Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/906982.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      F/M
  Fandom:
      Repo!_The_Genetic_Opera_(2008)
  Relationship:
      GraveRobber/Shilo_Wallace, Repo_Man/Shilo_Wallace, Nathan_Wallace/Blind
      Mag, Blind_Mag_|_Magdalene_Defoe/Marni_Wallace
  Character:
      Repo_Man_(Repo!), Shilo_Wallace, GraveRobber_(Repo!), Blind_Mag_|
      Magdalene_Defoe, Nathan_Wallace, Marni_Wallace, Repo!_the_Genetic_Opera
      Ensemble
  Additional Tags:
      Creepy, Molestation, Father-Daughter_Relationship, Rape, Romance, Happy
      Ending, Drama, Repo_The_Genetic_Opera
  Stats:
      Published: 2013-07-31 Updated: 2014-10-11 Chapters: 9/? Words: 17492
****** Obsession ******
by kaysweet92
Summary
     From the outside looking in, Nathan and Shilo have a normal life.
     Shilo is sick and he is a tender caring father that takes care of her
     and seeks a cure. But on the inside, Shilo is concerned, closed off,
     and terrified. Is Nathan really the father that he seems to be, or is
     there something dark lurking in the walls of their home, or
     worse...inside Nathan himself. (Please don't give up on my fic. It
     does get better. I promise.)
***** Chapter 1 *****
Shilo clutched at her torch, moving through the musky, narrow passage
hurriedly, as though she had done it thousands of times before. She glanced
behind her, her ears telling her that she had heard something, but her eyes
proving her wrong. She quickly approached the sliding door that led into her
mother's crypt, moving it away and allowing her access to the small mausoleum.
She hung the still flaming torch on the wall, and entered the crypt cautiously
and quietly. She slid the door closed, checked her surroundings and then
removed her gas mask. Knowing that it was risky to remove her only protection
from the toxic air around her, Shilo felt it was wrong to wear the mask near
her mother's grave site. She stashed the mask by the secret door and plopped
down on a small step next to her mother's head stone. She took her bag off her
shoulder, dumping its contents on the cold, stone floor next to her feet. Among
the various items scattered by her feet were a small sandwich she had prepared
before leaving her house and a book on insects. She flipped open the book and
stared leafing through it, stopping at one page that was full of photographs.
She turned the book towards the headstone and started talking to the air,
attempting to tell her mother about her ever growing collection of bugs.
"This one here," she said, pointing a black coated fingernail at a picture on
one of the pages. "I'm hoping to find one soon. They're hardly ever seen
anymore, but I'm going to find one. Then my collection of coleoptera will be
complete." She pointed at different pictures, her face lighting up at certain
ones, and growing dark with others. She sat by her mother's grave for a long
while, talking to what an outsider looking in would perceive as thin air and
slowly eating her sandwich. She continued flipping though her book until she
heard a strange scuttling sound. Her head shot up and she looked wildly around
the room. There was a strange bug in the crypt, walking over the engraving on
the headstone that spelled her mother's name. It looked like a cross between a
scorpion and a beetle, its small wings fluttering lightly. The insect hurriedly
moved around her, perching itself on the door behind her. Shilo scrabbled
through her belongings that covered the floor to retrieve the canister she used
to catch bugs and crept near the insect slowly. It moved quickly however and
scuttled out the small window in the door.
Shilo stomped her foot in protest. "Damn it." she said, frustrated beyond
believe. She peeked through the small window, eyeing the bug outside on the
ground. It scuttled over to a nearby headstone and climbed the tattered
structure. She took a deep breath in, preparing herself for what she knew was a
bad idea. Okay, Shilo. Just go out, get the damned thing, and get back in here
fast. Shilo reached for the small door handle and opened the door, a gust of
soft wind blew her raven black hair in different directions. She looked both
left and right, ensuring that no one was outside, then walked down the stone
steps. She readied her canister and lid, walking ever so slowly towards the
small bug perched on the grave. As she grew closer to it, the bug turned and
fluttered its wings, seemingly getting ready to take off in flight. With no
time to lose thinking or being quiet, Shilo quickly stretched out her arm and
entrapped the bug within her metal cup. A proud smile broke across Shilo's face
as she slowly but surely slide the canister towards the edge of the headstone
and closed the lid over the opening. She screwed it shut and went to turn
around to make her way back to the tomb when she heard a noise come from behind
the grave she had just been in front of.
Shilo peered over the unmarked headstone to find an odd looking man hunched
over what seemed to be a corpse. He had long multicolored hair that hung over a
pale face. His hands, which were currently examining the dead body between his
legs, were slightly dusted with dirt and looked a little strange parting the
features of the dead mans face. Although it was a little creepy to see a man
hovering over a corpse in the middle of the night, Shilo could help but be
interested in him. He wasn't thin, but wasn't overly plump either, though the
mass of him could have been heightened by how many layers he had on.
"It's not very polite to stare." he said, never taking his eyes off the stiff
body below him. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a strange looking
needle. "You're interrupting my work with your peering eyes and making me
terribly uncomfortable." He plunged the head of the needle into the nose of the
lifeless corpse and began extracting a bright blue liquid from where ever it
had punctured. As the vial of the needle filled, the expression on his face
grew from blank to pure satisfaction. "There it is." he said with a smile.
For a moment, Shilo hesitated on whether or not she should come out of hiding,
or just simply pretend that she hadn't heard him speak. After a few seconds of
consideration she perked her head up a little from behind the tombstone.
"Work?" Shilo questioned, her small voice nearly non-existent. What kind of job
required a man to sneak around in graveyards and stab dead bodies with a
needle.
The strange man removed the needle, wiping it briefly on his coat then
returning it to his pocket. "Yes." he said, calmly, still not looking at her.
He stood up slowly, his feet still on either side of his bucolic victim.
"Work." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the needle again, unscrewing
the tip and putting it back in his pocket. He held out the vial of shinning
blue liquid and, finally, his eyes met hers. They were dark brown, his pupils
nearly nonexistent. "Do you know what this is?" he asked, the bright blue
glimmering in the moonlight.
Shilo emerged from behind the headstone, looking closely at the vial in his
outstretched hand. After a few moments of careful consideration, she shook her
head, an innocent look taking over her face and her cheeks threatening to turn
pink from embarrassment.
The man tilted his head down slightly, as if to create a sense of suspense.
"Freedom." he said. "A way to make all the pain go away. A chance," he held up
his finger and paused for a few seconds. "To improve yourself." He brought the
vial back towards him and stuffed it back in his pocket. He jumped up on a
nearby tomb and began playfully walking along its edge. "Of course, the people
I retrieve it for don't put it to that use." he said with a snicker.
Shilo watched as the fully grown man hopped up and down as he walked steadily
along the edge of the coffin shaped had become so interested in this strange
man that she had forgotten about the dangerous situation she had put herself
in. "W-What do they use it for?" Shilo asked innocently.
The man stopped bouncing and promptly sat on the tomb on which he had just been
standing. He looked up at the sky and placed his hands in his lap.
"Recreational use mostly." he turned his head to the side as a bright light
flashed in the sky. "Though I do think some of them come simply for the
pleasure of," he paused and glanced over at Shilo, who to his eyes didn't look
more than 14. "My company." he corrected. He had intended on making a playful
joke about the sexual favors he received in exchange for Z, but noticing the
girls obvious youth, he decided against it.
Shilo didn't really understand anything that this man was saying. He seemed to
speak in riddles that were confusing and yet made perfect sense. It was
maddening. "Who are you?" she asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
The man peered over at her and smiled, waving his hand in a circle in front of
him and bowing slightly. "Graves at your service, ma'am." He straightened up
and slid back down off the structure.
Shilo quirked her eyebrow. "Graves." she said, slowly and questionably. Oh, how
original. A grave robber named Graves.
Graves walked slowly towards the young girl, attempting to look as mysterious
as possible. In his experience, the more menacing he looked, the quicker people
left him alone. All he wanted was to continue his work for the night in peace
and without peering eyes. It was when he moved directly in front of her that he
noticed the night guard walking along the path behind them, searching for grave
robbers such as himself. A smirk cam across his face. He did love a challenge,
and this promised to be a good night for ducking and diving through alleyways
and doors.
Shilo caught graves staring at something behind them, she saw the light of a
flashlight moving along the path that laid behind her and immediately ducked
behind one of the headstones. Her head spun back to look at Graves, noticing
that he wasn't moving at all, but just simply standing there watching the light
grow closer and closer. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "You're gonna get
us caught." She spoke as if she had something to hide just as much as he did.
Graves looked down at the girl crouching behind the gray stone and let out a
small chuckle. He brought his attention back to the slow moving light and just
when the guard came into view, he whistled. The guard looked around
frantically, trying to find the source of the noise. His light moved all around
and finally settled on Graves' face. Graves held up his hand and wiggled his
fingers, the smile on his face never breaking.
Shilo looked up in him in horror, knowing that the guard would come this way
now and find her. She peeked around the corner of the gravestone and watched as
the guard moved slowly towards her right side. She looked in the direction of
her mother's crypt, the door still slightly ajar. They hadn't set lock down
yet. If she waited for the right moment, she could sneak past the guard and run
back to the safety of the tunnel and make her way home.
"Yeah that's right," Graves said, playing with the guard. "Come and get me." He
brought both of his hands in front of him and coxed the man to come closer.
The guard moved cautiously in between the grave Shilo hid behind and another.
When he got close enough to Graves, he lunged, his flashlight dropping to the
ground.
Graves bent down slightly, taking both hands and wrapping them around one of
the guards arms. He swiftly swung the man over his head, a loud projection of
excursion leaving his lips. The guard hit a nearby tomb, slumping to the ground
and falling unconscious. As Graves straightened back up, the alarms started to
sound.
Flashing lights consumed the graveyard and loud, long screeches escaped from
the numerous speakers through the site. Shilo's eyes shot around as every exit
in the graveyard sealed itself. She scrambled up from behind the headstone,
frantically running towards her mother's crypt as the large wooden door slammed
shut. "No!" she screamed, hitting the door with her hands and rattling the
handle, trying desperately to gain access. She spun around starring at Graves.
