Stockholm Syndrome

We all lay in silence. Juliette and Lissie had fallen asleep leaning on one another. Alanna and Erin were keeping track of breathing and their pulses, which were normal thus far.

Belle looked bored. There really was no other word to describe it. Angelica was staring into space, and I was observing everything that was going on, but of course.

Well. Lissie had told us her personal story. I felt that we owed her the same courtesy.

“Her name was Amy.” At the sudden interruption of my voice, everyone turned to stare at me. Both Juliette and Lissie half opened their eyes lazily, but looked at me in interest. I sighed, and took out the picture that I kept in my wallet, always in the chest pocket of my shirt. Close to my heart... I carefully placed it on the floor, for all of them to see. Lissie and Juliette both groaned as they sat up straighter to get a better glimpse of the picture.

I had taken the photo when Amy didn’t expect it. She was laughing, half-facing away from the camera. Her brown eyes were sparkling with laughter, and her short ebony hair was tucked behind her ear. It was the last time she had been back to Japan, her true home... where we had met.

“She’s pretty,” Erin simply stated.

A terrible understatement.

“What happened?” Lissie asked, her face filled with sympathy.

She was a bright one, there was no doubt about that. She was the only one with a fair idea as to why I had seemingly randomly brought this up.

"I arrived home one day to find her in a pool of her own blood. Some coward had shot her. Why, I still do not comprehend. But the police assumed it was me. They've been after me quite a while. You see, that's why I ruined your little afternoon... I do apologise for that... now I feel that I do deserve to be taken into custody. For what I have done to your lives.

"I'll start with this poor man lying here... dead."

"Henry," Lissie stated, with a sad smile.

"Did you know him?" I asked, looking at her in surprise.

"He was a regular..." she commented, trailing off as she let her memories take over her.

"Yes... I feel terrible. For Henry, and his family. He died trying to protect all of you in the end. Took a bullet trying to wrestle the gun from me."

"But his death will be the only one you'll have had a hand in," Juliette interrupted. I looked at her in confusion. She elaborated, "Well if anything shall happen to me or the baby -"

"It'll be my fault." Lissie stated bitterly. The anger in her voice was clearly aimed at herself. Juliette gently patted her on the back in an attempt to comfort her.

Silence again. That is, until the phone rang again.