IMMOLATION: Chapter 22

Samantha awoke to the usual stench of her own filth but the usual pain that accompanied consciousness was lessening; her wrists and ankles were losing their feeling. Tea Leaves had caught her trying to escape again he had been checking and tightening her bonds every few hours ever since. When she wasn't trying to escape, Samantha was either crying or being visited by Tea Leaves, and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, and so she held her tears for when he was gone. At the moment, she was too tired to try to escape and too emotionally drained to cry so she sat and waited for Tea Leaves to arrive. Judging by the sunlight it was getting near his usual time anyway.

Sure enough, barely a few minutes passed before she heard Tea Leaves' footsteps approaching and she steeled her herself against her fear. The door opened.

“You're looking well, today,” Tea Leaves said as soon as he entered the room. As always, he didn't appear to find anything wrong with the situation.

“You can't keep me like this forever,” Samantha stated while Tea Leaves checked her bonds.

“You are, as always, and tragically, correct,” Tea Leaves replied, satisfied that Samantha was still held tight, “But I wouldn't think you'd be so eager for me to decide I couldn't hold you any longer,” He looked her in the eyes, his cold watery eyes not even flinching as he said, “Since I would have to kill you.”

“I told you,” Samantha begged, “I'll go into hiding, I'll disappear, the others will never know. I—

Tea Leaves held up his hand to silence her and Samantha fell quiet.

“They would find you and kill us both, as I've told you before.” Tea Leaves sighed, heavily, and his expression softened. “I'm sorry, my dear, but this is how it has to be.”

Samantha hung her head and looked down at her lap. She immediately looked away before her stomach could retch. She'd been in the chair for almost a week, not once had Tea Leaves let her out of it, no matter the reason.

“Could you please clean me off?” Samantha found herself muttering.

Tea Leaves was getting up to leave.

“I'm sorry?” He asked, “What was that, dear?”

“I asked if you would at least clean me off since you wont let me do it myself.” Samantha looked down at the mess she sat in, soaking and staining her pants. It was even beginning to surrounded the base of her chair.

Tea Leaves shook his head. “I'd have to undo you,” He said.

“Then pour some water on me!” Samantha screamed, momentarily losing control of herself as she thrashed around, rocking her chair back and forth to the point where she was in danger of tipping over.

The stench, the fear, everything she'd been forced to endure welled up inside of her until she couldn't hold it in any longer and she started to cry. Samantha screwed up her face as she tried to hold back the tears. She'd promised herself she wouldn't give Tea Leaves this satisfaction, but it was of no use. She'd never get free, never see her dad again, never get to apologize to him for what she's done.

“My dear,” Tea Leaves said, his voice no longer firm or commanding, “I really do not wish to harm you...And if I can manage it, I will set you free.”

Samantha looked up at Tea Leaves and was shocked to find he was crying too.

“Then why keep me like this?” Samantha asked.

Tea Leaves knelt back down and began to undo the tape on Samantha's feet.

“Because I don't think the others believe I killed you,” Tea Leaves said, “And if it comes to it, I may need...evidence.”

“If you'd told me I was in danger I would have believed you. I would have let you help me, make it look like you'd killed me instead of just kidnap me. I can still help you, if you'll let me.” Samantha hoped Tea Leaves believed her lies but with his face down, working on releasing her legs, she couldn't tell.

“There are no windows in the bathroom,” Tea Leaves began once he'd released Samantha's legs and began working on her arms, “The door will be locked from the outside. I'll wash your clothes while you bath and then have them ready for you when you're done.”

Tea Leaves met her gaze and some of his seriousness was back, though a few tears still ran down his face.

“I will try to find a way,” He said, “To set you free, but it will take time.”

Samantha nodded as the last of her bonds came free and she rubbed her numb hands together, trying to get some feeling back in them.

The bath was more wonderful than she could have imagined. As she sank down into the tub, feeling the warm water wash over her, she couldn't help but close her eyes and think of nothing for a time. The aches in her legs and back from having to sit for so long immediately began to fade. The raw skin around her wrists and ankles were soothed and the tape residue washed off easily after several minutes of soaking.

From time to time she heard Tea Leaves footsteps just outside the door and she made sure to splash around a bit so he knew she was still there and not trying to escape. But other than that, he left her alone and she cried out of relief.

“I have to get out of here,” Samantha said to herself. She'd been talking to herself a lot recently, if only to hear a friendly voice.

Tea Leaves hadn't been lying when he said there were no windows in the bathroom, or that the door would be locked from the outside. In fact, from what little of the apartment she'd seen as Tea Leaves lead her to the bathroom, most of the doors looked like they had locks on the outside of them. She wasn't sure what she'd find if she looked in those other rooms, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Regardless, they probably wouldn't have windows she could escape though. If they had windows, they'd be barred like the one in her room.

“I'll have to find the front door,” She stated as Tea Leaves footsteps came by the door again. Samantha splashed again and he walked away.

“I'll get him to trust me,” She said, “Get him to stop locking me in, and then I'll get away.”

Samantha nodded her head to herself and began soaping up to properly clean herself. The movement and scrubbing still hurt her sores and stiff joints, but getting to clean herself was worth it.

“I'll go to Dad,” She muttered, feeling fresh hot tears run down her face, “I'll tell him everything.”

...tell him everything.”

Static crackled through the radio followed by some more splashing. Tea Leaves hung his head briefly, sighed, rubbed his face, and then opened the cupboard. The tea pot on the stove was already whistling. He grabbed a few little tins off the shelf and then moved the pot off the burner.

“Pinch of this,” He said as he added flakes of dried leaves to the mugs beside the pot, “Pinch of that, and...”

He opened another tin and added a single pinch of its contents to the mug on his left. He poured the hot water into the mugs and stirred.

“Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.”

He dropped a cube of sugar into the mug on his left and then picked them both up. He whistled as he wound his way through the apartment, back toward the bathroom. As he drew closer her splashing became more deliberate.

Why do they always do that? He wondered.

When he reached the door he paused and then knocked.

“Draw the curtain,” He said loudly to make sure she heard him, “I'm coming in.”

He waited until he heard the clinking of the curtain rings being jostled before he unlocked the door.

“I'm sorry, my dear,” Tea Leaves whispered and then opened the door.