Hallucination

Talia closed the door of the bathroom and plopped on the floor. She felt her stomach churning as she recalled the images she saw some moments ago.

Or were those hallucinations?

When Arthur started his kissing spree, she wasn't that tensed and went along with it. She thought he was just... playing,ike always. He knew she's on her periods and she knew he won't cross certain limits.

She wasn't much in stress until he threw her on the bed but after that when he tried to spread her legs... That's when a series of images with oddly vivid voices made her shiver.

She knew it was Fred. The lights weren't on and only his silhouette was visible since her bedroom was dark.

But suddenly this image popped in as he looked over her.

This image... of... Fred. It was Fred.

But his eyes were red and he was laughing in a mocking manner and sneering at her.

"Iris... Hahaha..Iris, like the flower?"

"You thought it was cute?"

Muffled voices of sneers and snorts filled the room. She could feel those men around her were saying vulgar things... really vulgar.

"Spread her legs, she sure would be wet down there..."

"Dirty cu*t... Who cares.... Just dig in..."

"She sure looks delicious..."

"Yeah... Surely..."

Talia felt stripped and cold. Was she actually naked? Probably. She felt something cold on her chest and the sound of scissors.

'Are they cutting my clothes?'

No! I don't want this... Please let me go! Please....

Her vision clouded.

Then another image popped while the sniggers continued.

The man above her...he had a needle in his hand that was filled with something.

He looked vicious and all Talia could feel was coldness... bitter coldness.

She hated cold!

"One more, dearie! I swear you'll feel better..."

She who had fear of needles, felt her head go blank and her breathing got shallow. Her eyes started to darken but she tried to hold it open .

"NO!"

She wanted to scream but it seemed like her voice didn't come out. She couldn't move her hands or legs. The man was sitting on her legs and her hands seemed to be tied to the headboard of the bed.

Everything looked weird...like she was not her anymore and she felt better and worse at the same time.

Terrifying!

Then there was more horror...

Flashes...

Flashes of cameras....

Lot of them...

The wood panel in front of her reflected the flashes and that place looked familiar. Especially that blue tablelamp over the dresser.

That room with wooden panelling... She knew that room. It was Fred's room on his Manor. She was there after Cyrus died.

No...

She struggled to get out but she had no strength and the snickers of the men continued. Some camera even pointed at her face and she could see the face of the men around her.

No! No!

This can't be real! This can't be!

She felt all her strength drained from her body and felt entirely cold. She felt sick in the stomach.

Someone help me!

Then there was warmth. The warmth of a hand on her waist.

She tried to move her hands and they could move now.

Maybe that feeling brought her out of the hallucination and she wanted to affirm the feeling. The big hand although seemed otherwise occupied, gave her a sense of belonging. The hand seemed to be in a hurry but still had a gentleness to it.

This is real! This hand is real.

The snickering noises disappeared and her could see his face.

Fred! Yes, this is Fred! Not that man with the demon eyes!

Her stomach really hurt and she told him and he immediately stopped whatever he was doing.

She looked at his face and his angered face in the restaurant came to her mind and it merged with the face she saw in her hallucinations.

Was that Fred too?

She wanted to run but didn't know where to.

So she locked herself in the bathroom. She wasn't sure of anything anymore and she retched.

She crawled to the toilet and threw up until there was nothing coming out of her mouth.

The face she saw... it was familiar.

It was Fred!

The same angry face he had in the restaurant.... And the odd face he had while kissing her afterwards.

Was that despise? He was angry at me, why?

He looked angry then too! Did he actually try to drug me back then? He knew I was afraid of needles. Is that why he brought needles.?

Was that something actually my memory or a hallucination?

She didn't remember a lot from those three days. Could that be actually a memory when she was held in the Sinclair Manor?

I wish it were a hallucination! I don't want it to be a memory.

Fred... I don't want it to be Fred!

I don't want to think he actually hurt me...

But he was angry at me now...

*Bang*Bang *Bang*

She could hear Arthur calling out her name. Even his voice was filled with worry as he banged the door and begged her to open it.

Is he angry now too? What should I do?

An uncontrollable chill passed through her spine and even her teeth chattered as she got covered in cold sweat. She felt her shoulders sting and saw the fingernail marks on her shoulders.

They were not deep and yet it brought her fear remembering how he looked while he kissed her sometime ago. It was so... frightening.

She didn't know what to do as she could hear the banging on the door intensifying. She got in the bathtub and curled herself into a ball, hugging her knees and placed her chin on her knees and rocked herself. She really didn't know what she should do.

She felt like she became that helpless sixteen year old again. The pitiful girl who had not one person by her side.

Arthur clearly was worried. She was inside the bathroom for a long time with no sound coming from in and he waited by the door. He worried if she had fainted or trying something... to hurt herself.

He worried if he should call the emergency services and that's when he heard her vomiting.

She is well!

He was relieved for a moment but then realised, she is not well. It seemed like she was bawling her stomach out.

He tired to get her to open the door but she is not opening. He thought of breaking the door to get in and gave a hard push on the door but then he stopped himself.

What if she is scared of me?