The first memory I have of my captor is comparable to a CD with a large scratch running down its silvery smooth body; it repeats over and over again in my mind. It was September 1st of last year -- six months and four days ago.
I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen on my first day of senior year at Brunswick High School. Like most suburban schools, mine was especially boring. There were the usual cliques, mostly uninspiring teachers, and of course, a constantly annoyed (perhaps, sexually frustrated?) librarian.
For my senior year, I had decided to take the I-don't-give-a-fuck approach, and kick back by taking the "easy-A" classes. Starting off the day with Art Class 100: Mastering the Basics and ending the school day with sixth hour study hall seemed to be the best way to survive my last year. Admittedly, I was sick of the cafeteria food, the overcrowded hallways, and the same people's parties. There was little to zero variation in Brunswick, and college seemed to be my escape out of there.
Just as I had accepted returning to Brunswick for one more year, I had also accepted that nothing interesting would happen—nothing out of the normal, anyhow. But I couldn't have been more wrong.
Fifth hour astronomy class with Mr. Archer hadn't been my idea, but rather, my friend, Tony's. I remember on the first day of class, Tony and I sat together. He nudged me with his elbow. Glancing his way, I raised an eyebrow as if to ask what he wanted.
He whispered, "Have you heard anything about Mr. Archer?"
"No, he's new, isn't he?"
"Yeah. I don't know anything other than the fact that he's supposed to be dark and gorgeous," Tony said with a smile. Ever since he had come out our sophomore year, he had become extremely forward and open about his sexuality. Homosexuality, Tony always said, wasn't his choice. And he didn't mind flaunting it either. Always dressing in bold colors, Tony was clearly not your captain-of-the-football-team kind of guy.
"Tony, you always believe the rumors. I know you're type, anyway. Young, athletic blondes. Leaner than Abercrombie and Fitch models, but bulkier than soccer players."
"You know me too well," Tony laughed.
"And besides," I continued to say, "Mr. Archer is old. Isn't he like thirty five or something?"
The classroom door opened and the students hushed immediately. Diverting their attention to the door, we watched as our teacher entered the room. My face went white and my heart slammed in my rib cage. This man was gorgeous.
Tony sighed and whispered to me, "You're right. Not my type at all."
But he is mine, I couldn't help but thinking. His eyes reminded me of an illuminated rainforest, greener than I had ever seen. His body was unusually fit for a teacher—or what I imagined a teacher should look like. Nicely dressed in an entirely black suit, he was slightly overdressed for Brunswick High. And his hair was jet black, equally matching his attire. I wondered where he had come from. What had been his previous occupation? Were all of his outfits as stylish as this? My mind buzzed.
"Class," he said, shooting a sharp look at his students, "You can refer to me as Mr. Archer in the classroom, but when the school day is over, please call me Carson." Pacing back and forth along the whiteboard, he spoke for the majority of the hour about how his class would run and his unique grading procedure. That was how I saw him. He was an individual, not a conforming blue collar union member, like the rest of the staff at Brunswick.
He spoke in a manner that intimidated us, but at the same time, as if we were his equals. His voice was smooth and low, and it made me shiver. And sometimes, he would pause, a faraway look glossing over his eyes. Then, he'd snap back into his "teaching mode," and continue his thoughts. It was almost unnoticeable, but I caught him, especially as he was marking attendance.
It happened at the end of class. "Before I forget..." he said, grabbing his attendance folder. And then he ran through the list of names: "Blake Anderson."
"Here."
"Laurie Adams."
"Here."
Eventually, he got to my name. "Madeline Nickles."
"It's Maddy," I corrected him boldly.
Mr. Archer glanced up from his folder. He locked eyes with me and a small smile rose upon his face. Subtly squinting his eyes, that same pause -- that same moment of "thinking" -- that faraway look -- occurred. And all I could do was stare back, feeling as if I was being taken there too. I was where he was... in some alternative world, a secretive world behind his beautiful eyes.
"Maddy Nickles," he said, his low humming voice seeping from his lips.
"Here." My voice quieter now.
Then, he broke our locked gaze, and continued with roll call. Looking down at my desk, my eyes burned and my heart pounded even louder. I hoped Tony didn't notice my discomfort, but surely he did. What was overcoming me? This feeling inside was inexplainable. A mix of intrigue and understanding with a dash of intimidation, I knew I shouldn't pursue the feeling. But that connection, although potentially (no, definitely) dangerous, couldn't be resisted.
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I put the scratched CD away for now and focused on my current situation. Blinking, the dimly lit room reappeared. I had returned to the basement -- my prison, my reality.
It was nearly 6 a.m., around the time when my captor woke up and got ready for the school day. Three months ago, I could have happily recited his routine: wake up, take a shower, make a quick breakfast, fill his coffee thermos, and make sure the lights were off and the doors were locked before he would leave for Brunswick High. But now things were different. After all, my pain -- his pleasure -- was a new addition to that routine.
As soon as the cuckoo clock rang 6:00, Carson Archer unlocked the basement door. Handcuffed to the sex-infested bed, I remained still. I tried to calm my heart by silently telling myself that there was no getting out of this; this part of the routine was inevitable. I braced myself for his voice.
"Sweet Maddy," he said soothingly, and immediately, I could tell that he was in a good mood this morning. His happiness made me shudder in fear. At least when he was neutral, or even angry, he wasn't loving. He didn't caress me, tell me how beautiful I was, or talk about a future with me. But today, all of that stuff was about to burst from him.
"Maddy, I had a dream about you last night." When I didn't comment, he continued with, "We were in the classroom again. Do you remember how naughty you were?"
I could almost envision his sly smile.