Forced Paradise

Slippers

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It's a random gif involving eye contact. It's from Tumblr, but I don't know the exact source. I used it because I low-key like Dylan O'Brien.

Please let me know if there are any mistakes and thank you very much for reading.

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I'd been contemplating in my head about the situation and my options for such a long time that I didn't even notice how fast we'd reached the front door.

Looking around, the workers were minding their business, working in the garden as this was a normal scenery. Their boss was carrying his next victim, you know, just a normal day. "..No.. could it be.. I'm not the first one.." and with those thoughts I went into fear mode in a blink of an eye.

Once the fear kicked in, I started struggling in his arms again. He sensed this and immediately said while tightening his hold without looking at me "Not yet. I'm not done with you."

I got even more stressed. What did he mean by that?!

He took advantage of my moment of stillness and shifted my position, elevating me and held my legs in his left arm, while I was leaning against his chest and opened the door. It happened so quickly, that I didn't realise it until I was back in my original position. We were now standing in the big hall I once thought would be my last sight of this house. How foolish of me.

Still standing in the hall, with me in his arms, he called out to someone. "Isabella? Could you come here for a moment, please?"

I was surprised and intrigued, although a bit scared. It would be my first time seeing him interact with someone else. I had to take notes so I could predict his actions in the future.
He started very politely. Was there any sarcasm in his request? No, I didn't sense/hear any. So who would this Isabella be? What if she's his wife or something? Oh my god. A family of cannibals. He was going to ask her to take and prepare me for dinner. Oh no no no n-

"Yes, sir?" was the voice, preceded by faint steps that got me out of my thoughts. Looking for the source, I was met by a young lady in a modest maid uniform, medium height, dark brunette with peridot coloured irises. She was standing up straight, with her arms in front of her, her fingers interwoven, full attention on the man. Either she looked at me while I was panicking inside my head or I'm a ghost. They can't be so nonchalant about this whole handsome-man-carrying-an-ugly-ass-girl-in-his-arms situation.

"Could you please take miss Emily's slippers and clean them?" he ask-requested with a polite smile, ignoring my reaction of shock and embarrassment.

The slippers were quite a mess and it would kill me to see someone else having to go through the process of removing all that dirt that was dried on the material for a while now. All because of me. I would have suggested to throw them in the trash, but that would have been a waste, considering they were in good condition, no tears or holes. I was impressed. Even the slippers were of high quality for god's sake!

"Most certainly, sir." she quickly responded with a slight bow.

Was now she being sarcastic? She agreed just like that? "What are you so surprised about; she works for him as a maid for heaven's sake. I don't think she is allowed to refuse, despite the polite tone they are using."

She then prepared to take them off my feet, when I stopped her. In seconds, I tried to get as up as I could when you're being carried in someone's arms so she could see my face clearly and lowered my legs so she wouldn't reach them. Ignoring my captor's surprise as he didn't react on time to hold me still, I said nervously "Wait-wait-wait, no, you don't have to do this. I'll do it myself-" I managed to end it with a nervous and polite smile. My breathing was chaotic and I'm pretty sure I stuttered in just saying a few words.

She stared at me surprised, her hands still reaching for my soles when I felt myself falling back down in his arms, in an almost horizontal position. With my head also now fully in a horizontal position, he was piercing me with his
sapphire eyes with an intense emotion on his face. Something tells me he was mad..just a hunch though.

"No, she will not do it by herself." He said in a slow and steady voice, like he was telling it to a small child, not breaking eye contact with me. I was feeling how I was becoming intimidated the more he stared at me, but I couldn't look away, I couldn't show weakness in front of a predator. (Literally, since he was [presumably] a cannibal).
I hate eye contact. So. Much.

He insisted with his deep stare, but soon anger overflowed me. I hated people telling me what to do, especially if it caused me so much discomfort. So I didn't back down.

"Yes, I will. I cannot let her clean the slippers which got so dirty because of me." I managed to say pretty confidently, trying to keep eye contact with all of my power.

Seemingly analysing all my face muscles, all my eye movements and blinking, after my confident comeback, his face did calm down a bit. I was looking insistently for the reaction on his face, but he, still staring at me, said calmly "Take off the slippers, Isabella."

My heart started racing. Was it of anger? Mostly. But it was also out of fear. Did he not hear me? What was he going to do?

My eyebrows furrowed and I started squirming as I saw Isabella reaching for the dirty footwear once again.

He then lowered his head, way too close to me and gently lifted me a bit up and whispered "Squirm again and I'll immobilise you right in front of her, here, in my arms." He was of course, referring to the syringe from earlier. He sure loved to make sure I wouldn't forget the damn syringe.

Hearing this, I gulped and froze. He lifted up his head and I saw how Isabella gently removed the slippers and placed them in a container of some sort. She then backed off a bit and bowed slightly before walking to an open door and disappearing from my sight.

As I was watching the poor soul who had to deal with my mistake disappear, I heard the monster say to me "Let this be a lesson to you. Whenever you mess up, someone else will have to clean it."

He knew. He knew I felt guilty. He saw it. How could I have been so dumb. He saw my shame and guilt because I was too busy being polite to Isabella and didn't hide my emotions. And he was going to take advantage out of it.

I felt as he bent down a little and removed his shoes with his legs. He then pushed them aside and put on some house shoes. He really didn't want to release me from his hold, huh.
"Keep your friends close, but your snack closer (especially if it is able to run)" I guess.

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Thank you (again) for reading this part and this book in general. I'm shook someone reads this. And deeply thank you-s for voting.
I appreciate it a lot 🤗

Nevertheless, please let me know if you have any suggestions in general and on titles (For example, for this one I swing from liking it because it's quirky and random to straight up hating it because it seems stupid and unrelated), opinions on the story. I'd love some feedback as I'm very insecure about my writing. This is new for me, I am by no means a professional writer.

Also, I edit the chapters randomly (I have trust issues with myself 🙈 therefore I reread a lot) so there might be some changes very often, whether it's the spelling of some words, rephrasing or adding some new sentences.

Have a great day/night & best of luck!

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