Damaged Souls

Chapter 10 Understandings

June 15th, 1975
It was late at night, and I was wide awake. Laying in bed in my white lace nightgown Jack had given me, I stared out the small window at the ceiling, the stars painting the navy sky in a blanket of lit dots. I didn't know why I couldn't sleep, but I just couldn't. I had been lying awake for hours, just staring at anything I could. I slowly stood up and stretched my arms, and quietly opened the basement door. I didn't honestly know what I was doing, I felt curiosity fill my mind. I walked through the hall and into the library. I'd been in there once in May when I was cleaning, I didn't suspect anything do to the fact that there was hardly anything besides books in the room to begin with. I looked around, all I could see was the armchair I knew Jack sat in when he thought about things.

Just as I was about to go back downstairs, I noticed an area between the bookshelves. "What's that..." I wondered as I slowly stepped towards it. I didn't think Jack had anymore secrets. I slowly walked towards the open area. It was dark, of course, but I could vaguely see a frame on the wall. My grey eyes filled with curiosity, I reached my tiny hand towards the canvas. I felt it's roughness, and slowly my eyes adjusted to the darker area. Printed onto the canvas was a family.

The picture contained a tall man with black hair and tan skin, in a black suit and red tie. Beside him sat a beautiful blond haired lady in a white wedding gown, lace sleeves adorning her arms that were wrapped around a little boy. The boy had blonde hair and pale skin, with small glasses. "He looks like, Jack..." I thought. Why he had this hidden in his home, I did not know. Upon hearing a door opening upstairs, I hastily came out of the hidden area among the books.

Jack came down into the library and looked at me. "Caroline...? What are you doing down here so late at night...?" He asked, folding his arms. I contemplated for a moment if I should ask him about the picture, I eventually decided against it and lied. "Oh, I couldn't sleep so I decided to explore the house, I'm sorry if I woke you Jack" I said softly, and he simply smiled with understanding. It was my understanding at that period of time of this man that he was simply a man who had intense sexual desire. This was true. That picture he had hidden away, I had no doubt in my mind that those people in the picture were him and his awful parents.

Jack went back upstairs to his room, where he laid back in bed. I went upstairs as well, and contemplated for a moment. I didn't love him. I'd never love him. But as I walked into his bedroom quietly, I felt my heart pound with embarrassment. Jack was a cruel man who plucked me from my life and forced me into his, and he would eventually spirit me away. As I quietly stepped into his bedroom, I saw the piles of novels beside his bed, desk, and closet. Jack slept quietly in his bed, and slowly, I sat down beside him. Jack was a young man, still much older than me. To me, in his inside, he was a scared child, afraid of failure and disappointment.

I laid down beside him, not too close, barely at the edge of the bed. I closed my eyes and slowly succumbed to sleep. A few minutes passed before Jack stirred awake and found me beside him. He didn't say or do anything, just watched me as I dreamt of home. In that moment, Jack was filled with understandings of why I stopped asking him to let me go, why I didn't attempt to run away while he was gone. Brushing my hair from my face, he sat there, emotionless as he knew in his twisted heart that he and I were alike, as good as I was and as evil as he was. He then laid himself back down, and dreamt of me.