The next day you awoke to no Malcolm laying beside you. You stood up to see an empty bedroom. You knew he would be downstairs making food to bring you and eat, but you never ate it. You didn't trust his cooking anymore. You got out of the bed and walked to the closet and grabbed a hoodie with some shorts.

You changed and walked downstairs but you didn't hear pans moving around. You looked in the kitchen but you didn't see anyone in there. You checked the office, livingroom, bathroom, garden, greenhouse, and you rechecked the bedroom. Malcolm was nowhere to be seen. You walked back to the kitchen and noticed a note hanging at the very top of the fridge. You took it off and read the short letter.

My Flower,

I had to leave early this morning to open the shop. I can't keep it closed forever. I left you some breakfast in the fridge if you're hungry. All of the doors are locked and the windows are locked so you can't leave. Feel free to do what you wish. I love you and I'll see you later today for dinner. 

From Malcolm

You set note in the trash and opened the fridge to see a container of breakfast food. You closed the fridge only grabbing an apple. You walked to the garden and started biting into your juicy apple. You walked all around the garden and then stood in the green house. You saw that Malcolm was right and that you couldn't escape from climbing on top of the green house, the walls were to fragile.

You tried your best to find some way to escape but you just couldn't. You even thought of calling Scotty but Malcolm disconnected the cable lines in the house and took your phone. You were slapped and kicked a good couple of times from disobeying his rules. You didn't mean to but Scotty's name would slip out of your mouth and you didn't want to show your rapist any respect. He didn't deserve it. 

You walked back inside and noticed a door behind the stairs. You walked to it and opened the door heading down the steps to the basement. It was dark going down the steps until you found a light switch and flicked it on. It looked like a normal basement and you decided to walk around to just look. You looked in the boxes and didn't see anything out of the normal.

There were a lot of old quilts along with some blankets. You opened one box and found a lot of books. You decided to sit and read some books. You climbed back upstairs and found a flashlight to use to shine on the books. You traveled back downstairs and started to read a book. 

   ' Hmm The Thirtieth Day. That sounds interesting. Thirty days for what though? '

You started reading the book with the flashlight. You forgot about the other boxes and crates around you, and read the book. You were engrossed in the book, and you couldn't tear your eyes away from the pages filled with ink. After hours of reading you looked up from the pages, rubbing your eyelids. You set the book down and tucked the corner of the page so you could find your stopping point.

You stretched your arms and looked around the dark basement. Even with the light on it was still pitch black in some parts. You noticed s faint glow in one of the corners of the room, and you decided to walk towards it. When you reached the glow you felt sick to your stomach remembering the situation you were currently stuck in. You felt sick and wished you had never come near the glow.

   ' This is just sick. '

In the corner was a shrine. A shrine with pictures of you around the walls and picture frames. There was a big picture hanging on the wall of your senior picture. It was the best picture that was ever taken of you and it was hanging on the wall in a killers basement. There were multiple candles around the picture along with more pictures of you that he had taken personally. 

You noticed that some of your items that you had lost were there around the other items. Your hairbrush, necklaces, and even articles of your clothes. You took notice that the hair was taken out of the hairbrush and placed in a bag on a table of the shrine. Your mouth had gotten dry and you felt a type of acid climbing up your throat. You left the shrine and started trying to find the stairs.

You held your hand over your mouth as you found the stairs and started climbing them. You ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. You filled the glass as full as you could. What you didn't hear was the front door opening and the sound of the door shutting. Malcolm had just arrived back to the house from the flower shop.

He took his shoes off and put some slippers on. We walked further in to the house and saw you in the kitchen. He was happy to see you, but he could tell something was wrong. Your skin was pale and you were sweating. He watched as you filled a glass and you started chugging the glass really fast.

Once glass didn't feel like it was enough because you could still feel the heat in your throat. You filled the glass up again and started chugging the next cup. 

   " Woah, woah! Slow down. "

Malcolm held the glass and slowly pulled it down from your lips so he wouldn't pill it on you. He set the glass down and grabbed a towel. He started wiping your face from the sweat that was forming on your forehead. He couldn't feel a temperature but your skin looked really pale and your skin was sweating mounds. He set the towel aside and held your arms gently.

   " What happened? You look really sick but I don't feel a temperature. "

   " I-I was..."

   ' I can't tell him about the shrine. I don't want him to hurt me for just looking around. Because even if I tell him that he said I could roam around he will still hit me. '

   " Flower? "

   ' The book is down there too outside of the box it was in. '

   " Flower? You're worrying me. "

   ' I don't have time to go down there and put it back because he's here now. The book is still downstairs with the flashlight on beside it. How do I explain that to him? '

   " Y/n? "

You felt your chin being raised and your eyes met the worried green eyes of Malcolm. Ever since Malcolm took you he only called you nicknames. He never called you by your name. 

   " W-What? "

   " What happened while I was gone? "

   " I-I was just..."

   ' Let's tell half the truth. '

   " I was looking around when I found the door to the basement. "

His eyes were still worried but he was now worried about you seeing his shrine in the corner of the basement. 

   " I found a crate full of books so I settled down there and started reading a book. I took a break and stood up but when I did I felt really sick. I ran upstairs so I could get some water because my throat felt hot and dry. "

   " You were just reading? "

   " Yeah, there was a book down there called The Thirtieth Day. I was reading it. It's still on the floor downstairs. "

   " I believe you, you don't need to explain. Let's just get you upstairs. You need to get a bath and then change into some cool clothes and get in the bed. You look as pale as chalk. "

He put his arm around your shoulder and started leading you upstairs. You felt relieved that he believed you. He walked into the bathroom with you and started running the warm water into the tub. He filled the tub with rose petals and a lot of bubbles. He lit some candles as well to help get your sinuses cleared.

   " So just get in the warm water and relax. I've lit some candles to help your sinuses clear and relax your mind. Tell me once you're in the bath and I'll come in and help you wash your hair. "

   " No! It's okay, I can wash my hair. "

   " Don't worry I won't do anything, Y/n. I want to take care of you. I won't be able to see anything else either because of all the bubbles and soaps filling the bathtub. "

   " Malcolm-"

   " Y/n, please I'm worried about you. You're as pale as chalk and you're sweating multitudes. I'm just going to wash your hair and then I'll be out of the way and you can relax in the water and change on your own. I promise I won't do anything inappropriate or touch you in anyway you don't like but please let me take care of you. "

   ' As long as he thinks I'm really sick then he won't hurt me or touch me inappropriately. He won't force me to do anything either. Let's just play along. '

   " Y/n? "

You shook your head and looked back at Malcolm.

   " You're also zoning out a lot and it's hard to grab your attention. You need to get in the bath to relax and then laid down. Please just let me wash your hair and clean your face. "

   " F-Fine. "

   " Alright, I'll leave you in private to strip and get in the water. Yell for me when You're done. "

You nodded your head and watched as he left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.