Page 17 of Pretty Cruel Love

“What’s the second question?” he asks.

“When will I get all the things they took from my cell?”

“They arrived via mail yesterday.” He steps over to a dresser and pulls open the top drawer. Everything I’ve accumulated since my “stay” is inside—even the paint and brushes I stole—and seeing it all here in one place makes me realize how little it is.

How little I actually own…

“I’ve heard you’re good at chess,” Dr. Weiss says, pulling out a glass set from another drawer. “So am I.”

He sets it on my new desk, taking his time to perfectly align the pieces.

“I think we should play a game while you’re staying here.”

“Just one game?”

“If you’re as good as they say, one game should take most of our time.” He slides into a chair. “Black or white?”

“White.” I don’t wait on him to offer what comes with that color. I move a pawn forward.

He smiles, but it’s not playful. It’s… something else.

“I left dinner for you in the microwave,” he says, making his first pawn move with ease. “I’ll see you in the morning. You’ll need to turn in your homework when I arrive.”

“Homework?”

“Of course they didn’t mention this to you already…” He sighs, retrieving a red leather-bound notebook from the bookshelf. It’s labeledTHEN.

“I’ll assign you a new prompt about your past every day, and you’ll need to write whatever it is you remember, so you can relive that moment,” he says. “It’ll help my team with your case while you’re here with me.”

He hesitates like he’s about to say something else, like maybe he wants to step closer and undo the remaining buttons of his shirt and pull me into his lap, wrap his hands around my throat, and fuck me senseless—but he doesn't.

Instead, he walks toward the front door without another word and leaves me alone.

Harsh white headlights flash through the front windows, and then a loud series of beeps sound throughout the cabin.

“The cabin is now secure,” a robotic voice says. “Hour one begins now. Welcome to the cabin experiment, Sadie Pretty.”

I stand still for several minutes, unsure of what to do without being given a command first.

When I’m convinced no instructions are coming, I walk to the kitchen and open the microwave. Inside is a covered dinner platter, so I carry it to my room and lift the top.

It’s a stack of fluffy yellow pancakes, sliced strawberries, and an orange garnish.

The last meal I had before I was arrested…

6

SADIE

Back “then”…

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god…

My purse drops to the floor the moment I step into the living room, and time freezes.

I blink a few times, unsure if the scene ahead of me is real.

Three bloody bodies are awkwardly strewn around, and from the coppery scent hanging in the air, it’s clear there’s no life left.

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