The daring escape lasted all of about ten seconds. My feet nearly slipped out from under me as I screeched to a halt before the tall figure in front of me. He was scowling, arms crossed.
“That was uncalled for.”
I mirrored his stance, suddenly defensive despite the disappointment of being stopped. “Oh? A victim trying to escape her captor’s clutches is uncalled for?”
Ben laughed. “You’re not going to escape. Hopefully, in time, you won’t want to.”
I laughed too, but it was short and sarcastic. “If you are seriously suggesting I’m going to want to stay with you, you’re crazier than I thought you were.”
“Maybe I am. Now come on, this heat is terrible.” My hair was sticking to the back of my neck with sweat, but I stood my ground.
“I’m not moving.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I can see that.” Sighing, he stooped down and swept me off my feet, turning and heading toward the door. I pounded his back with my fists but they seemed to have no effect whatsoever.
“Hey! Put me down!” At this point, I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me, and my terror had turned to annoyance.
“Sorry, I’m deaf in one ear.” He chuckled and I blushed at the memory of my frantic babbling.
“Just let me down, please?” He looked at me tenderly, and I was suddenly very aware of the careful, bridal-style way he was carrying me. All this was making it very difficult for me to hate him and I wished he was a horrible creature on the outside as well as within.
“I suppose I’m going to have to secure the house a little better, eh?” He prompted, clearly in a better mood. I shrugged, wondering vaguely if he was bipolar.
“Not from my perspective.”
“You still want to escape?”
“Of course I do!” His expression melted from playful to hurt, and I tilted my head back. It had been resting on his shoulder, and I liked that too much. Trying to keep myself free of emotional attachments was getting more difficult by the moment, and I couldn’t look at his face without feeling strange twists within my stomach.
“But isn’t this so much better than being at home with Ana?”
I cringed, not wanting to admit that it was. At this time, she would most likely be screaming at me to make her breakfast, telling me to get a job so she wouldn’t have to pay for everything herself, maybe working a few death threats in there. My silence apparently manifested into conformation in Ben’s mind, and a satisfied expression crossed his face once again.
I refused to think of this as positive. He was a criminal and I was a victim. He kidnapped me, and I needed to escape. Those were the true, simple facts, and no amount of kindness or sugar coating could change them.
We were inside now, though he was still carrying me, and I was acutely aware of the proximity of our faces. A monster. He’s a monster, and you definitely do not want to kiss him. I closed my eyes, repeating the words over in my mind until they were unquestionable.
“You can put me down now.”
“Oops! Sorry.” He didn’t seem hurt by this. As much as I wanted to spite him, I wasn’t sure if I could bear that crushed, piteous look again. We stood facing each other and for the first time, there was a bit of tension between us.
“What are we supposed to do now, Mr. I-Have-A-Plan-For-Everything?” I leaned back against the table, eyes narrow.
“Well, since you seem so upset that I know everything about you, perhaps you would like to know a little more about me.” He smiled, and I had to look away to keep from being dazed. What was the point of drugs with a face like that?
“No, actually, that’s the last thing I want to do.” There was an edge to my words that he evidently took offense in. I didn’t care. The less I knew about him, the better. The easier it was for him to remain evil in my mind.
“Too bad.” Trying to preserve my determination, I sprinted toward the room that was now apparently mine. He continued, clearly thinking I was being playful and adding a comical tone to his voice. “My name is Ben Gallo, I -”
“No! I don’t want to know one single thing, you got that? Not one thing!” I slammed the door in his face, pressing my palms to the smooth wood. Silence filled the air, unbroken until soft footsteps thudded down the hall.
The polished surface slid easily under my hands as I sunk to the floor. Crippling helplessness washed over me like a wave and I stared blankly at my reflection in the full length mirror resting against the opposite wall. It was amazing how different a person can look after such a short period of time. In fact, it was a wonder Ben even wanted me.
Auburn hair hung in tangled strands around my face, reaching down just past my chest. The faint freckles strewn across the bridge of my nose popped out against my drained complexion. I could see all the scars, all the little burn marks and imperfections decorating my skin. My lips parted slightly at the sight, shocked to see my fading wounds in such detail.
Pushing myself to my feet, I saw that one of the dresser drawers was open slightly. Curious, I slid it open with the tips of my fingers, half-expecting to find its contents to be deadly or macabre. Instead, I found it stocked full of clothes.
Not just any clothes, either. Clothes of my favorite styles and colors. Clothes I always wished we had the money to buy. My hand flew to my mouth automatically, stunned by the thoughtfulness that had gone into Ben’s plan.
I felt myself caving. My resolve was crumbling under the crushing force of his kindness, and I was starting to realize what was going on.
Ben was my miracle. Granted, he kidnapped me. But what cold blooded criminal hand picks out an entire wardrobe tailored specifically to your style? What sadistic killer makes you your favorite breakfast and carries you gently back inside when you try to escape? Maybe, just maybe, he was really trying to save me.
Besides, if I got out, what would I be going home to? A prostitute who only keeps me around for the money she gets every week? A life of grinning and bearing it, waiting for my eighteenth birthday when I’m legally able to escape the wretched prison I lived in?
In a few moments, my entire attitude changed. I was exhausted from trying to fight the goodness in Ben, tired of trying to do what was expected in this situation. This wasn’t a normal kidnapping. It was a rescue.
Movement at the window caught my peripheral, and I slipped cautiously across the room, pressing my fingers to the soft blue curtains and pushing them gently aside.
If I was wavering in my resolve before, all the doubt was crushed by the scene in front of me. The window overlooked a fabulously vibrant garden, perfectly groomed and bursting with life. In the middle of it all, gently stroking the edges of a rose bush, was Ben.
My heart melted at the sight, and I hesitantly peeled my gaze from the window to walk down the hall. Why was this happening? Why couldn’t I be dealing with a horrific serial killer instead of a kind, troubled gardener?
Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the side door and stepped out, knowing exactly what I had to do.
You know it's a believable internal conflict when you start nodding and shaking your head furiously as the angel and devil thrust and parry across the main character's shoulders. Needless to say I was about spazzing as devil melts our logical angel through a gentle stroke of a rose bush. 
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