Wendy never asked for this. In a million fantasies of her car slamming into a tree, causing her immediate death, she never asked for this life.
“I saw your parents today,” Liam said. Liam saw her parents often. Wendy remembered her parents. Remembered her mother’s voice as she sang in a drunken slur. Her mom was probably sober now. Probably set herself straight after losing her daughter.
“Do you miss them?” Liam asked.
“No. You are my family now.” Wendy recited this like she had a million times before. Of course she missed them. She thought of them constantly. At night she could hear her mother whispering her name. Her name, which wasn’t Wendy.
“And you are mine darling,” Liam said over his slice of pizza. Wendy fought her urge to slap him, like she had a million times before. She knew what happened when she answered wrong. No more love, just pain, as her head was held underwater for minutes at a time. She forced a smile. When would dinner be over? She didn’t ask. That would be impolite. Rudeness meant pain at Liam’s house. Everything meant pain at Liam’s house.
“What do you say we watch a movie?” Liam asked.
  No. Please no, Wendy silently begged.
“I would love that.” Wendy giggled and strolled to the back of the house to her room. Movies with Liam meant never getting to the end. Movies with Liam meant dark rooms. Darkness to Liam meant he could be with Wendy in anyway he pleased.  Their movie nights always ended in choked back tears. When would Wendy stop crying? When would she get used to the hurt and the trauma that was her life?
Wendy didn’t believe in hope anymore. She knew she would never be rescued, or saved. She knew she would spend the rest of her days playing out Liam’s fantasies. She wouldn’t live much longer anyhow. Another month maybe. Liam didn’t keep his victims longer than five or six years. Wendy’s time was up and she knew it. She was counting the days to relief.
She slipped on the little black number that Liam liked so much. At the touch of the fabric to her skin, she began to breathe jaggedly. She tried to delay the time until she would have to leave the confinement of the closet. She had tried to enjoy herself before. She tried to get into it and pretend that it was okay. She tried to fall in love with Liam so that it wouldn’t be so awful. Nothing worked. She just hated him. She hated his voice, his face, his hands. She hated pleasing him. But not pleasing him could mean harm to her parents. She had no idea what Liam might do if things got out of hand.
Wendy walked out toward the couch, where Liam already sat, arms open, smile stretched. He was handsome. He could have any woman he wanted. Any woman except Wendy. He had hurt her to much for that.
The girl Liam so happily loved took place in his lap as the movie began. Wendy was getting too old for him. Almost seventeen. She would have to go soon. But Liam loved her so dearly. Liam loved all his Wendys dearly. He loved to have someone there for him whenever he wanted, a girl. Women were always looking for something. Girls were innocent and simple. He loved that. He loved the giggle of a child.
Liam smiled and carried on with his favorite movie activity.

Wendy was awoken by Liam stirring next to her. Liam always slept like a baby through the night. Wendy tried to stay silent as she listened for what he might be doing.
“Get up.” Liam whispered. Something was against her head. Something cold.
And so Wendy got up. In the darkness she faced her kidnapper. In the darkness, she saw the cold thing was a gun. In the darkness, she prayed one last time for rescue.
“In the bathroom.” Liam said coldly. Wendy turned and walked out of the room and down the hall. Liam followed closely. She entered into the bathroom, and saw that the shower curtain had been torn away.
“Strip.” Liam poked into Wendy’s back with the pistol. She stripped. Reluctantly, she slipped off her oversized t-shirt, followed by her under garments.
“In the tub,” Liam persisted, his voice quivering. Wendy carefully tiptoed to the tub, still unsure of what was happening. She stepped into the freezing white crater, and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest scared. She didn’t look up at Liam however. she kept her eyes down, losing herself in the stark color. If she couldn’t see him, he wasn’t there.
Liam’s lip trembled, and tears filled his eyes as he turned the knob of the bath. Warm water began to fill the space around Wendy. He didn’t understand why she wouldn’t look at him, but he was glad. He understood what he had to do.
“I’m sorry.” Liam said before disappearing into the hallway and locking the bathroom door.
Wendy let the bath fill. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew what would happened if she questioned Liam. Bad things. She focused on the warm, relaxing feeling of the water. When the tub was filled to the absolute brim, Wendy turned it off and waited for her torture.
Liam returned after a long while, stereo in hand. He sobbed now as he opened the door. He pulled a seat up next to his girl and sat.
“I’m so sorry.” Wendy glanced at the stereo, and by the way her eyes widened, seemed to have figured out what was about to occur.
Liam stood and set the gun on the chair. He walked to the sink, holding the radio in his hands. Now or never. Wendy still hasn’t looked up. Liam looked at himself crying in the mirror, and began to make high-pitched, animal like sounds. Liam could no longer control himself. He was so deeply in love with Wendy. He never wanted to let her go.  He tried to remember that he never wanted to let the others go either, but he did it. But that didn’t make it easier. He couldn’t do it. Liam threw the small stereo against the wall, watching it shatter. Gasping, he fled from the room again. He started in a war path through the living room. Destroyed everything in sight.
Wendy sat in the tub, crying and shivering. This was the end. Liam was finally going to kill her. Six years of pain and torture. No one had rescued her. No one had cared. Six years of tears. Six years worth of suicide and murder plans that Wendy had been too scared to carry out. This was where it was going to end.
Wendy saw the gun still sitting on the chair after Liam left. She refused to be murdered. Not after all she had endured. She couldn’t let that happen.
Wendy couldn’t understand what was so hard about this decision. She had dreamed it thousands of times in the last six years. In the years prior. But still she trembled.
“Remember the alternative.” She whispered to herself. Remember she did.

Wendy picked up the pistol, put the barrel in her mouth, and ate a bullet.
   

Liam heard the the resonating sound of the gunshot.

Part of him was grateful.
Part of him wished she’d have shot him instead.