"It's locked! What have you done!?"
Graves smiled and looked around at the chaos he had created. As he heard the
voices of more guards moving through the graveyard, he quickly bent down and
grabbed the body he had victimized earlier. Slinging it over his shoulder,
Graves ran out to the pathway and motioned to Shilo."This way kid." he said,
moving towards a nearby wall. He gripped the fabric that was wrapped around his
stiff companion and began slamming its head against the stone wall. A small
area of the wall gave way and opened up.
Shilo watched as Graves dropped the body onto the ground and climbed through
the hole in the wall he had made. Looking around and realizing she had no other
choice, Shilo reluctantly followed. A strong smell swept through her nostrils
and made her want to vomit. As she fell through the whole and onto the ground,
she looked up. Piles and piles of dead bodies surrounded her and her strange
new acquaintance. Some already decomposing, and some that looked as if they had
been alive not even five minutes ago. Shilo brought her hand to her nose,
attempting to keep the stench from traveling up her sensitive nostrils once
again.
"Jackpot." Graves said, a tone of satisfaction in his voice. He pulled the
needle from his pocket a third time and attached a new capsule. He bent down
over the corpse of a woman, her shirt low cut and a scar traveling over the
curves of her breasts. He shook his head as he examined the woman. "Breast
augmentation," he traced a finger over the scar on her chest, then moved to
another. "Stomach distention." His hand continued to move along her dead skin
as he found each new surgery scar. "Hair removal, nose correction." He ceased
tracing her scars and starred down at her. "And yet, still the same common
blood flowing through your veins." He shook his head and inserted the head of
his needle into the woman's nose, extracting more blue liquid.
Shilo watched him carefully, her heart still beating rapidly from the commotion
she could still hear outside. "W-What is that?" she asked, motioning towards
the needle.
Graves filled the capsule and removed his needle, unscrewing it again and
holding the vial in front of his face. "This," he said, standing up and turning
towards Shilo. "Is the 21st century cure," He held the vial in front of her
face. "That has destroyed the planet." His voice got slightly deeper and
concerned as the word 'destroyed' graced his lips.
Shilo eyed the shimmering vial and felt a strong urge to reach out and take
from his hand. She leaned back against the wall, suddenty uncomfortable with
how close he was getting to her. Then Shilo noticed something strange. It was
quiet. Dead quiet. The guards were no longer making any noise, and this
unnerved her. Had they gone? Or were they simply waiting for their prey to make
enough noise to be found? Her curiousity getting the better of her, Shilo bent
down and peeked around the corner of the hole they had crawled through. The
graveyard showed no movement, and the air was stiff with the silence it was
consumed in. She swallowed hard, contemplating emmerging into the graveyard and
trying to get back into her mother's crypt.
Graves had busied himself with extracting his 'cure' from yet another body. As
the vial filled and he stood up, he peered over his shoulder to she what his
little leech had gotten into. When he saw her looking through his man-made
entrance, he lunged for her. "No!" An arm reached through the hole and grabbed
hold of Shilo's wrist. Grave scrambled to pulled her back through, but she had
already disappeared throught the gaping hole. Acting quickly before he was
caught as well, Graves ran off into a dark tunnel.
Shilo was thrown to the ground in the middle of a circle of feet. She glanced
up at the covered faces that surrounded her. "P-Please." she begged. "I-I-
I didn't know. Please." The device around her wrist started beeping, setting
off a reminder for Shilo to take her medication. "I didn't," She began to feel
dizzy and nauseous. "I can't...can't breathe." It slowly became a struggle to
keep her eyes open.
"Can't...breathe." As her eyes shut, a tall man in a dark trench coat and a
helmet covering his face pushed through the crowd of guards surrounding her,
forcing them farther away before finally bending down and placing a tender hand
on her face. Her eyes close, darkness taking over and Shilo falling into a deep
sleep.
***** Chapter 2 *****
Shilo began to come to, he head pounding and her entire body aching with a pain
she could describe. She had never gone so long without her medication and in
all honesty should have and had planned on taking it before she left for the
cemetery. Her eyes slowly cracked open, the warmth of her bed sinking into her
skin as she regained consciousness. Her vision was blurry at first, the plastic
sheets surrounding her bed making it all the more difficult to see. Her eyes
focused and she looked around slowly, and attempted to sit up. Her head, which
had just before been covered in long black hair, was now completely bare. As
she scanned the room, her eyes caught a glimpse of something and locked on. A
dark figure in the corner of her room moved towards her, placing a hand on her
shoulder and slowly lowering her back down to the softness and safety of her
mattress. She looked up at the face that hovered above her. "Dad?" she
questioned, her voice raspy from not being used. The shadowy figure of her
father moved to hover over her side table. "Dad, what happened?"
"Hush now." he said, picking up his stethoscope from the table and placing the
buds over his ears. He gently moved the plastic sheet to allow him access to
her bed and sat upon the edge. He held out the receiving end of the instrument
moved it towards Shilo's chest. "You're alright."
"W-Was I outside?" she asked, placing a hand on her head, trying to calm her
raging headache.
"Why would you think that?" Nathan prompted, gently the cold metal circle upon
Shilo's bare skin.
Shilo remained quiet for a few moments, allowing her father to properly hear
her heart beat, then began to speak when he pulled away from her. "There were
these," she swallowed hard. "bodies."
He hushed her and moved away from the bed yet again, moving to another table to
prepare her medication.
"They were all dead and," she paused, moving her hand down to rest on her
stomach. "the smell." Her face scrunched just thinking about it and she nearly
dry heaved. "I-It was horrible."
Nathan moved back over towards her bed. "You just missed your medication. It
must have been a fever dream."
Shilo quickly turned frantic. "I-I-I couldn't have dreamt it. I-It f-felt so
real." She sat up quickly. "I could s-smell them and t-there was this...man"
Nathan handed her a long, black wig, coaxing her to put it on. "Enough. You'll
work yourself up. Just drop it."
Shilo spoke again, nearly yelling. "It was real! I know it was! I could smell
the death!"
Nathan shot towards her, hovering over her like a cloud. "Enough! You could
have di...You scared me to death!"
Shilo jumped slightly and slumped down in her bed. She hated yelling,
especially when it was coming from her father. But something about the way he
was speaking to her worried her, like it wasn't even him at all. A sudden chill
traveled down her spine.
Nathan looked down into his daughters eyes, noticing her discomfort. He sat
down on the edge of her bed and placed a hand on the one she had rested on her
stomach. "You know you're not supposed to be outside." he said, somewhat calmer
than before but still with a sharp tone. He looked down at his own hand and
gave hers a slight squeeze. "And associating with men," he squeezed her hand a
little harder. "is most certainly not allowed."
Shilo's heart beat quickened and her entire body started to shake. Not now. No.
Please. She attempted to pull her hand from beneath his, but it only caused him
to squeeze it tighter, causing Shilo to wince from temporary pain. "I-I," she
stuttered, nearly unable to speak. "I-I-I."
Nathan ran his thumb over the back of Shilo's hand a few times, then released
it completely, bringing his hand down to rest on her thigh, his eyes following
his hand and never meeting Shilo's. "This man," he began, his hand briefly
moving up and down over the blanket that covered her legs. "Did he touch you?"
Shilo shifted in her bed, trying to make it impossible for him to touch her.
"I-I-I-I." The movement of her leg caused the hand upon it to press down hard,
keeping it in place.
"That's not an answer." he said harshly, his hand still holding her leg down.
Shilo swallowed hard again, attempting to pull herself together so she could
speak."I-I," she paused and took a breath. "N-No." Her voice was raspy and she
couldn't stop shaking.
His hand moved down her thigh slightly, grasping at her knee cap. "Good." he
said, his head finally moving to look at her. His piercing eyes stared into
hers, making her cringe internally. They weren't her father's eyes. Not even
close. They were dull and lifeless, barely human. "No one touches you." he
stared endlessly into her eyes, a sinister smirk on his lips and his voice
raspy and deep. He leaned closer to her, causing his hand to move up her leg
again and rest on the curve of her hip. "Ever."
Shilo couldn't move. Her entire body locked up as soon as the weight of his
hand moved to her hip. She stared back into his eyes, unable to look away but
desperately searching for the courage to. This was not her father. It
was...him.
After a few moments, his eyes broke from hers and return to his hand. He
trailed a finger along her waist then stood up swiftly, walking slowly to the
other end of the room and staring into her fireplace.
All Shilo could do was stare, his silhouette tall, dark, and terrifying. She
sat completely still, afraid that movement would lead to more unwanted
touching.
"Get up." he said harshly, his voice booming through the deafening quiet.
Shilo jumped yet again and stayed in place. She couldn't...wouldn't move.
Beneath the covers all of her clothing had been removed and replaced with a
white nightgown that barely covered her the area below her waist.
"Get," he said, a warning tone in his voice. "up."
Still shaking, Shilo reluctantly sat up and slid towards the edge of her bed,
keeping her blanket on her legs as long as humanly possible. She sat there for
a few moments, hoping that this would be good enough for him, though the
previous experiences told her otherwise.
"All the way, girl." He never turned to look at her, but by the sounds of her
movement could tell she was still sitting upon the bed.
Now trembling, Shilo attempted to stand, the blanket trickling off her legs and
falling back onto the mattress. Her knees nearly gave out and hands moved in
front of her, attempting to cover up what may or may not have been showing.
Content with the noises he hand heard, he turned around and looked the
shivering child up and down. "Good girl." he said softly.
Shilo could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Why now? Why tonight? Why at
all? Why? A single tear fell from the corner of one of her eyes and fell
swiftly down her cheek. She tried so desperately not to cry. Tried to be strong
and brave like she had always hoped she could be, but her emotions overcame her
will and she began to sob.
"Don't cry, precious." he said, the harsh tone still heavy in his voice. He
moved swiftly towards her, his eyes locked on her weeping face. A good enough
distance away from her, he reached a hand out and attempted to wipe a tear from
her cheek, the gesture anything but nurturing.
