Page 43 of Master A-0011

“I know,” Elec laughed. “You’re going to be an amazing wife, Pearl. And a great mother.”

“The best. It’s all I want.”

I barely managed to get the words out. Words that didn’t feel like my own. I was tired, but did I really want that? I felt like I did. I must. So what were those voices? The fight continuously raging inside me?

The questions ended as soon as I could even contemplate them. The wonder faded into the background, disappearing with dreams of happiness. Of having friends and being a mother. I wanted that. I…wanted it. I did. I always had.

Something.

Something.

Sleep.

More sleep.

A day.

More.

Time flew as I obeyed the Main Master’s orders. I woke. I slept. I wasn’t sure if the nurses who checked up on me weregiving me medication to knock me out or I took Elec’s words to heart. It was the morning of the third day that I awoke from the sound of that familiar voice. But it wasn’t the Main Master’s foreign words that had my lids shooting open. It was the sudden silence. The calm yet tidal wave of unexplainable panic that came with it. No screams. No distant voices.

“It’s time to wake up, Pearl. How’s your sleep been?”

I took in blue eyes, swallowing past the lump in my throat. My hands were trembling, and it only spread to my body as those odd words repeated in my head. I felt like I was having convulsions as I searched for words.

“G-Good.”

“And your head? How’s that?”

Elec glanced back at the heart monitor, stopping next to my bed. Him being that close made me want to scream out in terror. I wanted to run. To hide. To attack if that’s the only option I had left. But I couldn’t do any of it. All I could manage was to try to calm the trembling controlling me.

“My head?”

“Let’s not play naïve, Pearl.”

“Clear,” I managed. “It hurts. It’s too quiet. Almost to where my ears want to ring. P-Pressure.”

The Main Master nodded.

“It’s been quite a long time since you haven’t been…persuaded. It can be quite the jarring difference at first, but nothing you need to worry about. Soon, it’ll all feel like a dream. You’ll go back to your focus, and I’ll go back to helping Ethan plan your wedding.”

“Wedding?” I breathed out, momentarily confused. My eyes lowered, taking in the small, healing heart that was between my knuckles on my ring finger.

Memories came crashing through making me gag at the force. What I’d done to Sissy. At what was planned for my life, I gagged again.

Mother, yes. Wife, okay.But to him?To Ethan O’Brien, murdering cannibal? He was going to fillet my body alive. He’d already admitted to wanting to cut more of me. I had even agreed to allow it! Had I really done that? Had I eaten slaves? Had I cut them apart? Skinned them? Prepared and processed them for me and Ethan to eat in the future?Planned to eat my family?Even wanted it?

My hand shot to my mouth as I tried to catch my breath and swallow back the sensation to be sick. Elec waited, barely moving as I calmed enough to bring my attention back up.

“You wouldn’t imagine how often I see that reaction. It’s normal, and you won’t have to endure it long. I just have a few questions, and then I can put you back together again.”

“I don’t want to go back.”

A stoic expression stayed on the Main Master’s face as he looked down at me. But something was different with him. Off. I could sense something was wrong, and I had a feeling it had nothing to do with me or the man I was supposed to marry.

“Ethan is curious where you want to go for your honeymoon. Since he can’t see you yet, I told him I’d ask.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Please. I don’t want to marry him. This was a mistake. I don’t want this.”