Page 12 of Dolly

Todd nods. “Yeah, it’s giving me a steady signal now. It’s not moving.”

I grab a paper from the table and scribble my phone number on it. “If anything changes, you call me right away.” I shove the paper at him.

“Yeah, of course.” He takes it.

“Dolly, don’t cry, baby girl. It’s all right. Just spread your legs a little wider and pick up your dress. We don’t want to get any stains on it, now do we?” the voice fills the room as I march toward the door. Cathy grabs her blazer, hot on my trail.

Seven

KenDoll

My eyes flutter open. The bright light blinds me, and I turn my face away from it. A quick tug, and I realize my arms aren’t mobile. I’m tied down, but…no, that’s not right. I’m upright.

“Ah, KenDoll is waking up,” a deep voice says, and a cold tremor runs over my body.

My eyes fly open and land on his face. He’s standing in front of me, but lower. I’m on a platform, tied with my hands over my head, my feet spread and cuffed to the wooden boards beneath my feet.

“Let me down!” I demand, struggling against the ropes. If I tug hard enough, I’ll pull them from the ceiling, I’m sure of it.

A thin layer of sweat forms on my forehead as I struggle. The bearded man doesn’t stop me, just watches with amusement as though he’s curious whether I can get down or not.

“You’re wasting so much energy.” He shakes his head. “The viewers are logging in. We’re going to start soon.” He pats my thigh.

I squint, trying to shield my eyes from the light, and find two cameras pointed at me. One on a downward angle from the ceiling, and one directly in front of me.

My chest aches, my muscles burn, but I struggle harder. I have to get down.

Beardman, as Dolly calls him, gives me his back as he checks the screen on the laptop in the corner. He chuckles, a low, disgusting sound.

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” I mutter as his shoulders shake with laughter. It’s not an empty threat. If killing him gets me out of this place, he’s going to die.

“What was that?” he asks, like I’ve interrupted his thoughts.

“I’m going to kill you,” I tell him plainly. My heart is in my throat, pumping fear through the rest of my body, but that fact doesn’t change. He will die at my hand.

He turns from the screen, his bushy eyebrows raised high. “Well, I’m sure we have a viewership for that too. But tonight, Queenhearts won the bidding.” He walks over to the closet and pulls out a small duffle bag.

My eyes fixate on the bag as he walks it back toward me where a small table is set up. He opens it and lays out several devices. None look familiar. Except one.

“No!” The ropes burn and bite my skin, but I don’t stop tugging and twisting. “Don’t fucking touch me!” I jerk my legs, but with my feet tethered to the platform, it only serves as entertainment for him and his viewers.

Loud pings come from the computer, and he laughs again.

“You’re doing good, KenDoll. Keep it up.” He begins to assemble the machine, and no amount of my weight being thrown downward is getting my ropes loose.

No, no, no, no. My mind races and spins, but I can’t get a single thought to stick. My eyes keep returning to the device, the crank, the battery. I have to think.

Think.

Think.

Think.

There has to be a way out of this. I can’t let this happen.

This won’t happen!

Fuck!

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