After finishing the story that lasted for way longer than I thought it would, I waited for Jessica to speak on the other side of the phone. She was silent for so long that I thought she had left to get something to eat. I was about to call her name, but she finally spoke up.

“So let me get this straight.” Jessica clarifies. “You, in your infinite wisdom, decided it was a good idea to take your best friend to an orgy when she was clearly uncomfortable, force her to get gang-raped by random dudes she didn’t know, then had the balls to cry afterward like you were the victim.”

We stayed silent for a while. I didn’t know what to say. I really felt bad about what I did to her, but there’s nothing I can do about it now except try to make it up to her.

“Do you expect me to let you anywhere near her after you told me this?” 

“Look, I know I fucked up, okay?” I was so close to breaking down, but I held it together. I couldn’t hide my desperation, however, so she heard just how pathetic I really am. “That’s why I want to know where she is so I can apologize to her.”

“You think an apology is going to make up for that? Are you kidding me?” 

“I have to try.”

Another round of silence passed between us. My fingers thumped against the desk as I waited for what Jessica would say. She sighed on the other end, and I lost my breath. What is she going to do?

“Under one condition.” Jessica said. “Not only do you have to tell me where the lead is, you’ll also bring me with you to her place. Better yet, I’ll take you myself. We’ll go in. You’ll apologize or whatever, then we leave. That’s all we’re doing.”

That’s actually a really good deal. With Jessica coming with me, we can search around her house together and find Ty even quicker. Since she’s a police officer too, she could arrest Tiffany right then. I’ll free her, of course, but for now Ty is my priority. 

“I can deal with that.” 

I told her where she could find the potential crime scene. To be perfectly honest, I don’t even know if there’s anything there. From Ty’s reaction on the recording, I doubt if it’s anything beyond a corpse. Someone doesn’t just fall on their ass like that because they saw a woman.

“I’ll come pick you up in half an hour.” Jessica said. 

I looked at the time, and it was already almost two. The longer I stay here, the more likely it is that I’ll be caught doing this. It’s not like I can speed her up, but I could only hope that traffic is light tonight.

“I’ll meet you outside.” I told her.

The line went dead, and I was left with nothing but a ringing in my ear. I shut off my phone and looked at the black screen. The computer light highlighted my face just enough to where I could see a reflection on my phone. 

I used to be able to tell people how reflections work. I actually knew a lot of things. It’s just how things happened when I went to a private, high-class school. Once someone goes to a school like mine, they’ll gain the intellect to live a life where they can show off to others about how much they know. However, in return for the knowledge, they have to abandon their free will. 

I chose free will over knowledge. The feeling of making all those decisions without anyone speaking or judging me over my shoulder was fascinating. Much like a drug addict going to the same dealer every week, I would get high over choosing my own fate, no matter how right or wrong those choices are. I wouldn’t change a thing, because they were decisions I made. No matter how right or wrong, at least I can say I made them.

Does that make me a bad person? I guess that depends on what I choose to do with this free will of mine. So what did I choose to do with the free will I was gifted with? I went to an orgy that I honestly shouldn’t have gone to in the first place. I hurt the person who cared about me the most. Then I tried to live life like nothing ever happened. When Miranda became my new roommate at the school, I tried to throw away my past. But my past never forgot me.

I would drink again and again, breaking down the brain cells that could have offered so much to the world. I wanted to separate myself so badly from the world that gifted me everything I had, but at the end of the day, in my drunken nightmares, I would always see her. And I would apologize. But in all those nightmares, not once did she ever answer back.

There isn’t much I can do now except save Ty, apologize for everything that I’ve done to her, and hopefully help her get her life back on track. I could only imagine what it would be like being her. Having to live through her years with trauma constantly resting in the back of her mind, only for her to see her parents murdered in front of her eyes. I would probably snap too. My main question is, why did she kidnap Ty?

Was he just there by coincidence, or is there some other motive to it. I shake it off. It’s not like it matters. I need to get ready.

I turned off the computer and made sure everything was where it should be. Once everything was in place, I stood up from the chair and made my way into the living room. Before I left, there was one last thing I needed to grab. 

Harvey was still fast asleep when I went into the living room. If there was any time to do this, it would be now. I got on my knees and carefully pulled up his pants leg. The concealed gun rested on his ankle, weighing his foot down. I caressed it, feeling the cold metal against my fingers. 

As slowly and carefully as possible, I grabbed the butt and pulled it out of the holster. It slid out with zero resistance. My hands shook, knowing with one wrong move, this thing could go off. I need it for my protection, cause who knows how on the deep end Tiffany is. 

I couldn’t just carry it around with me, either. Jessica would get highly suspicious if she saw me with it. I took a deep breath and began unfastening the holster from his ankle. It was about to come off, but out of nowhere, he snored so loud he nearly caused me to yelp. I held myself back and waited for him to breathe normally again. Once he did, I finished unfastening the holster, and with it and the gun in each of my hands, I went outside and waited for Jessica.

***
Still in the basement and so far, I have not felt tired. It’s a strange feeling to not feel tired when I’ve done nothing except sit still all day and stare at the same drab ceiling. Nothing changes in this room. I’ve been stuck here for such a short time, yet my brain feels like it’s about to close in on me. 

