The Ocean’s City

Dalton drove us home in silence. I did everything I could to remember the way to Dannie’s place. It wasn’t far, and it also had a seaside front. When we pulled up in the driveway, I was busy figuring out how long it would take to walk to her house. We got to the porch when he turned to look at me.

“Did you have a nice day?” I nodded my head. He waited a few seconds before speaking again. “I let you spend the day with your friend today, but I was hoping we could spend time alone tomorrow.”

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Alone!? “I-I..” I tried to muster the words to convince him to let me see Dannie tomorrow. All I could do was shake my head. He caught my chin and forced me close to him.

He let out a sigh. “That’s what I thought… how about we make a deal? Daniella can come over for lunch if I can take you out for dinner.”

I gave a short nod. “Okay.”

“But I want a cooperative, classy lady when we go out for dinner. Am I clear?” I nodded my head again. “Okay, head up and get ready.”

I quickly showered and changed before he could even make it upstairs. I threw his pillow and blanket neatly on the floor where he slept last night, hoping he would do the same tonight. Then, I crawled into bed and shielded myself with the blanket.

The door swung open, and he stopped at the doorway, smiling. He laughed as he looked at the makeshift bed on the floor, and then his eyes gazed over at me.

He said nothing as he showered and then made himself comfortable. The lights were off, and I couldn’t see what he was doing. I was nervously picking at my nails.

“You know, Silvestia. I don’t plan on sleeping on the floor forever.”

I said nothing and pretended to sleep, but his words had my heart sinking deep in my gut. “Sleep tight,” he said, fluffing his pillow.

The next morning was much the same. I woke with him already gone. I stumbled downstairs where there was a whole breakfast laid out on the table and he was outside talking to the same neighbor.

I stayed just like that until I heard the rove of the car and Dannie’s voice. I ran to the front porch to greet her and stopped in my tracks by the door. My heart ached as I watched Hutson open her door and help her out. Her smile illuminated through her bruised face. The way they stayed near each other and she didn’t flinch made me worry about her wellbeing.

She looked up at him like she was in love. He only kidnapped her two nights ago, for Peet’s sake! A tickle danced through my hair as I sensed Dalton playing with it. It was what gave me the courage to go to my friend. Anything to be away from him.

“Hey you two! Come on inside!” Dalton hollered over my shoulder as I skipped down the steps to meet Dannie’s embrace. Her worried eyes met mine before she clung herself to me.

“You okay?” She asked. I nodded my head.

“You?”

“Yeah,” she sounded all too convincing.

“Are you two girls coming?” Hutson called over his shoulder as he climbed the steps to embrace Dalton in a greeting.

Dannie squeezed my hand as she walked me back up to the porch.

Once breakfast was done I waited for it to be lunch time. I lazed around the house and secretly explored where I could. Dalton had gone to the garage to work on something and instructed me to not leave the house and to get him if I needed anything.

I found one room that had almost every hobby imaginable in it. There was an art section, music, a work table. But it seemed like it was all unused, almost like it was meant for me. Or aka one of his victims he kidnaps to play house with. After all of my exploring, I just laid on the couch in the living room staring at my hands and checking the time every few seconds to see if it was lunchtime yet.

I stayed just like that until I heard the rove of the car and Dannie’s voice. I ran to the front porch to greet her and stopped in my tracks by the door. My heart ached as I watched Hutson open her door and help her out. Her smile illuminated through her bruised face. The way they stayed near each other and she didn’t flinch made me worry about her wellbeing.

She looked up at him like she was in love. He only kidnapped her two nights ago, for Peet’s sake! A tickle danced through my hair as I sensed Dalton playing with it. It was what gave me the courage to go to my friend. Anything to be away from him.

“Hey you two! Come on inside!” Dalton hollered over my shoulder as I skipped down the steps to meet Dannie’s embrace. Her worried eyes met mine before she clung herself to me.

“You okay?” She asked. I nodded my head.

“You?”

“Yeah,” she sounded all too convincing.

“Are you two girls coming?” Hutson called over his shoulder as he climbed the steps to embrace Dalton in a greeting.

Dannie squeezed my hand as she walked me back up to the porch.

Dalton was right next to our side, putting a hand on Dannie’s shoulder. “Why don’t you two go out back? We will bring out the chairs out.”

Dannie flinched at his touch, causing me to smirk. At least she wasn’t suddenly trusting him, too. Although deep in my gut, I worried it was all just a matter of time.

“Okay,” she said a bit too chipper and took my hand to walk me through the house as if it were own home.

We made our way to waves that I still couldn’t help but stare at and think about the first time I saw them roaring through the city buildings. I squinted my eyes to see if I could still see the city, but it looked as though there had never been a city mixed with the vast ocean and roaring waves.

