#state lady's queue

Maine wasn’t sure how long it had been, before she heard the door open. Missouri walked in. He looked... frazzled, and stressed. But he managed to smile softly when he saw her. 

“Hey...” He said quietly, sitting beside her. He set a plate in front of her, on it was a cheese sandwich. Her favorite, and even better when he made it. And then he set down a cup of tea. Also her favorite. 

“...Thank you,” She said, staring at the food a moment before turning to him. “Missouri..?” Her voice was quiet. “Why is this all here?” 

“That doesn’t matter. Eat, maybe you’ll feel better.” He watched her a moment. Maine was sitting perfectly still, looking down. “I’m sorry...” 

“If you’re sorry then let me out,” She said, lifting her head. 

“I can’t. You’ll end up hurt. You’re safer here.” 

“Can you un-chain me at least?” 

“No, you’ll leave me...” 

“I won’t.” 

“How do I know that...?” His voice was sad now. 

Maine bit into her sandwich to keep herself from crying. And found he was right, food did improve her mood. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She finished the sandwich in a few minutes. And then she downed her tea. Missouri just sat there, silent. Out of things to say for now. It was oddly comforting having him there. It was better than being alone. 

“See? You look better already,” Missouri remarked when she was done, grabbing the dishes. He kissed her cheek, and looked her in the eye. “I love you, remember that okay?” 

“Mhm...” Maine said, fighting off a sleepy feeling that had suddenly come over her. Her head drooped, and she felt Missouri’s hand on her chin lifting her head, and saw him through blurry vision. 

“Are you alright, you don’t look so well...” Missouri’s concerned voice was the last thing she heard, before dropping off to sleep. 

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Missouri shook Maine slightly, and she didn’t wake up. He let go of her with a satisfied smile. Of course the tea had worked, why had he doubted it? 

He wasn’t sure yet, Maine hadn’t said much, but it seemed he could now get away with chaining her up in the dark and she’d find a way to forgive him. 

That was the thing with Maine. The only love she’d known was from her father. Giving her a warped understanding of what love really was. An easy victim. 

He wondered how much further he could hurt her before she stopped loving him. 

Might as well find out... 

It’s not like he really loved her anyway.

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Back to present day. She was at his house, staring out the window. The snowfall outside was pretty, but it was falling concerning fast. 

“I’m gonna stop by Cara’s place, and then go home, the snow is getting pretty deep,” She said to Missouri, turning away from the window. She grabbed her bag, and he pulled her into a kiss, his arms around her waist. 

When he ended the kiss, he still didn’t let her go. He looked down at her, kissing her forehead. “Are you sure you have to go...? I’d much prefer it if you stayed.” 

“Mmm.. it wouldn’t be the worse thing if I got stuck here.” Maine smiled at him. “But I did promise Cara, I haven’t seen her since...” She counted on her fingers. “4 days ago. Tuesday.” 

“Are you sure? It doesn’t seem safe out there, there could be ice on the road. And what if something happens and you can’t call for help?” He brushed her hair carefully from her forehead, and she saw worry in his eyes. And also something else. 

Maine had seen that look before, and still didn’t know what it was. She saw it in arguments, before he slapped her. It had only happened twice, and instantly he had pulled her into his arms, saying he was sorry. Begging her to forgive him, it won’t happen again. He had let his anger get in the way, he would never hurt her. 

And she loved him. So she had both times. 

Now, she tried to ignore the look. “If something happens, I’ll contact you right away. I’ll be fine, everything is going to be alright,” She said in a reassuring tone, smiling softly. 

Silence for a moment. Then he held her tighter. Too tight. “No, No, that won’t do. You’ll stay here, it’s safe here.” 

“Missouri? Love, you’re hurting me.” She said, stroking the side of his face. “Everything will be fine, don’t worry.” 

“I’m sorry... But.” He sighed, “It’s for your own good.” He began to pull her, toward the music room. 

Her heart skipped a beat, but not in the sweet I’m-so-in-love way it usually was. This was fear. She knew it well after living with her drunk father for nine years. “Missouri. Stop it, I know your worried but that give you no right to pull me ar-” 

“I have every right, it’s for your own good and you’re mine.”

He had used the word ‘mine’ before. ‘My Angel’ while peppering her forehead with kisses. ‘I can’t believe your mine, all mine.’ in a soft voice while she was falling asleep on his shoulder. But never had she heard it with such force.

Despite her protests, and attempts to pull away, she ended up in the music room anyway. He pushed some instruments aside, and they fell to the ground with a loud clatter, making Maine flinch. Something broke off one of them but Missouri didn’t even seem to care. Behind were the instruments had been, there were... chains. She was so startled that she stop resisting for a second, and that second was all the time Missouri needed to clamp them around her wrists. 

And then he let her go. She stared her hands, and the chains around them. Trying desperately to ignore the dark stain on them. Like they had been used before. 

She looked back up at Missouri, and he carefully brushed tears from her face. She hadn’t realized she had been crying. “It’s for your own good, I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” 

He gathered the instruments, put them all in there respective cases, and stacked them up in the corner. Picked up the broken pieces and threw them away. Closed the blinds on the single window. and removed all other items from the room. 

And then he left, and she heard the door lock. She sank to her knees.

Then suddenly - without the light from the window, the brightly color decorations, and him... this no longer felt like her safe place. 

It just felt... cold.

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