A sharp knock on the door jolted Kayleigh awake. Her body tensed immediately, her senses sharpening as the grogginess faded. She knew who it was before he even spoke.
"Pup, are you awake?" Ralph's rough voice seeped through the door, laced with artificial warmth.
Kayleigh gritted her teeth, her body instantly burning with the urge to lash out. The mere sound of his voice sent a wave of disgust through her. She exhaled slowly, forcing her breathing to steady. Elisa, take over. I won't be able to keep myself from attacking him.
"You're finally asking for my help?" Elisa's voice hummed in her mind, amused.
"I don't have a choice. Just do it."
Elisa chuckled, then pushed Kayleigh's consciousness back as she took over. A completely different personality settled over her face as she responded in a childlike voice.
"Friend, come in!" she chirped.
The door creaked open, and Ralph stepped inside. He had a smirk on his lips, but his eyes held a calculating gleam.
"How was your sleep?" he asked, pretending to care.
Elisa still playing the role Ralph expected clapped her hands, giggling. "Very peaceful! And friend, I love my new room so much! The strawberry dolls and toys are so cute. Thank you!"
Ralph's smirk widened. "I'm glad you like it."
Kayleigh, buried in the back of her mind, felt sick. It took everything in her not to force control back and claw his face off.
"Let's go have breakfast," Ralph said, gesturing for her to follow.
Elisa skipped beside him like an obedient child, but internally, Kayleigh was seething.
"Why do you always act like this around him?" she demanded.
"Because he expects it," Elisa replied coolly. "He knows I'm under the influence of his drug, and if I don't act like it worked, he'll become suspicious. We need to survive long enough to escape."
Kayleigh hated it, but Elisa had a point.
They reached the kitchen, a sterile, cold place lined with state-of-the-art equipment. The island was already set with plates of food. A single bowl of ice cream sat in the center, its surface glossy and untouched.
Ralph grabbed a spoon and slid it toward her. "Go on, eat. I made it just for you."
Elisa hesitated for only a second before she picked up the spoon and took a bite. The moment the ice cream touched her tongue, Kayleigh knew something was off.
Her senses screamed. Elisa reacted instantly, suppressing the foreign substance before it could take effect.
"Poison?" Kayleigh asked, her voice a whisper in their shared mind.
"No," Elisa muttered. "Something else. A sedative, maybe?"
Ralph watched her closely, his smirk deepening. "Tastes good, doesn't it?"
Elisa forced a bright smile. "Mmm! It's so yummy! Thank you, friend!"
Kayleigh was close to breaking. The rage inside her coiled tighter, threatening to explode.
Then an idea struck her. If he enjoys watching me weak, let's see how he handles a little pain.
Elisa moved before Ralph could react, grabbing his hand between her small palms. The moment their skin touched, a violent shudder ran through his body. His smirk vanished, replaced with something dangerously close to agony.
"Friend, are you okay?" Elisa tilted her head innocently.
Ralph gritted his teeth. "Let go."
Elisa's grip tightened. "But you said I shouldn't trust anyone. What if someone takes me away? I have to hold onto you, friend."
His whole body stiffened. His jaw clenched so hard the veins in his neck stood out.
"I said let go!" Ralph barked, yanking his hand back. He stumbled slightly, breath ragged.
Elisa took a step back, blinking innocently. "I'm sorry! Don't be mad, okay?" Her voice wobbled, fake tears welling up in her eyes.
Ralph's anger wavered, his irritation giving way to something else—guilt? Frustration? She wasn't sure.
"…Fine. Just don't do that again," he muttered.
Elisa wiped her nonexistent tears. "Okay, friend! Can we have more ice cream?"
Ralph exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "Yeah… sure."
Kayleigh smirked internally.
Good. Let him think he's in control.
Because soon, she was going to take that control back.
Let me know if you want any adjustments or additions!
"You know, you should be rewarded as the best actress in deception," Kayleigh muttered in the back of Elisa's mind.
"Oh, my human finally praises me today," Elisa said dramatically, fluttering her imaginary eyelashes.
"Don't get too arrogant," Kayleigh snorted.
For the next two weeks, Ralph had been parading Kayleigh around the facility, showing her the different sections of the building and its surroundings. They were completely isolated an island in the middle of a vast lake, guarded by shifters at every possible exit. Escape was impossible.
Despite her resistance, it seemed Ralph trusted her enough to reveal the true horrors lurking within his walls. Kayleigh was forced to witness the human experiments people locked in glass chambers, tubes and wires hooked into their bodies, their screams muffled by restraints. The sight made her stomach twist, but she couldn't react. Not yet.
She played her role well. The naive, obedient girl trapped in an artificial haze of regression, just as Ralph intended. He believed the drug had done its job, that she was nothing more than a childlike puppet under his control.
But what he didn't know was that Elisa had neutralized the worst of the serum's effects. Kayleigh wasn't broken. She was waiting. Calculating.
And soon, she would strike.