“You still look for it too, huh?” Dannie spoke also, staring out at sea. “Hutson says we won’t see it anymore. We are safe here.”

I stared at her in shock. IT? I almost asked her what it was. She seemed to take the kidnapping so well I almost felt like she forgot the it was a whole fucking city that we lived in.

“All set.” Hutson huffed from behind us as he finished unfolding the last chair.

“Thanks!” she said in a high school girly kind of way and danced to her chair. I followed behind her. She settled in with a sigh.

I was about to say something to her, but then Dalton’s shadow came into view. I peered over my shoulder and found him holding two glasses. Dannie squealed and clapped her hands at the sight of the fruity drinks.

“Ladies,” he said in his perfect house husband’s voice. I eyed him and the drink as he passed mine to me, then to Dannie, who smiled at him. “Your awesome.”

He smiled as he jogged back to the house, throwing an “enjoy” over his shoulders.

My jaw dropped as I looked at Dannie. I watched as her cheeks warmed with happiness and she sipped her drink like there was nothing else better in life. She caught me staring. “What?”

“You slept with him,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. I didn’t want for her to respond. The blush on her cheeks told all the truth I needed to know.

“Dannie!”

“Shhhhhh… alright. Alright. Yes, I did. But look, you need to look at the facts, Silvie.”

“And what facts are those?” I nearly shouted at her again.

“Two gorgeous hot men have swept us off our feet to a place that has a fucking ocean. Using magic of all things. They are clearly in to us and want us to enjoy ourselves. Plus, our lives were such fucking shit! I just want for once to not have to have things hard.”

I grabbed Dannie’s stupid hand. “Dannie,” I scolded her to a stop her rant. “Two men kidnapped us against our will! Who is to say we are the first and only they will do this too? What’s happening when they tire of us?”

“They won’t Silvie!”

“They will! You mean to tell me suddenly you don’t want to leave? The dick was that good?”

She remained silent as she smiled and bit the straw to her drink. Then took copious amounts of alcohol.

Fuming, I turned to get up and leave her, but I caught sight of Dalton and Hutson on the porch setting up the grill and drinking beer. Hutson waved at me in a giddy way and Dalton stared daggers at me like he knew what we were talking about. Did he? Paranoid. I sat down, downed my drink, and stared at the waves.

I could sense Dannie wanted to say something, but she kept quiet, feeling that I was on the verge of snapping. Dalton came by with a pitcher and refilled our drinks. I ignored him and Dannie as they carried on small talk.

“Silvestia,” he spoke, grabbing my attention. “Would you like to come inside for a moment?”

Despite it sounding like he cared, I felt threatened by his words. I shook my head, folded my arms and locked my eyes on the ocean, trying not to cry.

When I finally felt calm enough, Hutson called out that it was time for lunch. We got up and went to the table on the porch to eat. I didn’t speak to anyone or make eye contact.They three of them spoke as if everything was completely normal.

Dannie tried to put a hand on me, but I shrugged it away. I caught Dalton’s stern gaze staring me down, but still I remained in my bubble. When everyone finished Hutson and Dannie volunteered to clear the table. I didn’t speak as I got up to help.

“Silvestia, come with me.” Dalton demanded as he opened the door to his house. I thought about just ignoring him and going back to sit by the ocean.

“Now.” He said before I thought that idea was a good one.

I quietly followed him inside. I felt Hutson’s and Dannie’s eyes on me. I heard Hutson tell Dannie, “She will be okay,” knowing that she must have started to follow me.

Dalton walked through the kitchen, across to the living room to a small door that led to an office. He turn and sat on the desk with his arms crossed. I waited for him to speak and he waited for me to speak.

“Well?” He finally asked.

“Well,what?”

He let out a frustrated laugh. “Jesus, it’s like talking to a teenager. Would you like to tell me why you are so upset?”

“I want to stay with Dannie.”

“Daniella will stay with Hutson, and you will stay with me. There’s no point in constantly going around in circles about it.”

“But…” but what could I say? Dalton wants us to be separated for the very reason I didn’t want us separated. “Never mind”

“Silvestia, I believe I have already given you enough and now that you have it, you are not happy. I need you to be adapting, not fighting it at every turn.” Tears collected in my eyes. “Would it be better if I sent her away?”

My eyes shot up at him, and I instantly pleaded with him. “No..I.. please don’t do that—” he shushed me as he walked closer to me and kissed my forehead.

“Alright then,” I looked into his eyes. He nodded his head, and I nodded mine. Then his lips came down on mine. They were soft and warm but made me feel disgusted given I didn’t trust him, but for a slight second I felt something much worse. I felt thrill.

Thanks for reading the eighth chapter of The Ocean’s City. Let me know what you think! Grammar Nazis are welcome!