On instinct, Shilo smacked his hand away from her before it could make contact,
immediately regretting the action. Now even more terrified, she slowly looked
up at him, fearful of what he might do now that she had angered him.
His eyes went from piercing and cruel to menacing and wrathful. His hand raised
up next to head, causing the quivering girl to hunch down and shield herself
with her arms. After a few seconds of contemplating the swing, his arm fell
slowly back down to his side, a slight chuckle escaping from his mouth. He
moved closer to her, placing a hand upon her shoulder and using the other to
lift her chin up so she was looking at him.
Confused and reluctant, Shilo allowed him to lift her head and tried to avoid
looking at his eyes. She couldn't stop shaking, no matter how hard she tried
the simple fact that he was breathing on her unnerved her, let alone touching.
She remained still.
He examined her face, fresh tears still streaming from her eyes though her
expression remained vacant. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears, but the
glisten protruding from them intrigued him. He leaned his head forward, slowly,
pressing his lips to her forehead and moving a hand to the back of her head.
Shilo jumped as he kissed her and thought about pulling away, but the threat of
an actual swing to her face still hung in the air. She stood there, feeling
helpless and alone and hoping that it would all be over soon.
He kept his lips pressed to her head for about a minute, breathing in slowly
and taking in the sweet nectar of her skin. His fingers curled through her hair
as he moved his head away from hers. He removed his hand gently from her head
and walked towards the door, turning around briefly to look her up and down
once more before walking through the door and shutting it behind him.
Shilo stood alone in her room, still trembling and slightly confused. Why had
he left, and when he returned would it still be him, or the loving father she
so desperately longed for. She cautiously moved to her bed and sat upon the
edge, still facing the door so she could stand up quickly if he were to enter
again. Her eyes unable to produce anymore tears and her mind swirling with
thoughts of only her horror, Shilo got lost in thought. She thought about her
father. Sweet, nurturing, and kind. His soft voice helping her through the
guilt she felt about her mother on many an occasion. His tender embrace holding
her close to him when she cried. The stories that he used to tell her before
she fell asleep. The her thoughts moved to...him. His breath hot against the
nape of her neck. His words stinging and making her quiver in fear. His body
heavy on top of her. The years and years of abuse that she had suffered.
Although they shared the same body, the man that had harmed her time and time
again was not her father. He was something darker. A force that had taken over
her loving father around the same time Shilo turned 13. He was dark and
menacing and terrified her. Out of the handful of times she had tried to put a
stop to it by telling her father, he had always insisted that she was delirious
and insisted that she take some more medication and it would away. That she
should sleep it off and when she awoke it would all be okay. She tried
desperately to believe him, but each time it didn't broke her heart and
terrified her even more.
A sound coming from the hallway broke her away from her thoughts. She could
hear footsteps growing closer to her room and thought of him even entering her
room again made her cringe. She stiffened up, hoping to god that the man that
walked in was her father. She didn't think she couldn't handle anymore trauma
tonight. As the handle turned and the door began to open, Shilo felt herself
take a breath and hold it in.
He entered the room to find the girl sitting at the foot of her bed, hands in
her lap and her head hanging down. She didn't look up to greet him, which
frustrated him. He moved through he doorway and let it close behind him.
Shilo raised her head slightly, looking up at his face. She searched
desperately for his eyes, but where he was standing prevented her from seeing
them clearly. The top half of his face was consumed by darkness and his arms
were crossed behind his back. There was something different about him. Not
about his mannerisms or the way he stood, but his clothing. He looked
disheveled and somewhat thrown together, not like he had prior to leaving her
room.
He drew closer to her, still lurking in the shadows of her bedroom. "I hope you
appreciate what I've done." he said, motioning towards his clothing. "Just let
it be known that I did it purely for my own personal satisfaction and not your
own."
Shilo lifted her head a little more, narrowing her eyes in confusion and
watching him move to her side. She was confused and still extremely terrified.
"You are in no state to satisfy my needs due to your careless actions tonight,
and although I generally wouldn't care I don't need you broke for the next time
I intend to," he paused, stopping in his tracks and giving her a wicked grin.
"satisfy myself."
A shiver flew down Shilo's spine. He still had not clearly stated what he
meant, but Shilo got the general idea. He would leave her alone tonight, and
though it frightened her that she didn't know the reason why, she was extremely
relieved and let out a deep breath.
Realizing the child's relief, he stalked towards her, bending down and lowering
his head so his mouth was level to her ear. "Don't take this as an opportunity
to save yourself. Next time I will not be lenient." He lowered his voice to a
soft whisper and spoke again. "Until tomorrow night, precious." He placed a
rough kiss to her cheek and walked over to the fireplace, staring into it once
again.
A single tear fell down Shilo's cheek, though no other's followed. She felt the
lump in her throat move as she swallowed and attempted to collect herself.
After a few moments of sitting in silence, she wearily crawled back up her
mattress and layed down, immersing herself in her blankets and hiding her face
from the world.
Nathan turned around and saw his daughter laying peacefully in bed. He quietly
moved towards the door and opening it slowly, turning around before he exited
the room completely. "Sleep tight, Shi." he whispered sweetly, closing the door
behind him.
Shilo heard the soft sweet voice of her father as he exited the room and began
to relax. At least she'd be able to sleep soundly tonight, knowing that nothing
lurked in the shadows waiting to pounce. She closed her eyes and tried to fall
asleep, but her head was still swimming with thoughts of...him. As she drifted
off, his last words flew through her mind like a piercing knife. Until tomorrow
night, precious.
***** Chapter 3 *****
Shilo had returned to the safety and comfort of her mother's crypt once again.
After last night, she needed to get away, and her mother's grave had always
been a very peaceful place for her. No one bothered her. No one spoke. No one
even knew she was there. She sat against the wall under one of the barred
windows, her legs bent up and a book layed upon them. She scanned page after
page, turning to another after she had finished with the previous one. She had
prepared herself another sandwich and was content with just sitting by her
mother and reading. She had never really had any friends. Being home schooled
and not allowed to exit the house somewhat prevented her from meeting people.
In all honesty, the only people she knew were her father and the mysterious man
from the night before that had tried to help her. Graves, she thought, trying
to make sense of the fact that the man had actually introduced himself with
that name. Did he have a real name and he was just toying with her? Was it a
nickname? Shilo shook it off and tried to continue reading her book, but the
story was of no interest to her anymore. She placed her bookmark and closed the
novel, shoving it in her back and pulling out her drawing pad. She glanced at
her watch as she placed the pad in her lap and noted the time. She hadn't been
gone too long and her father was probably still at work. She could spare
another hour at least. She flipped the small pad open, retrieving a pencil from
her bag and beginning to sketch.
Graves walked along the path of the graveyard, a hop in his step and whistling
a somewhat morbid tune. His hands were in his pockets as he walked, gently
kicking pebbles and trying to eye his next target. He never robbed the same
area twice, that would create suspicion and inevitably lead to him being
apprehended, which would be bad for business. He could very well peddle his
product from behind bars. As his eyes scanned the yard, a crypt caught his eye.
It was a small stone building, almost bereft of light, but not completely. The
fire from within flickered through the windows and the large wooden door in
front was cracked and worn out. He started to move towards it, twisting his
needle through his fingers from inside his pocket. A new target. Perfect. A
smirk came across his face as the prospect of new 'acquaintance' flew through
his mind. He stopped in his tracks and narrowed his brows. Good god, man. You
need friends.
Shilo continued to move her pencil along the clean, white paper of her sketch
pad. She stopped momentarily to take a bite of her tuna, then continued. Her
drawing was now just lightly traced lines and circles, but Shilo's swift
movements along the paper indicated that she knew where the sketch was going.
Her head shot up as she heard a sound from outside in the yard. She attempted
to look out the small window in the door, arching her neck but not standing up.
She listened closely for a few seconds. Hearing no other noises, she returned
her attention to her pad, taking a another bite of her sandwich and chewing
slowly.
As he grew closer to the tiny structure, Graves slowed his pace. Visions from
the night earlier flashed through his mind. The girl, he thought. He took a
second look at the large wooden door, his eyes widening. She ran to this door,
this one specifically. Why? He quickened his pace again, coming up to the door
and peering through the small window. There she was, nestled against the wall
and fiddling with something in her lap. He remained there for a moment, looking
her over. The outfit she wore confused him. While the bottom half was
extenuating and slightly revealing, her short skirt barely covering the tops of
her legs. Yet the top half showed little to nothing. Her shirt went all the way
up to her neck, ruffles spilling over her chest and ending just before her
stomach. He grimaced. He enjoyed breasts, yet nearly every woman he had seen
that wasn't a prostitute insisted on hiding them away. "What are you doing?" he
asked, still peeking through the window.
Shilo jumped at the sound of a voice echoing through her mother's tomb. Her
head popped up and her eyes darted around the room. She looked in every corner
of the room, yet she still appeared to be alone. As she searched the room, she
caught the tiny shape of a face peeking through the window in the door. She
moved her head towards the door, squinting her eyes and trying to make out who
was speaking to her. "G-Graves?" she questioned, unsure of what she was seeing.
Graves let out a small chuckle and reached down to open the door, but the
handle wouldn't budge. His brows narrowed and he tried harder, furiously
shaking the handle in every direction as if movement would cause the door to
open with ease.
"It's locked." Shilo said simply, watching Graves continue to fondle with the
door handle. Although she found it somewhat amusing that he was still trying to
get in after she told him it was locked, Shilo couldn't help but wonder why
exactly he wanted in so badly.
Graves looked up at Shilo and smirked. "I think I figured that one out on my
own, kid." He said simply, finally letting go of the handle. "Why don't you let
me in? We could have a little fun." Graves smiled widely, and wiggled his
eyebrows, which caused a laugh to force its way from Shilo's lips.
"I don't think so." Shilo placed her pad at her side and stood up slowly,
brushing her skirt down and walking towards the door. She crossed her arms and
looked out the window at Graves, attempting to put on a stern face. "You could
have gotten us both killed last night."
