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Hannah cautiously closes and locks the door when the man leaves. She can't remember his name. She begins to wonder how she is supposed to take a shower in a stranger’s bathroom when she can't recall his name. How did she get into this predicament? This is still by far better than being back with him, she resigns.
She removes her clothes hastily and throws them in the trash can. She never wants to see them again. She has had to wear the same shirt and shorts day in and day out for most likely years. She had outgrown them so long ago, but he thought they were still fine for her to be dressed in.
Hannah walks into the shower and turns the water dial to just warm. She refuses to bathe in scalding water. She delights in how liberating it feels to get to choose the water temperature of her shower.
While the water heats up she looks around his bathroom. It is pretty clean, apart from the clothes on the floor. She spies a hamper in the corner, so she puts his clothes in it. It's the least she can do since he is being kind to her. She reaches to feel the towel he has given her to use. It is a fluffy, soft towel. It may have been red once, but now it is a faded pink. Hannah thinks that it's just right. She only had one old abrasive towel when she was in the dungeon, as she calls it.
She hesitantly reaches into the shower to test the water. She is surprised with how pleasant it feels. She warily steps in and lets the water fall over her body. She finds his soap, which smells good. It is nothing like what he made her use. She works the soap into a rich lather and gently washes the grime from herself. She starts thinking about everything that has happened to her. She then begins to vigorously scrub her battered body, trying to rid herself of her past life in the gloomy bunker with him. Soon, she realizes that she is crying once more. These tears are more purifying than anything else. They make her feel well again. She turns around to begin scrubbing her hair. The water that is going down the drain is brown from dirt that once covered her. She stays beneath the shower head until the water runs clear and she has washed her body and hair several times, too many to count. Hannah then slides down the shower wall and sits on the floor while still letting the water pour over her. When her tears finally stop, she begins to calm down.
She hears a rap on the door that startles her.
"Everything okay in there? Do you need anything?" the man calls to her from the other side of the door.
"I'm fine, I will be out soon," she answers back.
She stands and turns the water off. She steps out of the shower, picks the pink towel up and wraps it around herself. She can't remember the last time she was fortunate enough to use something soft. She gently dries her body off and inspects her numerous wounds. They are not as bad as she had thought and should heal quickly. She puts on the clothes that the man has lent her. The shirt is oversized, but she is grateful for it regardless. It is supple and comforting to her. The pants are large, but after rolling the waist band she can make them stay on without falling.
Hannah then towel dries her hair and guardedly uses her hand to wipe away the condensation on the mirror. It is the first time she has been able to look at herself since he took them. He thought mirrors were only for the vain, therefore he made sure they didn't have one. She gasps at her reflection. She can’t believe the image facing her. Her hair is long, very long and dark brown. Her cheeks are hollow and flushed. There are dark, purple bags under her large, brown eyes. Her complexion is still somewhat olive, although she is pale from lack of sunlight. She has really matured, she thinks to herself. She doesn't look too much younger than the man that lives here. Her body is that of a woman's now, no longer a little girl. Despite being painfully thin, she does have some curves. Hannah contemplates just how long she has been locked away.
She eventually moves on and finds the toothpaste and brushes her teeth. Hannah now feels so much better, like a brand-new person. She is no longer a prisoner. She is free of him. She is free to make her own decisions and go where she pleases. She is finally free.
***
SAWYER NOTICES THE bathroom door opening and glances down the hall. He watches Hannah step out and walk toward the kitchen. He has just finished cooking some eggs, bacon, toast and cut apples he found. He thinks that surely she will eat something that he as laid out for her.
“Hey babe, hope you are hungry,” he says while grinning at her.
She looks at the food and then back up at him with a shocked expression. This worries Sawyer and he quickly tries to assure her.
“I’m not the best cook, but I promise it’s edible. The only thing I can cook is breakfast food,” he says jokingly.
“It’s not that, it’s just . . . never mind. Thank you,” Hannah responds softly.
“No problem sweetheart. Now dig in!”
She puts a conservative amount of each item on her plate. Sawyer frowns at this, he knows she must be hungry. He grabs the spoon from her delicate hand and piles more food on her plate. The tight line of her mouth turns up into a grin at him, she then sits down on a stool at the countertop. He moves to the refrigerator to see what he has to offer her to drink.
“What would you like? I have orange juice, coffee or water. I have stronger stuff, but you don’t look the type,” he smirks as he turns to face her.
“Orange juice would be nice, thank you,” she answers politely.
Sawyer reaches into the cabinet for two glasses and pours each full of juice. Hannah graciously accepts the glass and begins eating quickly. He leans back and watches, unbeknownst to her. He can’t help but wonder when the last time she ate was. He then begins to work on his own plate. She finishes by the time he has eaten half of his food.
Hannah suddenly stands up, “Thank you for everything but, I’m sorry I can’t recall your name,” she says timidly.
“Don’t worry babe, last night was pretty stressful for you. I’m Sawyer, Sawyer Monson, pleased to meet you. And you are?”
She looks down sheepishly. “My name is Hannah Randoff. That sounds so weird to say out loud. I was close to forgetting it,” she replies, speaking more to herself than to Sawyer.
He gazes at her with a confused look. “Well, Hannah Randoff, why is it so weird?”
“It’s nothing, don’t be concerned about it,” she says hurriedly. She is worried that if he finds out, that he will make sure she gets back to him. She can’t go back to that hell, not when she has now tasted what it feels like to be away from there.
