Empty Plate: Four
Survival at any costs
The following chapter is unsuitable for a younger or squeamish audience, this is utterly deliberate and I apologize officially if you happen to be eating the following content contains disgusting wounds, kidnapping, mental torture though self-inflicted and is all around gross at least to me
Doll had to assist still with the fact that this killer was obviously going after people that looked like her. Will could confirm that this could only be but a love letter, a cry for Doll's attention, she could feel her skin crawl, the pained cries of the woman she was told that she girl was alive as this was happening. Women that had a similar facial structure and skin tone but different hair color were to have their hair dyed after they were kidnapped, sometimes after they were killed. Some of the women would be killed more mercifully if Doll wasn't around her friends as much, instead of the entrails being pulled from within the living girl she would be put in such tight bondage that her skin tore. Some would have their bellies split open or stuffed with an assortment of baby toys to indicate they wished to start a family, to be perfect with her.
Despite what she originally thought she sought comfort in her dear friends Will and Hannibal, more so them than Jack as she couldn't go to Jack's house at 2am in fear because of his wife. Tonight was one of those nights where she lightly knocked on Hannibal's door at 12 am, sleep had evaded her for so long she longed for the company of someone she knew she shouldn't trust.
Opening the door Hannibal was still surprised by Doll's appearance, this would be the third time over a span of 5 months but the bags under her eyes and the outfit she wore spoke more words than she ever could. She wore sleeping shorts and an oversized shirt, she had taken her car so she didn't have the need for good shoes, the fluffy monster slippers were quite amusing to the older man as he finally let her in.
Hannibal would try to be a psychologist, as usual, attempting to prod at the mask she wore without allowing his own to slip but she was quite stubborn about keeping conversation playful and light. The usual was about recent movies that had come out or books she saw in the store and wanted to ask if he has seen or heard of it, sometimes she would ask if he wanted to listen to music and the two of them would relax in his lounge each of them playing their own music. In these moments that allowed themselves to bask in each other's company without having to keep up appearances, Hannibal would allow himself to slouch in a sense with her, they both could sense the danger of each other and silently settled an agreement at the watering hole of life. Hannibal was content on not accessing her mind, he wouldn't push any further which is why Doll speaking first delighted him.
"Every animal has a defense mechanism, dogs bark, and bite, cats scratch, kangaroos run to the water and drown them. Quokkas loosen their pouches and let their children drop out while they flee," She stops and looks up at Hannibal her arms slowly wrapping around her, "what do we humans have?"
Hannibal paused, she was looking for comfort by the looks of it. The fear of being stalked and threatened with the lives of other women finally got to her as it seemed. "We have other people." He answered shortly.
"People are not always dependable, what happens when the killer is here and no one else is?" She looked up at him, he was walking closer to her seat and crouches beside her, a warm loving look in his eye and a soft smile on his lips she could feel her face heat up ever so slightly.
"I will be here for you Doll, I promise." He said in a sincere voice
"Will you protect me from the danger Hannibal?" her voice getting quieter as she slowly leaned in.
"Any danger." He promised the two of them slowly starting to close the gap between them, both of them wanting to make the other think they wanted to kiss when really they were tracking how far the other would go.
Finally, Doll spoke ever so softly, he could feel her breath on his own lips a tingling sensation spreading from the pit of his stomach to the tips of his fingers as his head almost spun at her words.
"Even if I'm the danger?"
He could feel his arousal slowly building within him as he gazed into her eyes, the color incredibly vibrant and inviting they continued to hold eye contact as she slowly grabbed his hand, a warm smile comes to her face as she pulls back just before their lips touch.
"There is this drink I used to make for me and my friends, mind if I make it for you?" She stands up excitedly.
"Well alright then, you may use my kitchen-"
"One condition! You arent allowed to peak!" She grins bright and he slowly nodded with a curious tilt. Venturing into his massive kitchen she takes the fruits he had and began making a smoothie excited. Before she began blending it however she took a syringe out of her bag, she licked her lips before injecting it into a vein in the back of her knee being very careful as she pulls the now full syringe and inserts her blood into the mix before blending it. Carefully placed the syringe back into her bag and brings the drink to Hannibal who smiled and took the glass from her.
Doll looked actively happier as he took his first sip, it was nicely sweet but he instantly tasted the malty copper of blood, she sat back in her chair and began nibbling her fingertips as she always did idly. Finally she was calm enough to return home and got to her car, using her phone to send Hannibal a couple of cute pictures of animals that she took hours before starting her car.
She was on the road back to her motel, a cliffside that allowed her to see the city lights in the distance, this always calmed her looking forward still she then called Hannibal excitedly.
"Hey! In the morning you wanna kidnap Will and go to the park?"
"Well I don't see why not, shouldn't you be focusing on the road my dear?"
"Bah I'm fine, the phone is hooked to my car and I am still looking forward"
"Alright if you say so, now Doll I would like to formally ask that you come in for a proper session"
"I don't think I need- what the fuck?"
"Doll are you alright?"
"I see something in the distance, what is that? Are those...? Oh fuck!" Doll runs over makeshift road spikes as her car begins to spin out of control, she didn't help her situation by stomping her foot on the gas pedal while letting out a scream. Her car hurdled her over the edge of the cliff just between a gap in the railings, the fall was short but the damage was immense.