Graves put a hand to his chest, in a gesture that said 'who? me?', his mouth
agape.
Shilo rolled her eyes and snorted, not affected by Graves' play acting at all,
and continued to stare out the window at him. She searched her mind for
something more to say, but came up with nothing.
Graves stepped a little closer to the door, resting his chin on the frame of
the window and staring into the girls eyes. "You know," he started, pointing a
long dusty finger at her. "You never told me your name."
"Well we didn't really have time for introductions thanks to you."
"Not true." Graves pointed out, grasping one of the bars on the window. "You
know my name."
"Well, I would have told you mine if you hadn't antagonized the guard and
forced them to lock this place down." Shilo continued to stare at him, her arms
still crossed and attempting to hold her ground.
Graves let out a slight chuckle and stepped back a little from the door, his
hand still grasping the bar of the window. He could sense that the young girl
was not impressed with his attempts to appeal to her, and began to back down.
"It's...entertainment." he said, waving his free hand around in the air a
little to make his statement more dramatic. After he was finished speaking, he
released the bar from his grip, stepping back further from the door and giving
her another of his playful bows as he stepped backwards. As he stood up again,
he shot a smile at her, as if to say goodbye, then turned and began to walk
down the path once again.
Shilo watched silently for a moment as he walked away, honestly expecting him
to turn around and come up with something else to say to her. When he showed no
signs of returning, Shilo yelled to him. "Y-You're actually going to leave?"
she asked, immediately regretting it and wishing she could erase what she had
just said. She didn't want to sound like some desperate puppy longing for
attention from behind the cage door, but she was lonely, and he was the only
other person she had interacted with besides her father.
Graves stopped in his tracks as her small voice flew through his ears. He spun
around, pivoting only his body and looking back at her, a surprised expression
on his face. "Yes." he said, his brows narrowed in question. "We can't hope to
have a very stimulating conversation through a window, kid."
Shilo reached down and and grabbed the handle of the door, considering opening
it and walking into the dark, musky graveyard. After careful consideration and
thoughts of the night before swimming through her mind, she let the handle go
and brought her hand up to the window, grasping the bar that he had grasped
just moments before. "Can't we try?" she asked quietly, hoping that her timid
voice would carry enough for him to hear. "I-I can't be outside. I shouldn't
have been last night." she paused, wondering to herself why she was about to
share personal information with a complete stranger. "I'm sick."
Graves remained in his spot for a moment, straining to hear what she was saying
to him. He began to walk towards her again slowly, but stopped after a few
feet. "Then let me in. I promise," He raised a hand to his chest and tilted his
head a bit, trying to appear sincere. "I won't bite."
For a moment, Shilo questioned her morals as she considered letting a strange
man into her mother's crypt. She longed for conversation that wasn't pertaining
to medication...or other things, but she wasn't about to subject herself to a
man she didn't know anything about further than his name. From last night, she
had concluded that while he was friendly and a little spontaneous, he was also
potentially dangerous and a bad influence. "I can't." she said, peering over at
him. "This is...my mother's grave. It wouldn't be right."
Graves nodded. "In that case," he gave her another signature bow and a smile.
"Until our paths cross again, nameless beauty." He turned on his heels again
and started down the dirt path a final time, picking up the song he'd been
whistling earlier as he walked.
Shilo got as close to the door as she could, both hands grasping the bars of
the small window. "Shilo!" she called out after him. "M-My name is Shilo."
Unsure if he had heard her or not, she stepped back from the door, alone again
and probably late getting home. She walked over to her things that covered a
small area of the floor and began packing them back into her carrying bag.
"Goodnight," Graves called out. "Shilo." He stared at the tomb for a few
seconds, waiting to see if she would respond. The light protruding from the
windows of the tomb continued to flicker, a small shape moving through them. As
he examined the door of the tomb, the faint outline of a long raven black hair
and pale skin brought a smile to his face.
"Goodnight, Graves." Shilo called out quietly. With her belongings gathered in
her bag and her mask ready in her hand, Shilo walked to the back of the tomb
and opened the hidden door, looking back momentarily and smirking before she
disappeared into the narrow tunnel to make her way home.
***** Chapter 4 *****
Shilo quietly approached the end of the tunnel, light seeping from a crack in
the wall. She stopped just before the wall, bending down and squinting to see
through the tiny crack. Large wooden walls and a wide staircase came into view.
She could see the front door, the stain glass window sparkling with the light
from the street outside. Shilo softly pushed at the wall and it came loose,
moving slowly as she did and softly creaking as the hings turned. Shilo ceased
the movement of the door, stepping through it and carefully closing it behind
her, making sure it snapped into place before she turned around and made for
the stairs. She bent down just before the railing of the stairs on her left met
her head, peeking through the wooden bars and scanning her surroundings. The
small living room showed no signs of movement, the fireplace bereft of light
and the furniture undisturbed. She glanced over to her right, the door to the
kitchen closed and her father's jacket missing from the coat hanger. He hadn't
returned yet, Shilo let out a soft sigh of relief and began to climb the
staircase, remaining cautious in her movements. When she reached the first
landing, she peered over her shoulder, the feeling of eyes watching her sending
a shiver up her spine. There appeared to be no one but her in the house, but
she just couldn't shake the feeling.
Shaking her head, Shilo continued to climb the stairs, making her way to her
bedroom. She reached the top and began down the dark, winding hallway that led
to her room. Numerous portraits of her mother covered the walls as she walked,
their image slightly rotating as she moved, seeming to follow her movements.
The hologram pictures that plastered her home freaked her out a little. Their
house was almost a shrine to her mother, and while she had always wished she
could have known her, Shilo didn't really see the need for there to be so many
photos. Every room of their house had at least one photo of her mother in it,
including her own. As Shilo reached the door to her room, she felt eyes on her
again, spinning around and checking behind her once more before turning the
door knob. No one.
Safely in her room with the door shut and locked as her father had left it,
Shilo pulled the plastic sheet away from the foot of her bed and dumped her bag
out onto the mattress. She began to sort through the various things that had
poured out of it, and organizing them based on where they belonged in her room.
Her belongings neatly placed in small piles, Shilo hung her bag on a nail that
protruded from one of the posts on her bed, stretching her arms out and looking
down at her clothes. She was filthy. Dust, dirt, and cobwebs were strewn all
over her shirt and skirt, small strands of web hanging from her tights and
wrapping around her legs. A faint scent caught her attention and she reached up
and grabbed part of her shirt, pulling it up to her nose and inhaling the
scent. She smelled like the graveyard.
Realizing that she would have to change before her father returned, Shilo
wrapped her arms around her waist and grabbed either side of her shirt, pulling
it swiftly over her head and tossing it to the floor. She hurriedly wiggled out
of her skirt and tights and kicked them off to the side to join her shirt, her
shoes following and leaving her standing at the foot of her bed in nothing but
her undergarments. She re-positioned her wig, which had fallen from her head
upon removing her shirt and walked over to her dresser on the right side of her
bed.
As Shilo fumbled through the drawers of her dresser looking for something to
put on, she heard the faint sound of a key sliding into the lock on her door.
She spun around, eyeing the door handle as it started to shift and turn. In a
panic, Shilo scrambled to find something to cover herself. "Just a minute,
dad!" she called out. "I'm not decent!" The man behind the door grew silent and
stopped fumbling with the door handle, though Shilo could tell that he stood
there by the shadows beneath the door. Then the man spoke, his dark, menacing
voice sending a chill down Shilo's spine.
"That's not a problem, precious." he said, turning the door handle and pushing
the large wooden door into the room. His eyes searched until he found her,
clothes strewn on the floor around her and a very small blouse held against her
chest, attempting to cover her body. He looked her up and down, his eyes not
missing a single detail of her curvaceous silhouette in the dimly lit room.
Before his eyes found hers again, he let out a soft groan of approval.
Shilo stared at the man in her doorway that masqueraded as her father. She
clutched the blouse closer to her chest, trying to adjust it as much as
possible so she wasn't showing anything. Her eyes darted towards her bed and
she began to move towards it to crawl beneath the shielding safety of her
blanket.
"Ah ah ah." he said, holding up a single finger and wiggling it slightly. "I do
not recall permitting you to move." He stepped into the room and closed the
door behind him, ensuring that it locked behind him and shoving the small brass
key into his pocket. He stalked towards her, his head moving side to side as he
tried to see as much of her exposed skin as possible.
Shilo swallowed hard, tears stinging the back of her eyes and threatening to
fall on her cheeks. She continued to hold onto the blouse, now to terrified to
move or speak. She avoided eye contact with him, hoping that it would deter him
from taking further action tonight and allow him to leave her be.
He stopped walking a mere 5 feet from her, looking her up and down once more
than holding his arm out towards her, a sly, evil smile on his face. "I'll be
requiring that blouse, if you please." he said, his voice deep and raspy.
Shilo's eyes widened, her pulse quickening and her entire body shaking. Oh,
god, she thought. Anything but that. Her hands began to shake as she obeyed
him, slowly removing the blouse from her chest and inching it through the air
towards his outstretched hand. Him commanding her to allow him to...see only
meant one thing. She wouldn't be sleeping tonight.
As the fabric of the blouse touched his fingers he grabbed it, pulling towards
him and throwing it to the floor. A cruel chuckle escaped from his mouth as the
trembling child before him attempted to cover herself with her arms. He looked
over her body once more, his eyes now free to roam where ever they pleased. The
curve of her breasts beneath her bra, her lace panties hugging her waist and
hips enough to drive him mad, her luscious legs trembling in fear and nearly
giving out on her. Her terror excited him and her beauty drove him wild. If
this damned father figure wasn't in my way, she'd be mine. He continued simply
staring at her for a few moments, taking in every inch of her body with his
eyes, his pants becoming uncomfortably tight. "Now," he started, his voice
gruff and commanding. "The rest as well."
Shilo looked at him, her face completely drained of color and her eyes widened
with terror. "W-What?"
"You heard me." he said, more stern now and staring at her with piercing eyes.
