Psychosis

Chapter 4- Looking For The Stars

Isabel sat on the floor of the room she slept in, a single tear rolling down her face. Her friend was sitting beside her, holding Isabel's hand through the black gloves that she wore. They kept her from accidentally burning Isabel. The redhead rested her head on Isabel's shoulder, nonverbally telling Isabel that she was there and that she wasn't going to do anything to hurt her. Not now. Isabel clutched the two small pieces of paper close to her chest, another tear sliding down. Those pieces of paper were her chance to get out of this room, a chance to maybe even make a new friend. But it was taken from her. She was locked in the room again. She didn't consider it her room. It wasn't a bedroom at all. It was just a place she slept in. She wondered if anyone would come for her. Maybe they came up with the lie that she wanted to stay here. That was in no way, shape, or form the truth.

"It's okay, Isabel. He'll come for you. When he realizes that you haven't come yet, he'll come and wonder where you are. Trust me,"  the redhead softly reassured, rubbing Isabel's back comfortingly. She always knew just what to do to make everything okay. Isabel let go of the pieces of paper, all hope lost in them. She softly held her hand to her cheek, which was stinging and red. She wouldn't be surprised if it would be bruised the next day.

"Do ye think so?"

"I know so." Isabel wiped another tear away and looked down at her dress. She had bought it behind the backs of those that kept her here, and because of that, they never gave her the chance to wear it. But she had found a way to give herself the chance, but even then, they still found a way to take it from her. "He's coming. He'll take you away."

"Forever?"

"Forever. I promise you."

"And when ye make a promise..."

"I never break that promise."

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As the sun began to set, Reid realized that Ciara was gone for much too long. He started to worry about her and started the walk back to the apartment building. He didn't know what time that ballet was, but he was sure that if they didn't leave soon, they were likely to miss it. He wasn't too excited for the ballet itself, but he just wanted to get Ciara out of the apartment, which he was quickly realizing actually was her prison. Though he doubted she was going to admit it any time soon. She didn't seem like the kind to disclose any information about her home life, past or present. As he made his way back, he thought about some of the things she said. Yet, it seemed to bring up more questions than it gave answers. What did she mean, she had been in worse places than that apartment? What all had she gone through? Then she mentioned the thing about the power drill. Had the other kids ripped out her hair with a power drill? He couldn't think of kids being that cruel to a nine-year-old. Then again, he had seen plenty of cruelty he never thought imaginable before.

"Guys, have you seen Ciara?" Reid asked Hotch and Gideon upon his arrival back at the apartment.

"She did come back in not too long ago. Mindy started to talk to her, and I haven't seen her since. Why? Where have you been?" Hotch asked, and Reid had a sinking feeling that he knew what had happened. He left Hotch without an answer and just walked to the room that he knew Ciara was kept in. He half-expected either Mindy or Russell to be at the door, guarding it, but once he got there, he knew why they weren't. The door was locked, and Reid hated that he would have to go to one of the two to get the key to unlock it. He wasn't an expert on lock-picking, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to do it. It wasn't hard to find Mindy, and she laughed when he asked her to unlock the room.

"Why? And let that little sneak out? Not likely. And before you go believing anything she tells you, she deserved everything she got," Mindy told him.