-Daddy? Why was he crying? -Hika's daughter signs to her father.

"Because he's scared."

"His brother baby. He was very mean to him, for a very long time."

"Yes baby. He's our very special friend, and he's going to be with us for awhile. You know, he can sign just like you?"

"Yes. Now get ready your teacher should be here in 25 minutes."

********

When I woke up again, I just laid there. Staring at the ceiling, wonder how long I'm going to deal with this hostage crap, before I go insane.

"Good morning, little one." Hika says to me in a low soft voice.

I sit up qiuckly and realize he's sitting on the couch, reading. He closes the book and sets it down on the table.

"I'd like for you to follow me, but if you're going to fight me again, I can pick you up and take you myself. What's your choice?"

Ugh, it's too early for me to fight, I'm too tired and weak from not eating.

So, I decide to willingly comply.

I pull the covers back and throw my feet off the bed, but when I go to stand my legs aren't strong enough to hold me up. I wobble for a second before I lose my balance.

Hika is quick to react, and catches me before I hit the floor.

"Looks like I'll take you myself." Hika says as he picks me up bridal style.

He walks me out of the room and down the hallway to the first door on our left. The bathroom.

I'm in awe of this room. Its so open and beautiful.  It has a huge tub, enough to fit 3 people, a stand up shower with a rain water type of spout surrounded by clear glass, and beautiful marble countertop with double sinks.

He sets me on an open space between the two sinks. We stare at eachother for a few seconds before he pats my head and turns to start the tub. As he checks the temperature of the water, he turns his head to me.

"Get undressed little one."

I shake my head no. Hika sighs and gets up to walk over to me. He places his hands flat on the counter, on both side of my legs and leans close to my face.

"So defiant. Would you like me to help you then?"

I don't respond, he's so close I can hear my heart thumping loudly in my ears. My eyes flicker back and forth to look at him.

I finally lean away from him.

I have no clothes - I sign

He smirks at me, "Before we left your house, I packed a few of your things and brought them with us. Please take a bath and when you're done, we'll sit down and this time, you will eat."

*

Hika placed me back on the bed after he basically forced me to eat. Before he turned to leave me alone again, I reached out and grabbed his sleave.

-Please give me something to do. A book or paper and pen. Anything. - I sign

"What you should be doing is resting. Your body is weak."

I let go of his sleave, obvious anger setting across my face. I get up off the bed and go over to the couch and plop my body down hard. I cross my arms over my chest and look away from him.

I hear his footsteps receeding and the door closing behind him.

I'm furious. This is beyond bullshit.

I get up and stomp over to the desk pulling the chair out and tipping it over letting it fall with a loud thud. I pace back and forth for a few minutes. I want to tear this room apart, but there's really not much in here to throw around. I flop back on the couch and cry.

I must've cried myself to sleep again, because when I woke up, Anna was placing a lunch try on the table.

-Please stop wasting food. I'm not eating. - I sign to her.

"The master of the house will be upset if you refuse again. Please try to eat."

I push the tray back at her and turn away on the couch and stare out the window. When I hear her leave the room, I turn around to see she had left the tray on the table. I'm so angry, I want to piss Hika off in anyway I can. I pick up the tray and opened the door, setting it on the floor right outside the room. I walk back in the room and slam the door shut.

I go back to the couch and cry with frustration. I feel like this is a repeat that's just going to be endless, as I cry myself back to sleep.

I'm woken from my sleep by a hand touching my arm, and I pull away expecting it to be Hika. When I look up and see this tiny girl with wide eyes, no doubt my reaction startling her.

I sit up quickly and kneel down in front of her.

-I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. I sign my apology

-What's your name? - She signs back.

I'm in awe. My eyes widen with excitement.

I stare at her for a minute before it dons on me that she looks exactly like Hika, no doubt this his daughter.

-Sure! I'd like that. Do you have any paper and color pencils or crayons? - I ask hoping she'll have something, since Hika refused.

She nods her head with a huge smile across her face and claps her little hands. She gets up runs out of the room. I can hear the little pitter face from her feet scurrying around.

She comes running back into the room and drops her books and turns to run out again. I smile to myself. She's just too cute.

I look over her books and notice she's got a ton of homeschooling books. Learning books for letters, numbers, shapes, and math. I look up as I see her come back in the room with a tubs in her hands she can barely carry. She uses her foot to close the door behind her and wobbles over to drop the tub in front of me.

The tub is filled with a few art supplies and sketchpads. I notice these supplies look familiar. I look up at Nicole confused.

She bounces with happiness and claps her little hands again.

**

After we finish her homework, I laid out the art supplies for us to use on the coffee table, giving up both a blank sheet of paper to start with. Sitting next to each other we start of by doodling together. Houses, trees and the beach.

I suggested this to get her to create a picture on her own. I've showed her how the imagination works when you want to put it on paper. Now I wanted to see her do it on her own.

So I hand her a blank sheet and give her all the color pencils, keeping my sketch pencil to myself.

After we draw our pictures, Nicole shows me hers first, it's a picture of her parents.

She has this sad look on her face.

-Why are you sad? - I ask.

I wrap my hands around her giving her a hug, then let go.

-My mommy and daddy are both in heaven too. I bet you're mommy and both my parents are friends up in heaven, now that we're friends, right?

Nicole smiles widely at me.

I pick up my sketch from the table and show it to her. She looks at the paper, then back at me, with confusion.

Wait.... WHAT!?