The Switchblade Mamma

  19.

  Being an abducted person was a hard thought to grasp. I never got to watch the news, nor read the papers. I was never allowed to read magazines, with the exception of the porno mag that Barrett had given me, which I had retrieved from the balcony floor of the beach house the morning after Paige had thrown it. I never knew what day it was, nor did I ever know where I really was. I was no longer chained, but still felt somewhat of an invisible one wrapped around my ankle. Besides the fact that I fought women to the near death, the situation was becoming less stressful. I no longer feared Clive or Barrett, well for the most part. I had passed through the surgery and I was finally trained. So my thoughts were placed upon the off-season. What was I to do?

  I had finally proved myself and thus, became trustworthy. I was given a room in the house.

  It was nestled downstairs, down the hall from the war room and the interrogation room. It was four bland white walls, but at least it contained a bed with a mattress, a toilet, a shower and a place to put my belongings. The room was illuminated by a single 4 foot long fluorescent light. At least it was illuminated, thoroughly. I had heat. I could feel the warmth coming from the vents. Every time the heat turned on, it reminded me of winters back home when I was a child. The heater always gave off a warm furnace like smell. Every time I smelt it, I thought of Christmas.

  Christmas wasn't too far away either. Or at least I was told by Paige. Christmas dinner was delicious. It was a honey mustard glazed ham, complete with macaroni and cheese and candied yams. Apple pie and ice cream was served for dessert. The Apple pie with homemade by Paige. It was undoubtedly the best apple pie I ever ate.

  In the days following after Christmas, the farm was hit by severe blizzard. The only reason I knew was because when I was let out to eat, I could see the flurries outside of the kitchen windows. It looked almost unreal. It was almost like tiny bits and pieces of torn up paper swirling and twirling about in the wind.

  The winter at this point anyways, was the loneliest part. I spent most of my days in my room, reading and listening to music. I would also pass the time by doing push-ups and sit-ups. There were bars that were randomly placed in my room. I use them as an opportunity to do chin lifts and work on my upper body.

  Paige would come down every so often and we would chitchat. She wouldn't stay long for she didn't want Barrett to become suspicious. Dr. Cole of course did his once a week visit. He gave me a physical and administered my shot.

  Time had passed and I became restless and bored. I would pace in my room often, though how very little it was. I began to carry on conversations with myself. I began to reenact bits and pieces I saw from movies. I began to lose it. Just for fun, I would have random arguments with myself. I would yell and scream at the top of my lungs, knowing no one else could hear me.

  When I felt the insanity was beginning to take over, I would take myself a very cold shower. Crouched on the shower tile with my arms wrapped around my knees, I hoped the cool streams of water would wash away my crazy.

  My hair began to grow out. Out of boredom, I would gel it in any position possible. I would use comb-over, I would spike it, and I gave myself the boys don't cry look. Anything and everything I could do to occupy my mind.

  Days merged into nights and nights into day. My sanity was wearing thin. Going from doing something every day to doing nothing, created the worst chaos of all. Each and every day that Paige visited me, she saw my sanity wilting away in my eyes.

  I was in the middle of an argument. Looking at myself in the mirror, I raised my right hand and pointed at myself with my index finger. I sneered and showed myself some teeth. "I tell you this my friend, cross me again, and I shall skin you with my very fingernails!" I gave myself the old, two fingers pointed at my eyes, I'm watching you spiel. Just as I was about to go at myself in an imaginary flight, the door opened and Paige appeared. Slightly embarrassed, with my arm up and finger fully extended and mouth fully open, I slowly closed it and sat upon the bed.

  She gazed upon me, somewhat bewildered. "Were you about to say something, to yourself?"

  I pulled out the cheesy smile. "Maybe? I might've been having another argument with myself, yeah."

  Paige sat on the bed next to me. "Christ Lill, you have got to get out of here before you lose your damn mind."

  "I think it's already gone."

  Sitting next to me, she took my hand and placed it into her lap. "I have been working with my father and I believe I have finally got him to budge.

  "Budge, how so?" My head perked and cocked.

  Paige looked at me and slightly smiled. "Well, when my father isn't training girls to kill other girls, he and Clive have a side business to make money. You might say he is an extreme home handyman."

  "Remodeling?" I asked.

  Looking at me Paige slightly smiled. "Remodeling yes. My father can also build houses."

  "No shit!" I said sarcastically.

  Paige shook her head. "Don't patronize me, lady. I am trying to help you out here. Maybe you can learn a new trade, or at least get out of here and do something different."

  I nodded. "You're right and I'm sorry. I really would like to get out of here. I would really like to have a purpose. Tell your father that I will not let him down."

  Paige smiled. "Thank you." She said as she planted a kiss upon my four head. She raised herself from the bed. "I'll tell my father immediately." She planted another quick kiss on my head, turned and went for the door. She opened it and began to disappear out of the luminescent of the fluorescent lights of my room, when I stopped her with my words.

  "Will you be joining us as well?"

  She turned to look at me from the half open door. Fluorescent lights in all, beaming upon her beautifully placed skin. I smiled as she took two steps back into the room.

  It was a slight smirk, but she had something in her mind that she wouldn't quite tell me at the moment. Something was cooking up her sleeve. Paige's smirk became a smile and she slowly licked her lips. "Lillian, if you get good enough, I'm pretty sure my father will let us work together."

  I busted out with a cheesy smile. I gave out a short laugh. "And that I shall." I pointed at her and she snickered as she disappeared out the door.