Love's Captive Love's Captive

Love's Captive

Ellie, shivering in the rain, stumbled upon an eerie silence. The city's vibrant streets now seemed deserted. Her phone calls went unanswered. A screeching sound from behind the bush sent her running, but she slipped, fell and lost consciousness.

Hours passed. Ellie awakened in an unfamiliar room. A faint creek from the door heralded the arrival of a small figure. "Hey kid, do you know who took me here?" The child nodded, gripping her hand.

"Where are you taking me?" Ellie asked, but the kid's silent stare unsettled her. "Something doesn't feel right."

At Anton's house, Ellie entered a dark room cluttered with anonymous faces. "Who are they?" she asked.

Anton dismissed her concern. "Nothing. Let's eat."

In the kitchen, Ellie's terror escalated. Human body parts filled jars; severed fingers and tongues lay scattered. Anton chopped flesh with sadistic pleasure.

Ellie's horror mingled with fascination. Anton's gaze locked onto hers. "You're special, Ellie. My friends rarely meet...the ones I care for."

The child watched, intrigued. Ellie realized she was trapped in Anton's twisted world.

Days blurred. Ellie witnessed heinous crimes, her grip on reality faltering. Anton's affection sickened her, yet she feigned interest to survive.

Ellie probed Anton's psyche. "What drives you?" she asked.

"Love," Anton whispered. "My way."

Ellie walked a thin line, fueling Anton's obsession. Her survival depended on it.

One fateful evening, Anton's possessiveness peaked. "You'll never leave." Ellie seized the moment, grabbing a nearby knife.

Ellie stabbed Anton, fleeing the house. City lights blinded her. She collapsed.

Hospital bedsheets enveloped Ellie. Police questioned her, but she remained silent. The psychologist's query lingered: "Did you love him?"

Ellie's chilling response: "I love him still."

Ellie's gaze drifted toward the window. Anton's smile reappeared. She smiled back, whispering, "My love."

Few months passed Ellie's recovery was outward only. Her mind still trapped in Anton's twisted world, she struggled to recall life before captivity. The psychologist's probing questions unraveled her defenses. "What drew you to him?" Ellie's eyes dropped, her voice barely audible. "He made me feel seen."

The anonymous child, now in state custody, drew Ellie's portrait. Their gaze held a haunting familiarity. Ellie's determination solidified – she would find the child, unravel the tangled threads of Anton's legacy.

[A poem for Anton and Ellie]

"Masquerade"

Beneath the Sheep's Clothing

A wolf in disguise, with angelic face

Concealing demons, in a sacred space

Lies woven tightly, truth suppressed

Sincerity lost, in fabricated dress

Multiple masks, a chameleon's guile

Each smile, a deception, all the while

Charisma overwhelms, a siren's call

Hypnotic voice, entrapping all

Beware the predator, in innocent skin