Shilo wrapped her arms around her body tighter, protecting herself and refusing
to move. She couldn't...no...she wouldn't do this. She looked down the floor,
the black hair of her wig successfully covering her face and shielding her eyes
from seeing him.
He stalked closer to her, taking only a few steps and then stopping just close
enough so she could sense his presence. "I know you're not going to be as
stupid as to disregard an order. If you will not obey," he paused, reaching a
hand out to her and gently pulling at the strap of her bra. "I'll do it for
you." He pulled hard on the strap, one cup falling off her breast and the strap
draping on her shoulder.
Shilo gasped in pain as the bra snapped back against her bare skin and jumped
backwards. Her shaking hands moved behind her, unclasping her bra and sliding
it off her shoulders slowly. Tears stung her eyes and fell down her face,
stinging her hot cheeks. As the loose garment fell to the floor, her emotions
over came her and she began to sob, unable to hold her composure anymore. Still
shaking uncontrollably, Shilo pulled the last remaining piece of clothing off
her body and stood very still. Her entire body was trembling and the tears in
her eyes were making it difficult for her to see.
Before she knew it, she was laying in her bed atop her blankets, completely
exposed and sobbing. His bare body hovered over hers and she diverted her eyes,
locking them on a single photo of her mother that stood on her side table. She
wouldn't pay attention, wouldn't even react. She couldn't. She laid there
helpless, unable to move even if she wanted to, his strong hands holding her
firm on the bed as he touched where ever he pleased. One last tear fell from
her eye, dripping down onto her pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to go
somewhere else, anywhere else, just until tonight was over.
***** Chapter 5 *****
Shilo awoke the next morning, her entire body numb and aching. Her eyes
fluttered open, immediately searching the room for a dark figure. Finding her
bedroom to be empty, Shilo let out a sigh of relief, gently sitting herself up
and resting against the head-board. Her hands traveled to her waist, wrapping
around her hips and squeezing gently. A slight throbbing pain was traveling up
and around her waistline. She laid still for a few minutes, listening closely
for any sign of movement in the hallway. Another sigh of relief. Shilo sat up
slowly, keeping one hand placed gently around her waist as she climbed out of
bed. Perhaps a shower would rid her of the aching pain and the disgusting
feeling that draped over her.
Shilo quietly collected the things she would need for her shower, making sure
to be very quiet as to not alert the house that she awake. Items in hand, Shilo
walked over to her bathroom door, gently opening it and stepping inside. Shilo
had always felt safe in her bathroom, it being the only room in the house that
her father didn't have a key for. She placed her clothing on the small shelf on
the wall and closed the door, sliding the lock in place and turning to begin
preparing for her shower. She turned both nozzles on the wall, water spilling
from the faucet and into the bathtub. Making sure to test the water a few times
and adjust the temperature, Shilo pulled the plug on top of the faucet, forcing
the water to flow through the shower head instead.
She began to strip off her clothes, tossing them to a far corner of the room as
she took them off and removing her wig. As the room began to fill with steam,
Shilo looked back at that door briefly, ensuring that it was locked, then
stepped into the shower, her legs being hit by the warm and welcoming water.
She stood still for a few seconds, allowing her feet and calves to adjust to
the new temperature before slowly immersing the rest of her body underneath the
flowing stream. The water cascaded over her body, making her muscles and nerve
endings relax completely and helping her to forget about all the troubles in
her life. Shilo loved the water. She loved the feeling that it gave her, and
the sound of the rushing water from the shower head drowned out everything
else, making her feel like she was in her own little world for just a little
while. Shilo gently hummed to herself, submerging herself completely under the
water and closing her eyes. A long over due smile appeared on her face. Her
mind was at ease and she felt safe, even if it was just for now.
As Shilo finished with her shower, she felt more relax then she had in a while.
She shut the water off and exited the shower, her mirror about the sink
completely fogged from the steam and the room slightly misty. She grabbed her
towel off the small rack to her left side, gently beginning to dry herself off
and humming quietly to herself. She paused a couple times, listening closely to
the sounds of the house before continuing. Her body now completely dry, Shilo
walked over to the shelf that held her clothing, selecting the items that
needed to be put on first and began dressing herself. As she adjusted her shirt
and skirt so they were properly placed on her body, there was a gentle knock on
the door. Shilo's entire body tensed up, her head whipping around to stare at
the closed door. She quickly directed her gaze to the bolt lock on the door
frame, ensuring that it was still in place before speaking softly. "Y-Yes?" she
said, praying that it was her father knocking and not his alter ego.
"Shi?" Nathan said, his head tilting to the side to allow his ear to get closer
to the door. "Are you alright? You've been in there most of the morning."
Shilo smiled gently and let out a sigh of relief, her father's voice soothing
her nerves and forcing her to calm down. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just enjoying
the water. I'll be out in a second." she said, her voice cheery and welcoming
as she wiped the fog from the mirror so she could see herself properly. Shilo
reached down, opening a small door under the sink to reveal her make-up.
Nathan smiled and stepped back a bit from the door. "Alright. I've fixed
breakfast so I'll be down in the kitchen when you're ready. Don't take to long
or it'll go cold." he said, walking away from the door and proceeding to the
one that lead to the hall.
"Okay." Shilo called out, selecting her eyeliner from the drawer and beginning
to apply it to her face. As she applied her make-up for the day, Shilo's nerves
eased slightly. She was happy that her father would be waiting for her in the
kitchen, but there was still that fear that the monster within would surface at
any second. The fear taunted her, and wouldn't let her go. Only when she was
out of the house and away from her loving father did she feel safe, and the
simple thought of that hurt her. She never wanted to be afraid of her father,
but over the years she had found herself avoiding him at all costs, and she
could tell that he was starting to feel that she resented him. She wanted
desperately to be able to tell him the truth, but she knew that telling him
would only get her committed or put on more unnecessary medication.
After finishing in the bathroom, Shilo unlocked the door and made her way down
to the kitchen, holding her breath and hoping that her father still had
control. As the kitchen door came into view, Shilo let out the breath she had
been holding and collected herself, grasping the door handle in her hand and
opening the door slowly.
"Hello, sweetheart." Nathan said, a smile painted across his face as he put the
finishing touches on their breakfast and laid the plates upon the small table.
"I hope you're hungry. There's enough food here to feed an army." He chuckled
lightly and took a seat, waiting patiently for Shilo to join him at the table.
Shilo smiled back at her father and moved towards the empty chair opposite him,
pulling it out before sitting and dragging it closer to the table with her
feet. She picked up the serving spoon and filled her plate with some eggs,
pancakes, and sausage before dousing her entire plate with syrup and digging
into the miraculous looking plate with her fork. With a mouthful of a pancake
and egg mix, she peered up at her father, managing as much of a smile as she
could before beginning to chew. She chuckled a bit and swallowed the food that
was in her mouth, dabbing her mouth with a napkin and reaching out to grab the
glass of orange juice he had set next to her plate. "Thanks, Dad." she said,
before taking a swig of her juice and placing the glass down on the table.
Nathan smiled over at his daughter as she devoured her food, a snicker escaping
his lips as he took small bite of eggs and pushed his food around his plate
with his fork. "You're welcome, sweetheart." he said, looking over at her and
flashing her another smile. They hadn't spent time together like this in a
while. Shilo was always either locked in her room drawing or blasting some sort
of noise that she called music. They hadn't actually shared a meal together in
months, and he was very glad that she actually came down stairs and was willing
to sit down at the table with him.
They continued to eat their breakfast in silence, exchanging smiles and nods as
the scarfed down the delicious food and simply enjoyed each others presence. As
the meal came to an end, Shilo wasn't sure what to do next. She knew her father
was probably hoping to spend some more time together other than 30 minutes of a
short quiet breakfast, but she couldn't take the chance of Him coming out and
ruining the best start of the day she'd had in months. "I, uh, I have some
writing to do upstairs." she said, a smirk grazing her face as she stood and
began to walk towards the door. "I'll, uh," she turned back towards him when
she got to the doorway, peering over the door frame at him staring longingly
back at her, his eyes telling her that he had hoped she would stay a little
longer. "I'll see you later, dad." She gave him another smile and walked out,
the door slowly creaking closed behind her as she walked up the staircase. She
was going to see her mother, before He came to her again. She needed an escape
to remove the thoughts of last night from her mind.
Safe in her room with the door locked and bolted, Shilo began to pack her bag
slowly. She glanced back at her door every so often, feeling guilty having left
her father sitting alone in the kitchen. She would make it up to him, someday,
one day, when he wasn't sick. She slung her packed bag over her shoulder and
prepared to leave, trying to keep as quiet as possible as she descended the
staircase again and moved towards the secret passage in the wall that lead to
her mother's tomb. She pushed the hidden door open slowly, praying that it
wouldn't creak and entered the narrow passage, giving one last look at the
kitchen door before she closed herself in and turned to walk down the path.
***** Chapter 6 *****
After spending a long while drawing in her mothers small tomb, Shilo began to
get restless. She could here the business of the streets outside the graveyard.
People talking, venders shouting out the prices of their merchandise. She stood
slowly and moved towards the door, peering through the small window and gazing
out of it, trying to hear as much as she could.
The more she heard, the more Shilo longed to be outside the walls of the
graveyard, walking through the streets and absorbing any and all experiences
she could. Before she knew it, her bag was packed again and slung over her
shoulder, her hand grasping the small handle on the door of the tomb. She took
in a deep breath preparing herself and exited the tomb, closing the door behind
her and ensuring that it wasn't locked so she would have a way to get back home
safely. She pulled her bag higher onto her shoulder, looking towards the gates
of the graveyard as she began to walk forward with purpose, determined to have
at least one small adventure tonight and who knew, maybe make a friend for
once.
The gate of the graveyard creaked loudly as she pushed it open, a man riding a
bike nearly colliding with her as she emerged from behind the safety of the
gate. The man screamed unintelligible words at her, a few curses coming out
through the babel as her continued cycling fast down the narrow street. Her
heart now slightly racing due to the fact that she was almost run over my a
cyclist, Shilo pushed the gate closed again and looked down each side of the
street, trying to decide which way to go. The way the cyclist had gone was to
her right, dark and gloomy looking with hardly any lighting at all and to her
left, a brightly lit street with numerous people walking past the opening of
the street she was currently on.
