“Hello? Hello? Are you here?” There was no response. She yelled louder. “Is anyone there? Help me, please, help me! He’s holding me prisoner. Please, somebody help!”
She heard footsteps running down the hall. The locks turned and the man came into the room. He was disheveled and looked ill. There was sweat dripping off his brow, and his face was gray, as though no blood was reaching it. He came over to the bed, breathing heavily. Jill scooted out from under the covers and tried to back away, but he was too quick. He grabbed her and nearly threw her back onto the bed.
“Don’t do that again, Jill. I’m warning you.”
She had never heard that tone from him. It was angry, threatening. His body was tensed, and she feared for a moment that he would hit her. She cowered on the bed.
The man reached in his pocket and drew out a syringe. His entire demeanor changed. He smiled sweetly and transformed into the man she knew. But she was afraid now, afraid that he was actually going to hurt her.
Jill began to beg. “Oh God, please, no. Don’t give me any more of that. I swear I’ll be good. Please, just let me go home.”
He shook his head sadly and chucked her under the chin. She flashed to an old memory of her grandfather—he used to ball his fist and gently bump her under the chin just the same way. “Chin up, girl,” he always said.
He grabbed her hand, and his touch made her shudder. His hand was cold and clammy, and she tried to yank hers back. But he held fast, caressing her fingers one by one.
“Oh, my sweet, darling girl, I wish I could let you go. But there is a bad world out there, a world that is conspiring to hurt you. There are men who want to take you away from me, but I need to keep you close, by my side. I need to know my son is safe. They will take him away from us, away from me. I am his father. I need to show him the way. I’m the only one who can help him, guide him. He has so many things to do to save us, and it is my responsibility to let the world understand his importance. Don’t you understand? I have taken all the steps I know of to keep both of you safe. But it’s better for you not to fight. I hate to see you anxious, and it’s not good for my son. You just need to stay calm and relaxed. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Jill started crying. She knew he was crazy, and what he was saying made no sense. His son was going to save them? Save them from what?
“Please, I don’t understand. Let me go home. I know my family’s frightened to death. I don’t even know how long it’s been since you brought me here.” She saw she wasn’t getting anywhere and decided to try a different tactic. She was willing to tell him anything to make him let her go. She pitched her voice low, seductive.
“I love you, you know that. I’ll always come back to you. I’d never take your child from you. Why have you changed so much? Please, just let me go, or let me call my parents and tell them I’m okay.”
Her pleading was having no effect on him. He held the syringe up to the light, checking for air bubbles. “Soon, love. Soon, you’ll be able to see them. After my son is born.” He pulled her arm straight and injected the drug into her vein. “You rest now, and be a good girl. I’ll tell you a bedtime story.” He fluffed up her pillows and pulled the blanket up around her chin, stopping briefly to put his hand on her growing belly.
“Do you remember Plato?”
She nodded weakly; whatever drug he was giving her was already taking effect.
“Then you remember the story of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Where all of humanity was kept underground, in the dark, chained to their seats, their heads immobilized? And the only things they were allowed to see were the shadows on the walls. Remember the puppet masters? Those who controlled the images of what humanity was allowed to see? They’d show humanity the shadow of a woman, or a chair, or a mouse, and that was the only representation they would ever know as a woman, or a chair, or a mouse. But one man was strong enough to break the chains, and he snuck out of the cave into the real world. The sunlight was so strong his eyes teared and stung, and when he could finally adjust to the light, he saw what a real woman looked like, and a real chair, and a real mouse. And he ran back into the cave to tell the others, to let humanity know they were being tricked, duped into believing what the puppet masters wanted them to believe.”
He ran his hand lovingly across Jill’s cheek. She didn’t resist, and he could tell she’d fallen under the spell of the morphine he had given her. He felt himself stir, but it wouldn’t be right. He couldn’t take the chance that he would harm the child.
She was so lovely, her mouth slightly open as she slipped into sleep. Oh, just a moment or two of that softness couldn’t hurt. He’d be so gentle and sweet.