Steam

She tiptoes into the room and softly shuts the door. After gently turning the lock, she places a towel on the floor. Once satisfied that the room outside will not catch any light, she flicks on the dim bulb and sighs.

The stranger before her frightens her slightly. It is not someone she's familiar with, but she knows their deeds well. Despite their frightened eyes, she knows what a ruthless killer they are. It makes her stomach attempt to heave any food it might have stored.

'Murderer…'

Her voice softens to a whisper as she finds words to address the stranger. "How did you let it get this far?"

She startles. It's been so long since she's heard her voice. For years, she's kept at this and perfected the outside. She knows the cost—always has—and she's always been willing to give it until now.

She blinks as her attention returns to the stranger, and she isn't surprised when they don't respond. She doesn't exactly expect them to.

"This is a mess," she whispers softly as a tear slides from her eye. The deeper sound of her old voice breaks her heart. Before the chaos, before the work, when she was younger, she spoke like that. Quickly she wipes the tear away before she trembles and asks, "Do you miss me?"

Amidst the caked-white makeup on the stranger's hollow face lies a streak of peach peeking through. She watches as a soft nod is given to which she nods in return as she looks away.

"I miss me, too."

Her body tenses as the springs from the old bed screech—springs that are normally imprinted into her back. She wraps her arms around herself as another tear falls.

'Please don't let him wake up.'

Her breath freezes in her lungs, and she counts the beats of her panicked heart. She is certain the demon in the other room can hear it and will wake. The thought of him rising and searching for her terrifies her more than anything. She knows he will demand things out of her she no longer wants to give.

As the seconds tick by, she calms slightly. She wipes away the rogue tears which have managed to breach her walls. She looks at the stranger again. As the white fades from their face, she begins to recognize them.

'It's been so long…'

Taking a deep breath, she walks to the shower and turns it on. If there's one thing that never wakes him, it's the sound of water pattering against broken tiles.

'I deserve more than this.'

As steam slinks into the room, she feels safe for the moment—hidden even. It covers the ugly bruises on her naked body and conceals her from the stranger. One hand reaches up as she pulls a hair tie from a pig tail, quickly followed by the other. As her hair falls over her shoulders she glances down to see blonde first. That brings comfort, but she cringes when she sees red at the end of one and black at the end of the other. The things she's done to keep him happy…

Trembling fingers enter the spray of steamy water followed by an arm. Before she knows it, she is submerged in the liquid and wishes it would invade her lungs. Perhaps then she could be free.

Glancing down, she notices white and black streaming into the drain. For a moment, she imagines a world without the circus horror she's been taken into. Had she not requested him, had she not fallen for him, she wouldn't be in the situation she finds herself. And now that the rose colored glasses have left her face, she knows nothing but hell.

More tears drop.

As the steam weaves its way into her weary, achy bones, she leans against the broken tiles and condemns herself. She was a fool for letting his words latch onto her and drag her to the depths. She was a fool for blindly executing whatever task he handed her. She was a fool for letting him ensnare her body and torture it so.

Grabbing the soap, she scrubs her skin into an angry red. No matter the force though, she feels as if she will never be clean of him—or what he's made her do to herself for a rise. Tears flood her eyes and stream down her cheeks.

'There's no way out…'

A soft tap at the small window above her head causes her to jump. She glances up to see a brown bat land momentarily before fluttering away. The soap slips from her fingers and clatters gently to the ground. She closes her eyes and swallows as she thinks of another Bat.

'How many times has he offered me a way out?'

'How many times has he tried to save me?'

'How many times have I scoffed and attempted to kill him?'

That Bat kept trying to save her. He kept trying to rescue her because he was a good Bat. In return, she has attempted to kill him more times than she can count. However, if she cries out for help now, in her darkest hour, he'll probably turn his back. He won't care. He'll have her arrested.

'At least I can plead insanity.'

Her mind drifts back to their last encounter. That Bat had attempted to free her again. She had shot at him instead. However, he did remind her that he would always be there if she ever needed him. If she ever wanted to escape, he would lead her to freedom. If she needed help, he'd save her. He'd even given her a number she could always reach him at.

Her eyes open. Perhaps it isn't too late. Perhaps she can wash herself of this.

It doesn't take long before a renewed determination lights in the depths of her stomach. Absentmindedly, her fingers scrub shampoo into her hair. If she could get a hold of that Bat, she might be able break the chains. She might be able to see the light for the first time since she could remember.

Stepping out of the shower, she wraps a towel around herself and gazes at the stranger in the mirror. It's then she realizes this stranger is no longer unfamiliar to her.

Her fingers slid down her pale peach cheeks as more tears fall. It's been years since she's actually seen herself and not a stranger in the cracked mirror.

"Hello, again," she whispers and for a moment she smiles softly. She glances down and notices her phone on the sink counter.

'Fate?'

In moments, the device is in her hands and she's typing frantically: 'I hope to God you'll believe me. I know I've never been trustworthy, but I need to get out.'

She waits countless seconds, but there is no reply. She sends another: 'Please, please respond. I need help!'

The bed creaks in the other room, and she hears her name. Her stomach drops as she realizes the water hasn't kept him asleep like she thought. Her fingers work faster: 'I need to get out!'

Her name echoes loudly as there's a pounding at the door.

'Please, Bats. Save me!'

"I said, answer me!" snarls a voice from outside the door.

She shudders, and the phone almost slips from her fingers. She stares at the screen, begging it to answer. 'What if I have the wrong number?!'

The hinges groan as the pounding threatens to break the door. "ANSWER ME!"

She startles as the phone vibrates in her hand. For an instant, she thinks the demon's texting her. When she looks at the screen, shock floods her system before tears weld up.

'I'll be there soon. Hang on.'

She swallows roughly and shuts off the water. She grimaces as she changes her voice to answer the demon in the other room. "Coming!"