Shilo looked back and forth, honestly torn on which way to go. On the one hand,
she didn't really want to be around to many people, just in case her father
happened to be out and about and caught her roaming the streets alone. On the
other hand, the darkness of the path to her left made her feel slightly uneasy.
Shilo took a deep breath...and turned right, walking away from the cheery
street to her left and into the unsettling darkness of the southern part of the
city.
As the sound of the hustle and bustle behind her died down, she could hear the
sounds of the people in the alleys echoing throughout the streets, each cough
and whisper sending a slight shiver down her spine. She turned down a few
streets, each turned making her realize that the buildings to her sides were
slowly getting closer together. Suddenly, a voice echoed out from a nearby
alleyway, making her jump slightly as a familiar sounding voice spoke to her.
"Hey, kid." Graves said, leaning up against the brick wall of a building and
gazing over at the girl with concern on his face. He moved towards her, looking
up and down the street a bit before stopping in front of her. "What are you
doing down here?" he asked, just before grabbing her arm gently and beginning
to lead her down the street. "You shouldn't be down her by yourself." he said,
sounding a little bit like a concerned father as he walked her down the street.
Shilo kept her eye on Graves's face, wondering exactly why he was concerned
about her. They had only met twice, and in the same setting. It's not as if
they even had a lengthy conversation. "I can take care of myself." she said,
gently removing her arm from his grip and beginning to walk away from him. She
got a few feet before she bumped into another pedestrian, a disheveled looking
man with a beard. He smelled like old cheese and vodka and began to glare at
her with piercing eyes. Shilo felt a shiver run up her spine and she backed
away slowly, her hands grabbing at the air behind her in search of the fabric
of Graves's coat. As she felt the rough material on her finger tips, Shilo
turned quickly, moving swiftly behind Graves and peaking around his arm, almost
using him as a shield of protection against the strange man that was staring at
her.
Graves chuckled a bit and tilted his head back, looking down at Shilo and
smiling at her. "I can see that. And you're doing a fine job of it, but why
don't I accompany you none the less." He gave a quick glance back to the bum as
he began to walk away then turned his body so he was facing Shilo. "Come on."
he said, flashing her a smile. "You can run an errand with me."
Shilo carefully considered going with Graves before realizing that aside from
her father he was honestly the only other person that she knew. While their
encounters were brief, they were very pleasant and the fact that he cared
enough about her already to try and protect her eased her nerves enough to
follow him.
They walked down a few streets before stopping just before a small alley way.
Graves looked up and down the street for a couple seconds before taking Shilo's
hand and ducking into the narrow passage, stopping only when they reached the
other side and were greeted by the faces of numerous prostitutes.
Shilo looked around the alley, slightly confused and a little terrified. She
had never seen a prostitute, let alone this many, and couldn't help but wonder
what kind of errand Graves had to run that concerned women of the night. She
glanced back at Graves briefly before one of the women blocked her view,
standing very close to her with tired eyes and a vacant expression, her blonde
hair piled messily on the back of her head. He arms were covered in red fish
net and he outfit didn't match at all, multiple colored strewn across her body
and her shirt slightly tattered.
"How old are you?" the woman asked, her hand reaching out to try and touch
Shilo's face before she instinctively backed away from the woman's unfamiliar
fingers.
"S-Seventeen." Shilo answered, slightly reluctant to answer any of this
stranger's questions.
The woman snickered a bit and her mouth crooked up to what Shilo could only
imagine was an attempt at a smile. "So young." she said, her words slurring a
bit as she spoke. "I had my first surgery at thirteen. Thanks to Z I couldn't
feel or remember a thing." She paused slightly, sucking in some air between her
teeth and cracking her neck. "A month later...I was turning tricks." The woman
spotted Graves and began to move towards him slowly, eager to get her product.
Shilo shuttered a bit at the thought of the woman naked and attempted to shake
the image from her head, turning her head to look at Graves, who was fawning
over one of the other prostitutes before the blonde interrupted him, stroking
his chest lightly and saying something to him that Shilo couldn't hear.
Graves gave the woman a small smile and reached in his pocket, clinking his
vials together and causing the entire alley to go silent. Each and every face
was staring at Graves, and Shilo looked around curiously, wondering what
exactly was going on.
Graves pulled a single vial of blue glowing liquid from his pocket and held it
up in the air, causing nearly every woman in the alley crowd around him and
kneel at his feet, making desperate moans and pleading for their fix. "Is this
what you were waiting for?" Graves asked, playing with the woman a bit before
he extracted his gun from his other pocket.
Shilo watched curiously, ducking behind a nearby pillar and trying to remain
out of view. Was he a...drug dealer? "W-What's that?" she asked, looking only
at Graves and trying to ignore the numerous women that were now glaring at her
as if the mere sound of her voice annoyed them to their very core.
Graves loaded the vial into the gun and held it up for the entire alley to see,
all the woman staring up at it with begging eyes. "Zydrate." he said, looking
over at Shilo. "Z, or rather a street form of it." he said, gazing down at the
woman that had spoken to Shilo and placing the mouth of the gun against her
neck. He pulled the trigger and a small hissing sound came from the gun, the
woman swooned and closed her eyes, laying on the ground and running her hands
along her body before slowly stopping any and all movement.
Graves checked both the woman's hands before finally finding her payment and
selecting it from her hand, placing it in his pocket and moving on to the next
woman. After he had served a few, two men emerged from one of the sub alleys
followed by a woman a very revealing black outfit, the heels of her boots
clicking against the concrete as she walked briskly towards the crowd of women.
"Move!" she shouted, pushing a couple women out of her way and stopping in
front of Graves. She pushed him slightly. "Were's my stuff you worthless piece
of trash." she said forcefully, giving him another shove and pressing him
against the wall. "I paid hours ago."
Graves stared back at her briefly before his back contacted with the wall. He
pushed back at her in retaliation, his hands grasping her sides as he spun her
towards the wall and pressed her against the wall. He placed both hand on the
wall next to her, his face inches from hers. "I wouldn't push me if I were you,
Mrs. Sweet." he said, a bit to his tone. "Just because you have needs that are
greater than others due to your...addiction...doesn't mean you get to demand
when there is no supply."
After he finished speaking, the two men grabbed his arms, pulling him away from
the wall. Graves shoved their hands off him and began to walk away, glaring
over his shoulder at Amber Sweet, laughing as her guards checked on her. To rub
the issue in her face a little more, Graves began to serve yet another
customer, the obvious decrease of his supply showing in the small vial as he
gave the woman a shot and the liquid depleted a little more.
In a desperate attempt to win over his attention and generosity, Amber gave her
guards a simple nod and walked in front of Graves, her hands trailing over her
own torso. "Please." she plead with him, touching her breasts and stomach.
"Graverobber, I can be a very generous girl. Give me what I need," she said,
stepping towards him and running her finger from Graves's chest down to his
waistline. "And I'll give you want you need." She bit her lip and stared down
at his waist, her hand gently gliding over the bulge in his pants.
Graves gave her a soft smirk and pushed her up against the wall behind her,
trailing his hands and the gun along the exposed flesh of her stomach. He knelt
before her, pushing her thighs apart and dragging the tip of the gun along the
apex of her thighs before finally shooting a dose into her upper leg.
Amber slunk down against the wall, her mouth twisting into a smile and her eyes
fluttering closed. She moaned with satisfaction and slowly drifted off, her
hands roaming about her stomach. Graves capped his gun, extracting the empty
vial from the chamber and placing the gun back in his pocket. He tossed the
vial into a nearby trash can, looking about the alley way.
Shilo hand been watching part in horror and part in curiosity. She walked
slowly over towards Graves, her gaze falling on the leather clad woman curled
up against the wall. As Graves moved behind her, she heard him whistle a
familiar tone, one that she had heard many times from the speakers on her small
TV in her bedroom. Her head spun around and smiled at him. "That's Blind Mag's
song." she said, a surprised tone to her voice.
Blind Mag had been Shilo's role model for as long as she could remember. Shilo
remembered sitting by her window on many an occasion listening to the faint
sound of Mag singing at the yearly GeneCo expo, her voice carrying beautifully
through the air. She remembered watching Mag on her TV in commercials and
interviews, absorbing as much information as she could from the confines of her
bedroom.
Before Graves could utter a word, Amber perked up, as if the very sound of the
tune had annoyed her to her very core. "Who did that?" she asked, her eyes
flickering open and staring at every face in the alley with piercing eyes.
Amber hated Mag and the spotlight that she hogged. She attempted to stand her
legs slightly buckling beneath her as her guards rushed to her sides to help
her up. As she looked about the alley, her eyes met Graves as he pointed a
finger at the small girl with black hair at his side.
Amber's rage immediately turned towards the girl. "Oh, so you think Mag can
sing?" she started, moving towards the girl and shaking loose of her guards
grip on her arm. "You think you're slick. Well," she said, a small smirk coming
across her face. "It's finally my turn. My turn to shine. My turn to have the
spot light." She kept her gaze on the girl for a few more seconds before
thrusting a magazine she'd collected from one of her guards into the girl's
hands. "Once the repo man strikes." Amber began to walk away, snickering
menacingly as her guards escorted her out of the alley way, slightly tripping
on her own feet.
Shilo watched the woman walk down the alley before turning her attention to the
folded up booklet in her hand, carefully examining the cover before flipping
through the pages to find the article about her idol. Her eyes quickly sped
through the words on the page, her pupils widening in disbelief as she read.
"M-Mag's leaving?" she said quietly, praying that it wasn't true.
Graves moved to her side and looked down at the magazine. "There's, uh, there's
rumors circulating that Mag's contract holds her to the company by more than
just her service." He scanned Shilo's face as she peered up at him, noting that
she was terribly confused and then continued. "People seem to think that her
eyes are part of that contract." he said, placing his hand on her shoulder and
leading her down the narrow alley towards the main road. "And her leaving the
company could lead to a repossession. At least, that's what the rumors say."