She could barely hear Hannibal calling for her, she barely heard anything as she picked her phone and hung up, she was trying to control her state of shock while assessing her damage, she had phoned the police and heard the muffled sound of the man asking what was her emergency. She started trying to force herself out of the car, letting out whimpers of pain and heaving,
"My name is (y/n) (l/n), these calls are recorded I want you to send this to Jack Crawford. Road spikes were laid out in the road attempting to stop my car, it did so and flung me off the cliff totaling my car." She stopped to cough up a bit of blood and wipe it from her chin "I have suffered internal damage, I will be spraying my perfume on my body and leaving it at the scene." She was heaving softly as she grabs her bottle and slathered it on her skin before chucking it in the back of her car.
Finally making it out she begins to stagger off only to be grabbed by a man and put into a car, hands tied behind her bag and something injected into her neck she was lulled to sleep with the sounds of the engine's rumble.
The police stood around Doll's abandoned car, Hannibal standing by Jack as he replays the message over and over again while thinking, finally, the dogs had arrived and began to sniff her perfume to find her, Hannibal felt worried. He understood this bubbling cold in his stomach and this pinching tightness in his arms as concern, he had already made a promise to Doll only moments before.
Doll was taken somewhere nice, she could smell lilac and expensive perfumes. She could feel that she was encased in silicone or possibly latex, her limbs bent at the elbows and knees back towards her and bound, her face was covered, and 'walking' was awkward as the cups on the ends of her joints were flat like platforms, she was brought to an even height in bondage set up commonly used for pet play.
"I finally have you, you're going to make an amazing pet. As long as you obey you will be fine."
There were rules she had to follow. She learned the first time after trying to run from his grasp and shortly beaten afterward she had no room to be rebellious, she was already injured and so she knew to had to obey. She utterly refused to however, the night after she was beaten and left in her cell without food or water, still blind. While over the time of her kidnapped she was never sexually assulted she knew she had to make her own defense mechanism.
She began to put herself in a trance, softly muttering sweet words to aid her descend into her an unconscious state, her mind was asleep and she gave herself the order to remain in the backseat of her own life until it was safe to come out. She made sure she could not be brought out no matter the pain she had to endure, no matter what is said to her she was to obey commands.
The next day she acted as the perfect cat. Over a week she gained her sight, her injuries never fully healed and she was constantly tired as she was fed literal cat food. After a few months, she was able to freely walk around the massive house, the killer was the man she made conversation with at the opera house. She didn't care, she had no thoughts of rage or fear, she was to obey.
The police did not find her for 6 months, she was only found as Hannibal was invited to the man's house for wine tasting. Hannibal was dressed quite finely, he pulled into the drive way before going to the front door, knocking he waited a few minutes before being greeted by the man. They walked to his parlor room and rang a bell for his 'servent' to bring out the wine.
Hannibal was greeted by the sight of Doll in a latex catsuit with cat ears bringing over a tray of wine to the pair. The man has a sticking proud grin at Doll's dull expression while Hannibal stood in actual shock. The tray was taken and placed on the table and the man sent Doll to hop onto the couch on his side and lay there, Doll was sickly pale and the latex barely clung to her from how thin she had gotten. Hannibal kept up his appearance up before the man excused himself to the bathroom, Hannibal gently put his hand behind her head.
"Doll?" He spoke softly slowly gliding his hand to cup her face, he is met with a blank unhearing expression as she lets out a rumble resembling a purr and nuzzles her face into his hand. He could feel a rage boil within him, he took this chance to put a sleeping agent in the man's drink before leaning back, a scorn in his eyes before the man returns from the bathroom and sat down, talking about how good of a kitten Doll has become.
It wasn't long until the man was asleep and packed into Hannibal's car. He made sure there was no cameras to be found in which luckily there wasn't before he alerted Jack that he had found her. He told Jack that he was brought over to have wine and discovered Doll, it had appeared that the male had fled, however.
Three cop cars and paramedics were on the scene within minutes, Will standing deathly still watching Doll stare up at him with an expressionless smile. The young lady that had bounced on the walls whenever her song came on the radio and did balancing acts with french fries sat calmly like an obedient cat until they finally made eye contact. Finally, she was safe and could feel her being pulled towards the surface one more, Will can see the light return to her eyes as she finally showed an expression after 6 months, sadness.
Finally returning to herself she began to cry, pulling against her restraints and whimpering in agony she begged for the restraints off, Hannibal had taken a knife and had cut away the bindings to release her quickly. The bruises and unattended wounds of her car crash blackened around the edges and oozing feverishly yellow puss she gripped onto Hannibal being completely naked under the latex and sobbed. A heart-wrenching sob pulled at the sociopath who gently embraced her, muttering comforting words as her starved frame shook like a leaf.
Hannibal in that moment understood that she was not like her, she was not a threat but someone who needed to be protected, her mask he thought she saw was but a persona as to ward off the danger. He cradled her and held her hand as she was carted away, she smelled sweet still though also of cat food, the taste of her blood from months before still lingering still on the back of his mind.
Doll was taken to a hospital and treated, the man who killed those women and kidnapped her was never found.