“Now beautiful, you can’t say something like that and not arouse my interest,” he says soothingly to her.
“Thanks again Sawyer, but I need to go,” Hannah states as she walks to the door to leave.
“Where are you going? You don’t even have any shoes. Are you sure there isn’t someplace I can drive you to or someone I can call?”
Hannah looks at Sawyer with tears in her eyes. He thinks to himself that he would rather have his finger slammed in a door than to see her cry. What is it about this girl, how can she have this effect on me, he wonders. He decides to try a different tactic to get her to talk and not cry.
“Is there a boyfriend I need to take care of?” he smirks while hitting his fists together.
She shakes her head. “No, nothing like that. Look, I really don’t have anywhere to go and no one to call. I realize you don’t know me, but could I stay here for a few hours until I get something figured out? I understand if the answer is no, you have already done too much for me.”
This completely takes Sawyer off guard. He can’t believe she just asked to stay there longer when she was just attempting to flee as fast as she could. Honestly, he feels relieved, almost happy that she wants to stay. He quickly dismisses that thought and continues to look at her wide eyed. Hannah takes his silence as his answer.
“Ok, well I really appreciate all you have done for me. I will get your clothes to you soon. It was nice meeting you Sawyer,” she tells him as she walks toward the door.
Sawyer panics, “Whoa, hold up! You can stay here if you like. You know, until you find what you need and all. Sorry to make you think otherwise, I was just surprised is all.”
“Oh, thank you! I was starting to really worry about where I was going to go. I hate to ask you this, but can you help me find out some information? I need to try to find out about my past and try to find my dad. Do you know of a way that I could find that sort of stuff out?” Hannah asks anxiously.
Sawyer studies her for a moment. He ponders what she has asked of him. Why would she need to find out about her past? What’s the deal with her dad? Maybe she is a runaway, he reasons to himself. If that is the case, how does it explain her condition when he found her? She must have been on the run for a long time. He gives up trying to figure her out for the moment, he is just thinking of more questions and becoming more frustrated.
He finally asks her, “Uh, what help do you need?”
Hannah shifts back and forth on her sore feet. She looks down while trying to narrow down what she first wants to know. She feels overwhelmed with potentially unlocking some pieces to herself.
“I’m not sure. What is the date and where am I? she eventually decides to ask.
Sawyer thinks this is an odd question. Then he jumps to the conclusion that maybe she is a druggie and has been on a bender for some time. He shrugs off this idea as well. She looks far too innocent to do something like that.
“Well, it’s April 14, 2017, and you are in my apartment in Lawton, Oklahoma,” he replies. Hannah’s dark eyes grow larger than they already are. She looks as if she is completely astonished at this information. Then she laughs at Sawyer.
“2017? Are you sure? That can’t be right, very funny,” she tells him while giggling.
“Honey, I wouldn’t lie to you. What year do you think it is?” That’s it, Sawyer thinks to himself. She is crazy. She has a mental disorder. He believes that he finally has his explanation now.
“I honestly don’t have a clue, I just didn’t expect you to say 2017,” she answers soberly.
“Well, what was the last year that you remember?”
Hannah stops and thinks for a moment. She begins talking out loud to herself. “I was five or six, and I was born in 1996 so it was either 2001 or 2002. So, I guess I’m twenty years old now, wow, I really didn’t even know how old I was until just now. So, I’ve lost like fifteen years of my life. This is so surreal.”
She looks up at Sawyer and asks, “Wait, you said Lawton, Oklahoma, right? My dad was here for work. My mom and I were on our way to visit him. We were on a road trip to see him. Then he took us.”
Hannah stops speaking and raises her hand to her mouth. She looks like she is about to faint. Sawyer walks her to the couch to sit down. Sawyer then whips his head toward her as he just processed what she said. He’s replaying in his mind the words she last spoke. Then he took us. This girl was kidnapped. Does that thing really happen around here? He doesn’t remember hearing anything like this in the past. Maybe this is some elaborate scheme to take his money. Sawyer now feels that perhaps her innocent look may just be an impressive act.
“Where are you from babe?” he decides to ask her.
She looks at him bewildered, “That’s the thing, I don’t remember. I don’t really remember a lot about my past, the memories that I have are faded. I don’t know what memories are real. I can’t recall where I’m from, but for some reason, I remember where we were going. I don’t even know if I really remember my parents’ names.” With this outburst, she begins to cry once more.
“Babe, please don’t cry. Look, I think we need to call the cops. They can help you and – “
“No, no please no! He can’t find me. They will bring me back to him. He said that he would always find me and that I am always to be with him. He said he would be able to persuade anyone that I was supposed to be with him. Please, don’t let them take me back! I would rather die, being there is worse than death. Please, please promise me. Please . . .,” she pleads hysterically.
“Honey, okay, okay. Don’t worry. I won’t call the cops, yet. I will help you find out who you are and who your parents are. I will even let you stay here until you find them and figure out where you’re from. Just please don’t cry, I can’t handle it when you cry, sweetheart,” Sawyer tells her sincerely.
He now quickly dismisses all of his misconstrued theories about Hannah. Her story is just about too hard to believe, but he doesn’t think she is trying to pull off a con on him. He decides that he now has his work cut out for himself. He is also going to have a girl stay with him in a strictly platonic sense. He is going to lose his bad boy status. He is going to lose his privacy. He does know one thing for certain, he will not fall for this doe eyed beauty, that is the one thing he will fight.