Monster's Game

Adalaide sat silently kicking her legs back and forth on the tan sofa she had taken as her own the last time she'd met Brandon. They had the same room again from the last interview. It did not look any different, setting aside the "too much cleaning, not enough mess" look.

Ada let out a long sigh, her long curly hair stirring from her warm breath. She smoothed her sweet light green Lolita dress as she stood.

"I'm getting bored..." She mumbled softly to herself as she made her way to the window.

"Papa's late this time!" Ada giggled, looking down upon the slow-moving cars so many stories below. New streaks from usage of cheap glass cleaner scarred the window she looked through.

"I wonder what questions he'll ask me today?" she wondered quietly to herself.

'He's just prying! Don't worry about it and let me handle it all. You're too young to understand how important this is to anyone! Let me do the talking!' Were the words that entered her mind. They were harsh, and made tears sting her emerald eyes.

"No! You're mean to me, and you're mean to Papa! You wont talk unless I want you to this time!" Ada whispered violently at the voice that was taunting her.

It was true that Ada did not completely understand the situation. All she understood was that when her father got a hold of strangers alone in their homes, they would scream when he touched them and a red liquid sometimes came out of the people. As for her father, she was told that "He is going away for a while." She was sure that he would come back and things would be like they were before, without making strangers scream. But at six, Adalaide also thought her mother would come back and play with her, and fix dinner for her and daddy again.

'Are you being defiant? Do you know what happens to those who are defiant?' The voice sounded surprised and angry. It made Adalaide become frustrated, and forced the forming tears from her eyes.

“N-no...” Ada squeaked.

'Well, you do see this window, correct?' The voice waited for Ada to respond.

“Yes...” Ada began to get scared, and she didn't like the way this was going.

'Well, I have learned from filing through your thoughts and emotions that you, little Ada, are afraid of heights.' The voice whispered hauntingly.

Ada immediately stepped away from the window, understanding what the voice was trying to do.

“I don't wanna fall! Just leave me alone!” Adalaide quietly explained to the voice.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Ada brightened up and wiped her tears, not looking as if she had been crying.

“Who is it?” She called, playfully.

“Its Papa Brandon, Ada!” Brandon said from the other side.

Ada giggled and said “Okay! You can come in!”

The door opened and Brandon walked in smiling at Adalaide who was making her way to him quickly and clumsily. He picked her up and hugged her tightly.

“Okay Ada, you beat me this time!” She laughed as he set her down in the tan sofa.

“Let me close the door, and we'll start right away. We lost a lot of time when we last met, so we want to make up for it today.” Brandon closed the door, brushing his dark hair from his eyes as he sat down.

“Okay.” Adalaide grinned at him, but it disappeared quickly with the light in her eyes.

Brandon pulled out his tape recorder, and fiddled with it for a minute before setting it down on the table. He seemed rushed, but at the same time completely intrigued by what Adalaide would be saying after he asked his opening question.

“We left off at his first murder, correct?” Brandon asked, seemingly confused.

“Yes. I told you what I could about it, and we ran out of time.” Ada explained. Her voice held a specific stature, that of a young woman, older than Adalaide. Even the way she was sitting, with her legs crossed, hands together and fingers laced, it seemed out of place on the young girl's body. She hung her head, seemingly fiddling with her thumbs.

“Okay. Well this time I would see it fit that we focus on the murder of Lusander Cunning.” Brandon explained.

“Alright.” Ada looked up at Brandon. “You should start, I'm not sure where to begin.”

'No! I told you to go away! Why wont you let me do it?!' Ada thought angrily to the voice.

'Because you, my dear Adalaide, are not fit to discuss such sophisticated matters such as murder.' the voice exclaimed. 'You may throw your two cents in when I see fit, do not worry.'

“How did this one come about, Ada? What happened before the murder that took place that day?” Brandon asked, trying to start the only way he saw fit.

“Well, Daddy did a lot of planning for this man's death. He spent days telling me how he wanted to do it, and a week or so after he first mentioned it, he decided to act.” she said.

'You can't do it right! You sound too old! Papa's going to notice that I sound like a grown-up!' Ada fought with the voice that was overtaking her mind. 'Mister Monster, I told you to go away and let me do it! I'm perfectly able to tell him about it!'

'If you do not stop being defiant, I will walk this vessel over to the window and make sure you are the one in it when it jumps.' the voice threatened.

“He planned for a week straight?” Brandon questioned, he sounded surprised.

“Yes, he did. I remember he told me 'Daddy's going to take you for a fun game at Mr. Cunning's house, Adalaide.' and the day he took me, I didn't have school.” Ada said, gaining control of her sentences for the moment.

“That's because it was a Saturday, Ada.” Brandon explained to Ada.

“Oh! Okay. Well, daddy woke me up, and made me a poptart.”

---

“Ada, sweetie, eat quickly and drink all of your milk. I'm taking you to Mr. Cunning's house today. We're going to play a really fun game.” the Monster explained to Adalaide.

“What kind of game, daddy?” Ada could not tell a difference in her father. She had been with the monster for so long, she thought that her father seemed different because he missed her mother. Ada was growing comfortable with the differences she would notice in her father.

