Beth piped up. "Yeah...the kinda nerdy-lookin' blonde one...lawyer? Glasses? He's cute! What's up?"
"Okay," I said, "Well, he's coming here in a few hours for a session with me and he's asked me to push him. Now, I've devised a plan to push him well beyond what I've ever done in the past but I need one hundred percent of your participation for this to work, understand?"
They all nodded in agreement. I continued.
"What's going to happen is...he's going to walk into the house. None of you will answer the door. The lights will be off and I'll flip the breaker to make sure they stay off. There will be broken glass on the floor...tables overturned...it's going to look like we've been robbed. He'll, no doubt, call out for one of us but all of you will remain hidden. I will also be waiting for him in the darkness. When he is finally within my reach, I'm going to knock him out rendering him unconscious and I'll flip the breaker back to provide power again. I'll need one of you to help me carry him down to the dungeon and after that...well, it's up to me."
All three of them were looking at me like I was nuts. True, this was a stretch but it was a good set-up and a sure-fire way to get Andy in the mood. Whether the girls were on board with me or not didn't really matter. I didn't pay them to think for themselves, after all. Finally, Marisa broke the tension and said, "Well...if that's what you want...and it's okay with him, I guess it's fine with us...right, girls?" Elise looked like she was about to cry and Beth just rolled her eyes. I was getting upset but I guess I understood.
"Look...it's not going to be as bad as it sounds. The drug...you know what? I don't have to explain myself to you. Here." I gave them each some cheap vases I had bought from the craft store. "Smash them here in the entryway. Make sure the glass is everywhere. Turn over some furniture, too. I'm gonna go get ready."
While the girls went to work on destroying the entryway, it was time for my own little transformation. I decided that, since this was going to be a very intense scene, I didn't want to be pretty but I didn't want to come off as scary, either, so I decided on faded blue jeans, a long-sleeved black button up with the sleeves rolled up, a black silk tie, black combat boots and a black neoprene mask that only covered half my face from the nose down. I kept my hair down and I didn't brush it out so it was kind of stringy. I looked rough but certainly appeared the way I wanted to. I sure hoped all this was going to turn out as well as it did in my head. My head, though, is a wicked place completely devoid of all reality so I guess what I was hoping for was a miracle.
I looked at my watch: 7:38...perfect. I ran downstairs in the back and flipped the breaker for the power to the house. Immediately, the entire house fell deep into an eerie silence. I was getting very excited. I called the girls to tell them to take their places and I found a place to hide in the parlour. The needle was in my pocket. I was ready.
***
8:05 P.M. There was a knock on the door but I had pre-staged it so if you put the smallest amount of pressure on it, it would open by itself and it did just as I imagined, eerie creak and all. I was getting so warm that small beads of sweat had formed on my forehead. My breathing was so loud that I felt like he'd be able to hear me. The blood rushing past my ears nearly deafened me in the surrounding silence. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. I was a wreck. No turning back now, though. I fidgeted with the needle in my hand. He was coming inside.
"Hello? Kathryn? Girls?" he said as he peeked inside. I could see him perfectly from my vantage point in the parlour. "Holy Christ..." he whispered as he looked at the ground. The smashed glass and the busted up furniture worked just as I had hoped. He slowly stepped around the mess and looked around in the black. "Kathryn??" he called again. "Kathryn!! Are you here? Is anybody here?! Fuck..." As if driven by fate, he started walking toward the parlour. I started to make my advance. The first chance I got when he turned around, I quickly stepped up behind him, put my hand over his mouth, shot the needle full of a weakened tranquilizer in his neck and down he went. The second he went down, so did I! That was the biggest adrenaline rush I have ever felt and, as soon as it all hit me, my knees gave out and I collapsed right beside him. I laid on the floor beside his motionless body staring at the ceiling and slightly chuckling to myself. I couldn't believe I had just done that! ...but I didn't have time to waste. I slowly got up and got a quick drink of water. I went to the back to flip the breaker back on and the house came back to life with the dull hum of electricity. As soon as I did, I heard my girls come down the stairs. They all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Andy's body on the floor...and then they all stared at me. I smiled and said, "...well?" Marisa grabbed his feet and I put my arms under his armpits and, together, we carefully brought him down to the dungeon. We sat him in the chair and, while I busied myself with removing his shoes and socks and started securing the metal shackles around his ankles, Marisa was looking around in the stark "interrogation room" I had prepared. "Thought about this a lot, did ya?" I shook my head and looked at her, "'Bout five minutes." She chuckled and turned toward the door. "Sick fuck," she muttered as she left. Yeah...I was. Hopefully sick enough to impress Andy with how much trouble I went through.
