smiled inanely in her direction. To him, she was the most exquisite Annabel Lee he had ever found.

Soon after, their food was devoured and their picnic was brought to an end. Gabrielle thought it was time to head back inside but Charlie had other plans. He casually walked toward the waves, watching them collide with the sand and pulling themselves out. His captive had no choice but to keep close.

“Come sit with me, dear Annabel Lee,” he said while falling to his knees and relaxing on his legs. A wave crashed into him and soaked his clothing along with Gabrielle’s feet. He smiled and gestured the girl to follow his example. She did this carefully, picking up a small conch shell that would have been beneath her. Her brown eyes examined the thing, looking at its broken edges and sandy insides.

“People say seashells sound like the waves,” Gabrielle muttered quietly putting it to her ear. Her kidnapper followed his arm to the girl cuffed to it and watched her vacant expression. There was a change of intensity behind her eyes for a moment. His Annabel Lee hastily stood back on her feet and threw the seashell into the oncoming surf with satisfaction. “Some argue that it’s actually the sound of blood vessels pumping in the ear.”

“Not as poetic a notion to know. I’d rather believe in the first,” Charlie replied. “That way one is truthfully joyous instead of always assuming the wors—”

“It’s not even that,” Gabrielle interrupted. “The sound comes from the ambient noise around you. You don’t even need a shell. Cupping your hand would have the same resonance.”

Inside of her mind, something finally clicked. Not that Charlie knew anything of it. All he saw was the smile that finally curved onto her mouth. Gabrielle kneeled next to him just as another wave came flowing onto shore. It hit her with such force that it knocked her to her back and forced itself into her nose. The girl sat back up sputtering out the water and a few choice words. She was kidnapped, held captive in a strange place, handcuffed to an unhinged man, covered in sand and soaked in the ocean’s water.

And all it made her want to do was laugh.

At first it was a snicker, nothing more than what you respond with for an elderly person’s joke, but it soon grew to be infectious roaring laughter in which Charlie joined her. The pair sat in the ocean letting the tide soak them again and again until the water was too cold to handle. But Gabrielle didn’t say anything in that time. Questions were running through her mind of ‘what-ifs’ and ‘maybe-thens’. Charlie could see the secrets she harbored dancing behind her eyes but he was too distracted by her sweet face to figure anything out.

After drying off with the towels Charlie had set before taking her out of the basement, the kidnapper lead her inside. On the table he had already prepared her dry clothing she could change into. Gabrielle took them quietly, barely taking her gaze from the ground in concentration on her thoughts. Charlie found this extremely charming. They descended the stairs to her room where he took the girl’s handcuffs off gently. Seeing the redness of their wear, he began massaging the part the metal had rested on.

“Until tomorrow,” he began. “I fill with sorrow from not resting my eyes on your beautiful sight. And if it deems, I wish thee dreams of a wondrous starry night.”

Charlie took his Annabel Lee’s knuckles in his hand and tenderly laid a kiss upon them. Gabrielle tensed up even though she barely felt his presence there. She was becoming lost in her mind but he didn’t understand. The man thought the picnic went better than hoped and indeed it had. But Charlie and Gabrielle had separate thoughts on what this day held. Confused but still contented from their date, the kidnapper returned to the first floor after locking the door for the night.

It was silent in the cellar as the girl changed into the clean sweater and pajama pants. Her discarded jeans and t-shirt sat in a lump in the corner of the basement, scenting the air with the saltwater she had been sitting in. There was no escaping the smell of the sea. There was no escaping period. Gabrielle sat in her new clothing on the bed in absolute confusion as she thought to herself the thing which had been on her mind all day.

Are there such things are gentle kidnappers?

Her eyelids began to grow heavy and Gabrielle took shelter underneath the blankets from the cold of the basement. As she fell asleep she contemplated whether she did or didn’t want to find out the answer to her question.

Think of being in her shoes: would you really want to test your captor’s boundaries?

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Out of curiosity, how many of you held you hand to your ear after your read the thing about the seashells? And also, how many of guys would test Charlie’s boundaries if you were in Gabby’s shoes? Leave your answer in a comment below and don’t forget to vote if you like it :)