SCARRED (2 page)

      Serene’s mind was a jumble of questions. Where was he taking her? Was it his house? If he was a sicko, the destination probably wasn’t his home. If it was, there would be some kind of secret chamber in the basement where he would have sex with her until he was ready to make some kind of snuff film. Serene shuddered.

     
“Are you hungry?” he asked with a smooth deep voice. It wasn’t a baritone, but it made Serene think of dark wood and roses. His voice sounded sad.

      “No.”

      He didn’t ask her anything else and they continued to ride in silence. Serene felt the vehicle slow and down shift. Her body swayed as they made a turn, and the slow progress was accentuated with bumps and rattles as they drove over several potholes. The truck slowed to a complete stop, and she could hear the man open and close his door. After a moment her door opened, and once again the gentle yet strong hands helped her from the truck. She was helped through something that felt like grass and up three steps. The man reached for her hand and placed it on the side of a railing of some sort.

      “Wait here.”

      Serene strained her senses to try and determine where they were. She knew they were near the city, but not within it. She could hear a dog bark and the distant city sounds that only the suburbs held. The man returned and gently guided her into a house. Light penetrated the black pillow case, but she couldn’t distinguish anything beyond the fabric. He guided her into another room.

      “Make yourself at home, and when you’re ready, please join me in the dining room.”

      Serene pulled the pillow case from her head as the door clicked shut. She blinked several times to adjust her eyes to the light. What she found was a small bedroom, painted a dusty rose color. The double bed was high from the ground with tall pollsters and headboard. There was a beautiful comforter of white, rose, and burgundy colors swirled in an abstract pattern decorating the bed. She smiled as she touched the soft fabric.

      The window was covered with drapes that matched the bed. Serene had always wanted a room that was decorated and matched. She turned slowly and saw a dark wood writing table with chair, and there was an armoire of the same dark wood on the wall with the bed. She opened one of the doors and found it empty except for a doll with a porcelain face. She picked it up and smoothed the blue and white dress the doll wore.

      A smile touched her lips, and on impulse she hugged the doll fiercely. She had few toys as a child, but she did have a favorite doll that was lost to her now. Her doll was plastic and ugly the last time she had seen it, but she still remembered its name: Rebecca. She knew immediately that the doll in her arms would be called Rebecca, even if she only called her that within the confines of her own mind.

      Above the writing table was a mirror and Serene looked at herself. There was nothing to be done tonight with her face. Maybe there never would be again. With a nervous sigh she left the bedroom in search of the strange secretive man.

* * * *

      She found the house to be small. When she entered the hallway she decided to explore before finding the dining room. There was a room beside hers and she tried the door only to find it locked. The hallway ended with a rather large bathroom that was decorated with light shades of peach and cream. Once again, the accentuating color was burgundy.

      Serene walked back down the hard wood floor of the hallway trying to not make a sound. The hallway opened into an area that had a living room on one side and a dining room on the other. She gasped slightly when she saw the man seated at the table. He wore a solid white mask that covered the entire top part of his face reaching to the crown of his head. It came down over his nose and curved with the shape of his cheekbones.

      It fit him in a way that suggested it was custom made. From what she could see, he shaved his head bald. Serene eased into the chair directly across the table from him, never taking her eyes from his face. The wood of the table shone like a mirror. There was a bowl of fresh fruit in the center, and a platter of sliced meats and cheeses beside it. Serene could smell bread and watched as the man excused himself and walked through the swinging door of the kitchen. He reemerged a moment later with a loaf of French bread and a small bowl of butter.

      “I reheated the bread, it’s a leftover. I do apologize.” He said quietly.

      Serene watched him and didn’t know what to say. She remembered cutting mold from Sunbeam bread because Ted wouldn’t give her the money for more. She decided to shrug instead of speaking and lean back in the chair. There was a bottle of wine on the table and he filled two long-stemmed glasses with the gold liquid. He brought a glass and set it before the place setting in front of her. After he had taken his seat, he indicted the food between them with a wave of his long hand.

      “Please, Serene, have something to eat.”

      She eyed him warily and gazed at the food again. She felt her saliva glands engage and a tiny rumble echoed in her gut.
I’m hungry.
She thought in amazement. She hadn’t been hungry in so long. She reached across the table and speared some roast beef with the serving fork and added some dark yellow cheese to her plate.

      The bowl of fruit had large green grapes, among other things, and she took a branch off of the group. Her first bite of the grape was sweet and juicy. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had eaten fresh fruit. She ate with the frenzied pace that starving people have when they are first presented with food. She finally took a moment to breathe and saw him watching her from across the table. His expression was unreadable.

      “What’s with the mask?”

      “The proper way to ask is, ‘why are you wearing a mask’.” His tone wasn’t mean, simply matter of fact. It reminded her of her third grade teacher in elementary school. She had been a patient and kind lady.