Shortly, his ankles were secured with shackles that were attached to the floor. I took his hands behind his back, bound them together and then bound them again to the floor so he wasn't really attached to the chair but there was no way he was getting out. I thought to keep my bondage simple as interrogators don't go through much trouble when it comes to artistry and I wanted to make the whole scene as authentic as possible, at least as far as aesthetics go. Obviously, my specific form of torture wouldn't be very authentic at all but there had to be some fun in it for Mr. Larson. I didn't think to undress him at that point. I figured I could just cut everything off as necessity begged of me. For now, this would do. He was still out cold but the tranquilizer, I was told, would only last for about half an hour. It was mostly saline, anyway, but there was enough tranquilizer in there to do the job. To be on the safe side, I had rented a vitals machine from a friend of mine. I plugged it in, attached the clip to the end of his right index finger and, immediately, the machine started to beep with Mr. Larson's life. I must admit, I breathed a sigh of relief. I've never drugged anyone before and honestly didn't even know what I was doing. The Gods must have been in my favor with this one.
Anyway, I knew he'd be waking up soon so it was time for some tiny finishing touches. I parted the fabric and went over to my chest of drawers holding all my random gadgets. I found a roll of duct tape and ripped off a couple of pieces...I grabbed a blindfold, too, for added effect. After adhering the tape to Andy's mouth and wrapping the blindfold around his eyes, I decided to up the creep factor. I went over to my stereo and played "You're All I Want For Christmas" by Al Martino but I adjusted it to play about ten speeds too slow. It sounded like something Satan would listen to while wrapping his Christmas gifts and it made me unbelievably happy. I ran upstairs really quick to go in the kitchen and grab a butcher knife. I made my way back down, sat in my chair across from Andy and waited impatiently for him to wake up all while playing with the knife...it's silver blade casting golden light reflected off the lonely, swinging light bulb dangling overhead.
***
After the Martino song had looped a couple of times, I almost started to go insane myself (yes, started) but then I heard him stir a little...a few tiny moans escaped his gagged mouth. This is it! I thought to myself. I was nervous, I was excited, I was extremely turned on...it was too much to bear. Knife still in hand, I went over to Andy and removed the blindfold in one felled swoop. Sure enough, he was starting to wake up. I went over to the stereo and played another favorite song of mine called The Sleep, specifically for the words... "This question haunts my mind / Will we survive this night?" I sure hoped there would be no casualties. As he seemed to become more and more conscious of his surroundings, though, I started to worry less and less about his physical health. His mental health after this...well...we'd have to see.
I sat back down in my chair and stared at him as menacingly as I could. His head rolled back before he mustered up the strength to hold it up on his own and, when he was finally able to look me in the eyes, he jumped a little and struggled at his bonds. I think he was just playing along...of course, whether or not he was actually frightened didn't concern me. Fake fear is just as valid as real fear in situations like this. I still get what I want.
I let him struggle and get a feel for his bonds for a while until he settled down. He fixed his stare on me and I decided to go ahead and get started. You are Kathryn, master interrogator, I told myself. I took a deep breath and began my work.
"Do you know why you're here, Mr. Larson?" I kept my voice low and calm like I always do. He tried to get something out but the tape restricted his attempts. I got out of my chair and ripped the tape off his mouth. He licked his lips a little, trying to get moisture back in his mouth but the tranquilizer, I'm sure, left his mouth and throat very dry. Finally, he weakly said, "W-where am I?"
"Don't concern yourself with things that don't matter, Mr. Larson. I will ask you again and for the last time...do you know why you are here?"
He groaned as he continued to struggle against his shackles and chains. "I don't know what I did...whatever it is, I'm sorry."
I reached out and full-out backhanded him across the face. "You know that's a lie, Mr. Larson. You know goddamn well why you're here. Now tell me."
"Please," he whispered. "I need water. Please. I'm begging you."
I smiled. "I'm sure you do." I walked out of the room into the bathroom across the hall from the dungeon. I filled a glass with ice cold water and returned to Andy with it in my hands. He looked at it like he hadn't seen water in ages and even tried to straighten himself out in his chair to receive the drink I was about to give him. I held the glass against his lips and began to tip the glass forward and, when he opened his parched lips to receive the life-giving liquid, I raised the glass over him and slowly poured the water over his head. As soon as it hit him, he shut his eyes and tried to shake the water off while groaning in frustration.