“Ada, have I not told you before? It's a surprise, as it always is!” he said excitedly.

---

“What happened when you got to Mr. Cunning's house, Ada?” Brandon asked.

“Well, daddy made me wait in the car again. He always did that! I would get so bored and im-pay-shent..? Yeah! Impatient!” Ada shouted excitedly, hoping Brandon would be proud of her usage of such a big word.

Brandon chuckled and said “That's good, Adalaide. Keep going with your story.”

Ada smiled and continued to explain the day her father murdered Lusander Cunning.

---

Cain, Adalaide's father, walked to the truck Ada sat in. He opened the door and pulled Ada out, carrying her into the small, one story home.

He shut the door behind him after setting Adalaide down on her feet. He locked the bolt and secured the latch before turning to see the inside of the home. All of the windows were boarded, as were the doors that led to the outside.

“Give us just a second, Lusander! I must be sure we keep the game fair!” Cain turned and began hammering wooden boards to the front door, leaving no escape route for his victim.

As he worked, Ada wandered the house. When she came across Lusander Cunning, he was strapped to a chair, mouth taped shut, hands behind his back.

---

“I walked over to him, and he looked like he was scared.” Adalaide exclaimed. “His eyes were really big, and he was moving a lot, but he couldn't get anywhere! I asked him why he was scared, and he tried to say something, but his mouth was shut, so he couldnt.”

“Which room was he in?” Brandon inquired.

“Well, when you walk in, its a hallway. It was the first doorway on this side!” Ada pointed to her left. “Why, papa?”

“Just to add description to the file on Lusander Cunning's murder.” Brandon explained. “Please, continue.”

Click.

“Oh! Hold on a second, Ada! I've got to put a new tape in!” Brandon rushed to fiddle with the little device.

'You've said enough! I will take over now!' The voice shouted at Adalaide, and pushed her out so that the monster was in control.

'No! I'm not done!' Ada fought back, but was not successful.

“Okay, you can continue, Adalaide.” Brandon stated.

---

Cain walked into the small room that Ada had wondered into.

“I see you've met Mr. Cunning! That's good!” Cain clapped and made his way to the chair. “Lusander, this is my darling daughter, Adalaide. Ada, the man in the chair is Lusander. You may call him Mr. Lusander, Okay?”

Adalaide nodded. “Hi Mr. Lusander!” she smiled sweetly at him, truly believing that what her father was doing was alright, and that Lusander Cunning would enjoy the game he would be playing with Ada and her father.

“The game that we will be playing today is a personal favorite of mine! Hide and Seek! The rules are simple, you may not exit the house, and as soon as Ada finds you, you are to report to the kitchen. If you do not comply with these rules, I will see to it that you will regret your defiance.” Cain paused to smile at Ada.

He quickly untied Lusander, and shouted “Let the game begin!”

---

“So he told you that you were playing a game of Hide and Seek with Mr. Cunning?” Brandon sounded disgusted.

“Yes.” the Monster stated.

“How long did it last?” Brandon questioned.

“Well, I counted to one hundred. After I finished, I went looking. I believe it took me fifteen minutes to find him.” explained the Monster. “He wasn't very good at Hide and Seek.”

---

Adalaide wondered the hallway, thinking to herself.

'Where could he be? Daddy wants me to find him.' she thought.

Ada stopped in front of a doorway that was wide open. She brushed her long, red hair from her eyes as she creeped into the room. There was a another door on the other side on the room. She stepped lightly to the door and put her hand on the doorknob. Ada smiled and swung the door open quickly.

“Gotcha!” Ada shouted as she caught sight of Lusander Cunning sitting on the floor in the closet.

“Please, don't let him hurt me!” Lusander whispered to Adalaide. “Just tell him you couldn't find me! I don't want to die!”

Ada cocked her head in confusion. No one ever begged her to let them go, or used such a harsh word as “die.”

“But you wont die. Its just a game! You'll scream a little and the red stuff will come out, then daddy will take me home!” Ada tried to explain.

“Please, just don't tell him where I am!” He continued to plead until Adalaide yelled for her father.

“Daddy! He wont come, but I found him!” Ada called to her father.

Her fathers loud footsteps echoed throughout the frame of the small house.

“No! Please! I-I'm Coming!!” Lusander clumsily pulled himself to his feet, and held his hands in the air as if he were being confronted by cops.

Cain came in and smiled maniacally at Lusander.

“I told you to come when she found you, Lusander. You were defiant, and now you must pay for your defiance!” Cain explained quickly and threw Lusander Cunning to the ground.

“No! Please, don't hurt me!” Lusander pleaded, helpless in the situation.

“Ah, ah, ah! You did not comply with the simple rules I had laid out! Now you must pay!”

---

Beep. Beep.

“Oh! Ada, I must go! It's time for me to meet Mr. Trent!” Brandon began to rush to get his things together. “I'm terribly sorry, but I'm glad we got a lot farther than last time!”

Ada smiled and said a silent “Yes.”

As Brandon walked out he waved to Adalaide, and said “I'm sorry everything's so hectic! As soon as things are calmed down, I promise you can live with me! Just give me some time Ada, sweetie!”

Ada smiled at Brandon and said “Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Papa!”