      “Ok. Why are you wearing a mask?”

      He regarded her for a moment and she thought she saw a smile ghost across his full lips. “I prefer anonymity.”

      “What?”

      He chuckled. “I prefer to remain unknown.”

      Her brows furrowed. It just didn’t make sense. “Can I know your name?”

      “Lawson.”

      “Do you have a last name?” Her irritation was sparking.

      “Byvanck.”

      “You know my first name. My last name’s Mitchell.”

      “You’re of what origin?”

      She took a large bite of bread and talked around it as she answered him. “My father’s half Spanish.”

      “And your mother?”

      “I don’t remember much about her. She died when I was young, but I think she was just white.”

      “I’m sorry.” He mumbled. “How did she die?”

      Serene laid the bread down and swallowed. Her large eyes watched him as he watched her. Coldness swept up her spine pulling her appetite along with it.

      Lawson seemed to understand and changed the subject. “So, tell me Serene, what do you like to do?”

      She blinked and felt her body return to normal. At least the roaring hadn’t started in her ears. “Do?”

      “Yes. Do you enjoy sports, or do you like to read?”

      “I, um, I…” she was having a difficult time regaining her composure. Fuzzy images of her mother kept trying to push into the front of her brain. “I like to look at pictures.”

      “Paintings?”

      “Um, no. I was building a collage on my walls at Ted’s house from photographs. They were of places I wanted to visit.” She lowered her eyes waiting for Lawson to make fun of her like Ted had.

      “That’s unique! Do you own a camera?”

      Serene looked up slowly and realized that instead of making fun of her he was actually smiling. It wasn’t the bullshit condescending smile of all the people she had known at Ted’s, who really didn’t give a damn about who she was or what she wanted; it was an honest smile, and it was contagious. She smiled wistfully. “No. I got all of my pictures from travel magazines or National Geographic. I have a couple of picture books about Mexico and Madagascar, and I once had a book about Jamaica that I really liked.”

      “You don’t have it anymore?”

      She shook her head. “Ted got mad at me one night and ruined it.”

      “I see.” He said quietly.

      Serene’s head shot up and she blurted out, “How long do I have to stay here?”

      “I purchased your company for one year.” Once again his voice was just matter-of-fact. He didn’t offer apology, and he didn’t exude arrogance.

      “A year.” She said flatly.

      “Yes, and I will do everything in my power to make your stay enjoyable.”

      “Look,” her voice came out sharp, “I’m tired of kinky sex. I don’t want to be choked,” she pointed at her neck and narrowed her eyes, “and I don’t want any kind of strange objects, and…”

      He held up a hand and interrupted her. “I’m not looking for those things, Serene. When we make love it will be quick and what most would consider boring I’m sure.”

      “Really? Why?”

      “Sex is secondary in our arrangement.”

      She was confused by his statement. In her world, sex and money were always first. Nothing came second to them.

      “Please eat more.”

      Serene shook her head. “No, I’ve had enough.” She watched a momentary look of disappointment flash through his eyes as he nodded. It was strange for her to look at his eyes inside of the mask. She could however see them clearly and they were a light brown that sometimes reflected a golden hue.
Pretty
was her immediate thought.

      “It’s late. Please feel free to retire, if you like.”

      Serene was exhausted. A fleeting thought entered her mind that perhaps he had drugged her, but she dismissed it. It had simply been a long and strange night. She stood from the table and turned to leave. She paused at the entrance of the dining room and spoke without looking at him.

      “Goodnight.”

      She heard him murmur something indistinguishable as she walked away.

* * * *

      Serene awoke the next morning and tried to focus on exactly where she was. Sunlight broke in around the drapes of the window and laid slants of perfect light on the floor. The bed was incredibly soft and she stretched cat like with a satisfied smile on her face. She had never slept in such comfort her entire life. She sat up slowly and looked around the room. A frown crossed her face when she saw several things sitting in front of the armoire.

      She sat down on the carpet in front of them and just stared for a moment. One was a basket that had high dollar shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. She opened the lotion and breathed in the scent of lavender and sandalwood. She also found a bright pink loofah and various kinds of makeup.

      The other item waiting for her was a square box wrapped in shiny black paper with a white bow. She furrowed her brow and tore into the paper. Inside was a brand new digital camera. She gasped with delight at the sight of it. There was a note attached to the top.

     
So you can take your own pictures. There is one other gift in the armoire I would like you to wear tonight.

     
She stood and opened the door to find a white lace and satin corset with a matching sheer robe. The robe would probably only come to her thighs, but it wasn’t meant for concealment. She touched the fabric and it felt like wealth. She closed the door and left the bedroom. She tried the other room on the hall, but it was still locked. The living room was also empty.