text: [Themes: mystery / thriller, thriller]
  
  "Of course you can," He kneels down in front of you and looks up, "Just be careful not to make it look all bad, Hon."
  
  You nod and give an uneasy smile. For a moment you debate thrusting the sharp scissors into his throat, but you realize that he would probably see that coming and it wouldn't end well for you. Focusing real hard, you manage to ignore the smears of black that you leave on his forehead and hair as you snip and brush away at it. Whenever you get near his neck or ears, Daddy tenses up and relaxes when you move away. It doesn't take long before you are satisfied with the result. Taking the mirror that came with the kit, you show Daddy just how handsome he looks.
  
  He stares at his reflection for a long minute before slowly turning to face you.
  
  "This might just be the best haircut I ever did have," He chortles and moves closer to you. "You want to do anything else for your birthday or just end your day right here?"
  
  > stay Silent
  You want to ask to go upstairs so, so badly but... you'll probably only get more hurt if you do. So instead you say nothing and refuse to meet his empty eyes. Even without looking, you feel them burning through your skull. You feel his anger flare as if the room heats up ten degrees.
  
  "F i n e." Daddy mutters. You wince, waiting for him to strike you but instead he just places a hand on your shoulder. "Let's just get you back to your room, okay?" You nod, praying that for once that he is going to leave you alone. Daddy tucks you in and kisses you goodnight before slipping out of the cell. You squeeze your eyes shut and wait to hear the lock click into place. It's quiet enough that if you don't pay attention you'd miss it- but you always hear it. That's what keeps you here after all.
  
  This time it doesn't click.
  
  You wait for Daddy to fix the problem, to lock you in. Instead, you hear his thunderous steps ascending into the upstairs. Your heart begins to beat with excitement, pressing up against your bony chest. You throw the blanket off of you and creep towards your door. There's something preventing the cell door from closing completely. The scissors. The thin blade just barely preventing the lock from clicking into place. Hesitantly, you push on the cell door. It swings outward. Freedom.
  
  You weigh your decisions heavily before finally deciding to...
  
  > Leave
  Stepping out on your own for the first time is more than liberating. You can breathe again. After a moment of enjoying your freedom, you begin creeping up the steps. At the top, you inch the basement door open little by little, peeking your head out just enough to see Daddy sitting in front of the TV wide awake. You think about waiting for him to sleep, but he checks on you throughout the night and you'll just be caught and put back in the cage... you refuse to let that happen. Whatever Daddy is watching seems to be distracting enough, but he is definitely going to hear the door opening. You take a deep breath, trying not to panic. You're so close to getting out... yet so far.
  
  One thing is for sure though, you can't wait anymore. Daddy won't be distracted forever. Slipping out of the basement, moving as slow as you can manage and trying not to attract any attention in his peripheral vision. You manage to inch your way into a perfectly pristine kitchen. You see the knife block and debate it for a moment but realize you most likely would only get stabbed by him if you went that route. The back door would be an option if Daddy hadn't added a bell to it. You grit your teeth and go to move to the next room.
  
  "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Daddy shoots up off the couch. You run and duck into the first door you get to, locking the door. The bathroom. He bangs on the door, shaking the entire house's foundation. When he speaks, however, he is quiet. "You best get out of there, Tess."
  
  You back up against the sink and try to stop your sobs from being too audible. Daddy's grumbles barely are audible behind the thick wooden door and you hear him retreat. You definitely do not have any more time. Damn, you wish there was a window in this bathroom. Instead, all you find are some sort of... heart? Medication? And similar looking sleeping pills. Then an idea pops into your mind.
  
  > switch the Pills
  You empty the heart medication into your hand, dropping a few, then pouring the sleeping medication into the other bottle. Taking your time, you pick every single pill up off the floor and manage to find every one. Closing up the bottles, you curl into a ball besides the toilet and wait.
  
  You don't stay there long, though. Daddy's footsteps are slower, more determined now. When the handle falls off, you know that you're going back to the cage. When he enters the room, you don't even have the energy to scream. You allow him to pick you up and bring you back down to your cell. You won't be there long. At least, that's what you had hoped. As Daddy brings you back into the cell, he kicks the scissors into your cell without even noticing. Without any ceremony, he drops you onto the concrete floor and you feel your ass hit hard. A cry escapes you, but Daddy's kick puts a stop to any unwanted behavior.
  
  Three days later, you haven't seen Daddy. Or anyone else. That night you had switched the pills, you heard a thump and the only noise since has been the faint hum of that television. You know no one is coming. At least not in time to get to you. Laying back into your blanket bed, you wait for sleep to come. It's all you can do. Your stomach rumbles and your dry throat never stops itching. For the rest of your life, you're...
  
  Engaged and Forgotten. (Ending Six)