His head spun around as he heard a whistle chime through the air behind him,
and he began to move him and Shilo swiftly out of the alley way as it filled
with police. The men shouted and demanded that the women tell them where the
graverobber went to, each refusing to give up their dealer.
Graves and Shilo moved quickly, ducking in and out of alleys as they attempted
to avoid being caught. As they moved, Shilo couldn't shake the gut wrenching
feeling in her stomach. Just the thought of someone getting a body part taken
from them made her feel sick to her stomach. Graves eyed a passing garbage
truck and ran after it, Shilo following closely behind him as he hoped onto the
back and helped Shilo onto it as well, safety riding through the city and away
from the commotion in the alleys.
***** Chapter 7 *****
As the stench ridden truck neared her home, Shilo locked eyes with Graves and
flashed him a small smile. She hopped off the edge of the back of the truck and
landed just before the front door of her home, looking back at him once more as
he bowed to her. The truck pulled away, turning down the next street and
disappearing from view. "Goodbye...friend." Shilo whispered to herself before
turning back towards the door in front of her. She grasped the door knob
gently, turning it slowly and softly pushing the large door open. She prayed to
god it didn't squeak. As the light from within her house flooded her eyes, she
squinted slightly, her pupils adjusting to the light. Her father didn't appear
to be home. Thank god, she thought. She closed the door softly and moved to the
stairs, preparing to climb the and return to her room for the night.
"And where have you been?" A dark voiced said from behind her.
Shilo froze, her hand tightly grasping the rail. Without turning to greet the
voice, she spoke. "I-I...I went to visit mother." she said, hoping that she was
speaking to the one person that might understand.
"I see." the voice said coolly. "And, uh," he paused, walking directly behind
her but leaving enough space between them for her to move. "Why exactly did you
not think to inform me of your whereabouts?" A hand grazed her shoulder
lightly, removing a few strands of hair from it and placing them behind her
head. "And why did you think you were permitted to leave without permission?"
She wanted to run. Run up the stairs and lock herself in her bathroom until
morning. Frozen in fear, she continued to tremble, still no inkling of whether
or not she was safe. "I-I'm sorry. I just. I didn't think..."
"Didn't think?" he interrupted her. "Didn't think that the rules I've put in
place apply?" A long, uncomfortable silence fell upon them, each second
becoming more discomforting. "Or didn't think at all, like your idiot of a
father?"
Shilo's heart sank, a tear she had not realized was forming falling onto her
cheek. Her throat felt like it was going to close up and never open again. As
his hand fell upon her shoulder again, she let out a quiet sob.
"Perhaps, we need to..." he paused again, moving closer to her and placing his
other hand around her waist. "Remind you of the rules of this house."
Her eyes burst with tears, her knees nearly giving out on her and her chest
filled with such pressure she felt it might burst. As his unwanted hands
traveled around her quivering body, Shilo felt something she hadn't felt all
day. Regret. She regretted coming home. She regretted coming in through the
front door. She regretted leaving in the first place.
"Let us see if we can," he brought his face next to her ear, pulling her closer
to him and nibbling at her ear. "Jostle those rules back into that pretty
little head of yours." Breathing heavily, he began to move her limp body,
shoving her against the banister of the stair case and nipping at her
vulnerable neck. His hands roamed where they pleased and his tongue darted
across her skin, the damp he left behind as his mouth moved feeling similar to
acid on her flesh.
Tears continued to fall down Shilo's cheeks, though she made no sound. Why me?
she thought to herself, clenching at the banister behind her and praying this
would all be over quickly.
A sharp tug at her hair jolted her from her mind. Her feared housemate tossing
her up the stairs. "Move." he said, following closely behind her. "Now."
Shilo climbed the stairs as slowly as he would permit her to, his heavy steps
echoing behind her like war drums. He lead her down the small hallway that lead
to her bedroom, pictures of her mother staring into her soul with looks of
disgust and disappointment. She hung her head down, watching her feet and
looking up only to open the door to the tainted room in which she slept.
"Please me, precious." he said, locking the door behind him as if someone would
walk in unannounced.
Shilo recognized the command, the same sentence she had heard for years that
ordered her to remove her clothing. She began the process, his dark eyes
watching her every move as he stalked toward her slowly. Once the final garment
lay on the floor, he lunged at her, tossing her down on the bed and removing
his belt. He bound her hands, attaching the thick leather strap to her bed
frame and ensuring that it was secure.
Her throat dry and her eyes producing more tears than she thought possible,
Shilo averted her eyes. She stared out the window at the black night sky,
praying the sun would rise so that he might go away. A rustling sound fell over
her as article after article of his clothing hit the floor at her bed side.
"Get up." he said lunging over her and removing the tie of the belt at the head
board. He lead her towards the end of the bed reattaching his belt to the bed
frame and positioning her in a way that please him most. She was bent over the
bed, her bare thighs grazing the chilly, wooden bed frame and the cold in the
room nipping at every inch of her tender flesh. He disappeared for only a
moment, his presence only revealed by his hands roaming around her back side.
"So soft. So sweet, precious."
Shilo choked back tears, her mind desperately searching for something other
than the current events to think about. His touch made her cringe and the mere
thought of him having her never failed to make her sick to her stomach. His
labored breaths behind her drew closer to her back, his teeth digging into the
raw skin between her shoulder blades as one hand snaked up her torso to play
with her breasts, toys of his own that he had claimed without permission.
"So, beautiful." he said huskily, as if biting her and toying with her as he
pleased had caused him to run out of breath. Without another word, both hands
ran along her skin, grasping at the flesh on her backside before the unwanted
and unwelcome pulse of his member made contacted with her vulva, lingering for
only a few seconds before her immersed himself into her heat.
Shilo heard the poisonous groan of pleasure escape his mouth as he began to
have his way with her. Her mind raced trying to think of somewhere to go. As
his demonic thrusts from behind began, she found her answer.
One.
Graves sat upon his favorite tombstone in the graveyard, staring up at the moon
in the night sky and fiddling with a vile of Z. His hair shimmered in the moon
light, the streaks of blue and purple only illuminated by the bright, white
light of the full moon.
Two.
He turned his head as he heard her coming and smiled at her, hoping off his
perch and walking towards her. The smile never left his face as he came close
to her and reached down the take her hand. "M'lady."
Three.
He raised her hand to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss, his eyes never leaving
their locked position with hers. "Shall we?" he asked motioning towards the
path that went through the many tombs around them.
Four.
Shilo followed her companion and looked around her as they walked. While the
graveyard was a sad place, it was also beautiful. The gravestones riddled with
delicate and intricate carvings of flowers, angels, crosses, and many other
things. Small groupings of flowers were scattered throughout the graveyard,
they're small amount of color standing out among black of the ground and night
sky.
"And how are we this evening?" Graves asked, his arm snaking gently through
hers and linking them together. He brought his other hand across him, placing
it softly on her hand and escorting her down the moonlit path before them.
Shilo perked up and looked up at him, his eyes sparkling with kindness and his
smile making her slightly blush. "I've been worse." she said, chuckling lightly
before looking back towards the path in front of them.
They walked through the yard for what seemed like hours, combing through the
stones and tombs as if nothing laid in their path. Graves stopped them slowly,
his arm removing itself from hers and stepping back a bit. "I must part ways
with you now, Shilo." he said, his fingers gently grazing the backs of her
hands.
"But I just got here! I can't leave. I can't go back to that." she said, her
eyes slowly filling with tears.
"Shh." he said, his hand raising up to her cheek and caressing it softly.
"We'll meet again, kid." He released her completely, walking backwards away
from her and bright light over coming her eyes.
Shilo awoke from her day dream, strewn across here bed like a rag doll and her
body aching with the after math of the activity she had desperately tried to
forget about. She dared not move, fearful that any movement would either result
in immense pain or a sound lashing.
The rest of the night seemed to drag on forever, the dark presence that
masqueraded as her father doing what he pleased with her as many times as he
saw fit. She cried, screamed, and even flailed, every attempt to get this
nightmare to end failing.
***** Chapter 8 *****
Awaking once again in pain and discomfort, Shilo slowly climbed out of bed and
made her way to her bathroom. She didn't bother grabbing several articles of
clothing to change into. She didn't plan on going anywhere any time soon. With
the memory of the previous night still fresh in her mind, his warning stuck
with her. She wouldn't leave. She couldn't. She couldn't go through that again.
It was hard enough having no choice but to allow him whatever pleasures he
desired, but this time it was a lesson, an example of what would happen should
he catch her out of the house again. The water from the faucet spewed into the
basin of the shower, slowly warming up to the temperature she desired while she
began to undress. Each movement of her arms and legs made her cringe, new and
unwanted cramping shuttering though her body after each limb was released from
the prison of her clothes.
The water nearly the temperature she preferred for a shower, Shilo plugged the
faucet, forcing the water to reroute itself to the shower head above. She
pulled the curtain closed, examining her torso in the slightly fogged mirror
and finding nearly every mark he had left on her. She averted her eyes, the
bruises and hand prints to painful to look at.
Nathan busied himself in his study, his square framed glasses perched on his
nose. His medical journal sat in front of him on the desk, his ball point pen
scribbling across the tan-colored paper with ease and dexterity. He dropped his
pen on the small book, his hand traveling up underneath his glasses and gently
pushing them up and out of the way. His slender fingers rubbed his sore eyes
for a few seconds before releasing his glasses again and sitting back in his
chair, his hand resting in his lap.
The small communicator on the desk began to vibrate softly, an electronic voice
repeating a message over and over. Incoming message from Rotti Largo. Incoming
message from Rotti Largo. Nath groaned softly and rolled his eyes, sitting up
and reaching over to grab the small device. He pressed a small button on the
side to stop the incessant message and a tiny hologram emerged from the
screen. Nathan Wallace come to my office at once. "Good god, what now?" he
stood up from his chair, pushing it back to allow him to move away from the
desk freely.