Footsteps thunder above me. It’s felt like years since I heard any sign of life. In reality, it’s probably been two hours, but I like to be dramatic. If I’m dramatic, then maybe she’ll get sick of me playing up every little thing and let me go. Then I’d go to the police and get her arrested. I don’t care what crybaby backstory she has. Nothing that happened to her could justify her actions to me. 

The basement door opened, and not only did I hear footsteps coming down, but I could also hear her talking to someone. It was just loud enough for me to make out what she’s saying.

“Well, that’ll be great.” Tiffany said. “Okay then, I’ll see you later.” 

She appeared from the corner of the staircase, and in her hand was a phone that was still lighting up. My eyes widened seeing it, and the dots began connecting. I used up the remaining oxygen in my lungs and began screaming for help.

“Hey, whoever’s on the other side!” I screamed. “Call 911, please! I’m begging you!” I ended the plea for help with one long shout. I didn’t stop until all the air in my lungs 

After I was finished, my breathing went out of control as I refilled my lungs with sweet, sugary air. Meanwhile, Tiffany laughed like it was the funniest joke she’s seen in ages. I’m not going to lie. If I was in her position, I’d laugh too. Then again, if I was in her position, that would also mean I’d be bat shit insane. 

“Sorry to tell you this, dear, but I already hung up.”

Once I began breathing again, I chuckled, attempting to push out the oncoming dread. 

“Well, I had to try.” I said. I looked up at her and noticed she was looking at me with an oddly creepy smile. Even for her, it was beyond the creepiest smile since it contained no malice or insanity whatsoever. “Who called anyway?”

“An acquaintance of mine. They wanted to tell me something interesting, and I can’t help but smile.” 

I don’t think I’d like whatever it is that’s making her smile like this. Only another insane person can make another insane person smile. 

“So, what are you doing down here?” I ask.

I noticed it when she came down the stairs, but there was no sign of a plate of food at all. Now that I looked closely at her, I could see the bags under her eyes that indicated that she had been asleep only moments prior. 

“Well, I just want to tell you another story.” Tiffany looked around, found a good chair, grabbed it, and pulled it up to me. She turned it so the back was facing toward me, but she sat forward, so her chin was resting on the back of the chair. “This ones going to be even funner than the last.”

The last story was supposed to be fun? All it was, was a story with barely a beginning, skipped everything in the middle, then ended anticlimactically. I guess it explained why she liked me, but otherwise it made my basic storytelling sense malfunction. 

She sat down and leaned forward with a smile that was definitely not creepy. Not creepy in the least. 

“Once upon a time, there was this woman trapped in a castle. She had long, flowing hair, a bright smile, and a dazzling heart. There was no reason for her to be locked in the castle, but she was there anyway. It happened because her friend, one she trusted and loved since she was a lass, betrayed her. Now she’s stuck in the castle, with no way out.

“The woman did everything in her power to escape. She conjured a phantom that would talk to her about the best way to escape. Sadly, all of them were broken at the very end, or they weren’t ever there to begin with. The only way out was through a window, but if she jumped out, she would fall to her death.”

Before she could talk further, I asked her a question. “Why can’t she just use magic to get down? If she can summon a phantom, why can’t she use magic to float down?”

“Because I said so.” 

Well, that’s a stupid reason. There should be some thought put into decisions like that beyond because the author said so. Yet she continues to talk, not even bothering to fix her mistake. 

“The woman even tried getting into contact with her parents, but every time she used magic to try to connect with them, it would be interrupted by a flow of anti-magic.”

Okay, now I think she’s just making stuff up as she goes. 

“So, with her last ditch effort, she was going to jump out the window and hope something breaks her fall. If nothing does, then it’s not like the world lost anything valuable to begin with. If she was locked in the tower to start with, then what would it matter if she just jumped? She’ll have the same impact on the world either way.

“But suddenly, just before she jumped, her prince charming came to save her. With the vow of a king, he climbed the tower with his own two bare hands. However, her prince charming wasn’t alone.

“Off in the distance, the woman could see someone riding on horseback to the tower. When she peered into the distance, she could see her ex-friend with a demon in her heart and knife in her hands.”

Her smile widened to inhuman proportions, and a shadow spread across her eyes. If there was a photo, and she was on one, and I had to point to which smile seemed more fitting for a devil, then I’d point to hers with no further elaboration. 

“So the princess came up with a plan. If the plan turned out well, then she can get both her prince charming and revenge on the person who ruined her life.”

Tiffany stood up and stretched her back. Once she finished stretching, she turned the chair the correct way and looked around the basement. She found another chair, and she dragged it over here as well, forming an equilateral triangle with the chairs. 

She reached inside her shirt, and out of nowhere, she pulled out some rope and plopped it on the ground. She’s just been keeping that up there this entire time? Either that or magic is real, which will change my world view entirely. 

Suddenly, a thought came to mind. Surprising, I know, but it was a dastardly thought. It was something that I hope to God doesn’t turn out to be true, but I’m almost ninety percent sure it is. Once the rope hits the ground, Tiffany makes her way up the basement stairs, but I call to her before she disappears.

“What about the end of the story?” I ask desperately.

She looked at me, and with a grin still on her face, she answered. “I still haven’t come up with an ending. But if I do, you’ll be the first to know.” 

With that, she goes up the stairs, and the basement door closes shut.