Shilo had finished with her shower, a towel wrapped around her body to shield
her from the chill of the air in her bedroom. She tossed her nightgown in the
hamper behind her bedroom door, then moved out into her bedroom. She paused
momentarily, glancing over at the door and listening for a moment to ensure
that she was alone, then continued walking in the direction of her dresser. As
she fumbled through her drawers in an attempt to find something suitable to
wear, she tried to keep her mind occupied so it wouldn't wander into dangerous
ideas, like leaving again. A knock at her door startled her and she froze,
unable to move or speak for fear that even the slightest sound would alert him
of her presence.
"Shi?" Nathan said through the closed door. He tried at the hand once, only to
find that it was locked, then released it.
Shilo let go a silent sigh of relief, but still didn't speak.
"Shi, I have to run out. I'll be back in a few hours." he paused for a moment,
turning his head to the side and trying to hear if she was even awake. "Shi?"
"I-I heard you dad." she said, trying to sound as normal as possible. "I'm sure
I'll be fine. I 'll let you know if I need anything."
"Alright." Nathan said, quietly. He backed away from the door at first, then
turned and walked hurriedly down the hallway, checking his watch as he rounded
the corner and marched down the stairs.
Shilo remained quiet until she heard the heavy front door close and lock behind
her father. After a few moments of waiting to ensure that he was actually gone,
Shilo quickly grabbed a an outfit, ripping off her towel and scrabbling into
her clothing. She snatched her wig from it's respective place next to her bed
and hurried out her room and down the hallway. As she quickly moved down the
stairs, the smile that had been on her face withered away, and her pace slowed.
What are you doing? She stopped at the bottom of the stair case, glancing over
at her secret passage to her mother's tomb, salty tears stinging the back of
her eyes. She hung her head and moved over to the kitchen door, slowly opening
it and moving through the small crack.
Graves was making his daily run, meeting his perspective clients in the same
location he always met them. However, something about his walk was different
today. Shilo's house was on his route, and he just so happened to remember
where it was. Don't be stupid, man. She probably doesn't even remember you. He
strolled through the alleyways until he was just across from the house in
question, and looked over at the house. There weren't many windows, and the
ones that were there were either on the top floor, boarded up, or had
absolutely no light behind them. As he turned to leave, one window became
illuminated with light, and a small figure caught his eye. A young girl, with
jet black hair and a small frame was walking around what seemed to be a
kitchen. He watched her with interest. Was it her, or just someone that looked
strangely like her.
Shilo opened the door to the fridge, bending down so she could examine it's
contents. Finding nothing of interest, she settled for a few pieces of lightly
buttered bread. She retrieved the butter from the fridge and closed the door
behind her, grabbing the half loaf of bread that was left as she moved to the
small table in the middle of the room. She placed the butter and the bread on
the table top and in one swift move turned and retrieve a small butter knife
from a drawer to her left.
Graves watched in silence, trying to decide if he should knock on her door or
just leave her be until they met again by chance. "What is she doing?" he asked
himself quietly, watching her move about the kitchen with little to no emotion.
He caught sight of the bread and ruffled his nose. "Bread." he said, his tone
hinting at disinterest and slight boredom. "She's eating...bread. How terribly
bland."
As Shilo took a giant bite of her snack, she peered out the window in front of
her, the light from the street lamp outside causing a rainbow-like glare on the
glass pane. She continued to snack on her bread, watching the carts and people
glide past the window. But then, something caught her eye. A dark familiar
looking figure in the alley across the street, she attempted to focus harder to
figure out who it could be, but the figured moved out of sight before she got
the chance. Slightly creeped out and a little confused, Shilo shrugged her
shoulders and began to clear the table of her scraps and soiled dishes. She
quietly hummed to herself, moving about the kitchen and placing everything
where it belonged. She moved back over to the table after setting her dishes in
the sink and tucked her chair neatly back underneath the large oak structure.
Graves carefully peeked around the corner again, checking to see if he had
successfully avoided being caught spying on her. Noting that she was busying
herself with tidying the kitchen, he let out a soft sigh of relief and backed
away from the alleys opening. He continued to move backwards until his back
made contact with the wall behind him, resting his head on the cold stone and
crossing his across his chest. Why couldn't he get her out of his head? She
wasn't all that interesting. He didn't even know her that well. And yet, ever
since the night before, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He took one last
look across the empty street, watching the leggy brunette leave the kitchen and
turn out the light. With a shallow sigh, Graves turned and began to walk down
the alley towards his next transaction point, his head hung gently between his
shoulders as he watched his feet move along the cobble stone, trying
desperately not to think of Shilo.
Shilo skipped up the stairs, finishing the last bit of toast in her hand as she
climbed. She floated down the narrow hallway plastered with her mother's
photographs, ceasing her joyful walk only when she entered her room, meet with
darkness, a cold wind, and her father standing in the middle of her floor, arms
crossed in front of him.
***** Chapter 9 *****
His tall, parental posture set Shilo slightly at ease. Though, there was still
the matter that he had caught her out of her room. She was usually very
cautious when it came to things like this, given the fact that sometimes, more
often than not, her punishment was far worse than any other child received from
their parental figures. She could do nothing but stand completely still and
stare blankly back at her father through the darkness that seemed to consume
her entire bedroom. He did not look happy, then again, he had never really
looked all that happy to begin with. Every once in a while, Shilo would catch
him smirking at a photo graph or a letter he received in the mail. But, for the
most part, they just went about their day to day lives, seeming to ignore the
fact that the majority of the rest of the population always seemed to exchange
a smile or two between each other and even strangers.
"Where have you been?" Nathan sneered at her, his arms still wrapped around
each other in front of his broad chest.
"I haven't gone anywhere father. I've been in the house all day." Shilo tried
to sound as innocent as possible, hoping that her docile tone and naive manner
would save her from a lecture from her father or the wrath of the hidden evil
inside him.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about Shilo!" he snapped, his arms falling
to his sides swiftly and heavily as he spoke. "Why were you...how did you even
get out!? And why aren't you wearing your mask? You the dangers you put
yourself in every time you leave your room. These rules are in place for a
reason you know. It's for your protection!"
Shilo hung her head down and stared at the floor, or at least what she could
see of it. The pale light of the moon streaming in from her very small, curtain
covered windows didn't offer much illumination. Suddenly, the floor beneath her
feet became clear. Shilo slowly brought her head up, her eyes scanning the
floor between herself and her father and following the line of his legs and
stomach until her eyes met with his. The light on her ceiling brought light to
her room and to her father's face. "I'm sorry, father." she said quietly, her
gaze dropping back to the floor after she had finished speaking.
Nathan stood silently for a few moments, simply staring at the mat black top of
his daughter head. He was experiencing an internal conflict. Should he hold his
ground and attempt to make Shilo understand his reasoning for keeping her
locked up or yield to his beloved daughters gentle nature. With a sigh, Nathan
took a few steps towards her, reaching out and grasping her shoulder. "Shi,
I..." he said softly, gently rubbing her shoulder with his thumb. "I just worry
about you, sweetheart. I don't want you getting hurt."
Shilo looked up and into his eyes, desperately wanting to be able to hold there
forever and give him the affection he obviously desired from her. Her gaze
quickly bolted from his, his soft eyes and loving stare only reminding her of
the many traumatic encounters she had endured with his internal evil. "I know."
she said, quietly, afraid that if she said more he would be able to hear the
tremble in her voice.
Nathan sighed quietly and removed his heavy hand from his daughter's shoulder.
"I just want you to be safe." he said, almost in a whisper. "I love you, Shi."
After a few moments of silence, Nathan began to walk towards the door, his eyes
outlining the path he would take on the floor in front of him. As he reached
the door he turned ever so slightly and peered over his shoulder at the back of
his daughter's head. "Please try to begin to understand that I do this because
I love you, not because I'm trying to be cruel." His speech was interrupted by
a harsh squeak that came from his throat. Choking back tears, Nathan bit his
fist. "I can't lose you too, Shi."
As Shilo heard he father close the door behind him as he left, a single tear
fell down her pale cheek, tracing her cheek bone and settling in the small
dimple at the corner of her mouth. She quickly wiped it away and took a deep
breath through her nose, attempting to calm herself as much as possible so that
she may get some sleep tonight. With legs seeming to be filled with concrete,
Shilo crawled into her soft bed and threw the blankets over her head, immersing
herself in a dark, warm cave of cloth and drifting off to sleep. And with
sleep, came a dream. A dream she would remember for a long time, one that gave
her hope of a better life.
Shilo found herself sitting at her kitchen table, steam rising from a bowl of
hot soup that was set out in front of her. She looked across the table to find
her father sitting there, his mouth shaped into the most loving smile Shilo had
ever seen. She smiled back at him, then began to eat her soup, a soft wind
playing at her hair. She raised her hand to move a strand of her hair behind
her ear when she realized: the wind softly blowing through the room was coming
from an open window to her right, the sweet smell of autumn filling the kitchen
and the hair she was brushing across her face no longer felt dull and dry, but
soft and alive. She didn't feel tired or scared, but happy and full of energy.
She was no longer plagued with the horrid sickness that she had endured her
entire life and the soft black strands of air that fell around her face were
her own, draping down from the top of her head like a waterfall.
Shilo had just finished her soup when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted
a figure at the far end of the kitchen. A female figure, chopping vegetables at
the counter and humming a gentle tune. She glanced back at her father, his own
gaze turning towards the lovely woman at the other end of the room. He stood,
collecting Shilo's bowl and his own before walking towards the woman. He placed
the dishes gently down on the counter, then wrapped his arms around the woman
and kissed her cheek, humming her song along with her and swaying back and
forth to the rhythm they were now both setting.
Se watched her father slowly begin to spin the woman, taking her into his arms
and twirling her around the room, her face buried in his neck and her hands
entwined in his hair. They seemed to hover above the floor, feet barely moving
as they swayed back and forth. All Shilo could do was smile, letting out a
gentle sigh and watching as her dream blurred, the comforting picture and
feeling fading away as her eyes cracked open and the sun from her bedroom
window stung her eyes.
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