Love Free or Die

"My head is about to fucking explode so hurry up and find the goddamned water, okay?" she hissed.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Kirk said under his breath.

Just then, he heard what sounded like a familiar "ding." It reminded him of the sound his phone made when he received a text message. There was a short pause followed by the sound of a woman's voice. The voice said, "Rewards must be earned. All rewards come in the form of the relief from suffering. To earn a reward both participants must behave appropriately."

"Who the fuck is that?" the young woman demanded.

Before Kirk could answer the voice said, "If will repeat the rules in 10 seconds."

"I don't know who you are but you get me the FUCK out of here right now!" the girl screamed. The voice then repeated all three rules.

Kirk's head was still pounding but he was beginning to be able to think. "Let's try a different approach," he said to her.

"I don't give a fuck what you do," she said. "I just want the hell out of here right fucking NOW!"

Kirk approached and put his finger over his mouth as if to tell her "shhh." He said loudly enough to be heard, "Miss? May I get you a glass of water?" As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the water from the tap running. He bolted for the sink and managed to get nearly a full glass of the precious liquid before it shut off as mysteriously as it had turned on.

Kirk took a long drink and his body demanded he drain the glass, but something told him to offer the rest to the girl. "Here. Drink this," he said holding out the glass toward her.

She took it and drained the glass before setting it on the island in the middle of the kitchen. "Get me another glass," she demanded.

Kirk picked the glass back up but there was once again no water. As he swiveled the faucet handles a second time there was another "ding" followed by the voice, "The human body can go approximately 96 hours without water and typically for about three weeks without food." That was followed by a recitation of the three rules.

Rewards must be earned. Kirk was beginning to understand. At least he thought he was beginning to understand.

He turned toward the girl and asked her, "Where were you before you came here?"

"I don't fucking know!" she said caustically. "Why don't you shut the fuck up and figure out how to get us out of here? How about that?"

"Look. I'm as confused as you are. But I have an idea. I just need to know where you were. What's the last thing you remember before waking up in that bed?"

The girl ran her hand through her messy hair and said, "I feel like shit. All I asked for was a glass of water? Can't you do anything? Are you totally fucking worthless like every other guy or can you manage to fill a glass with water?" She slid past Kirk with a loud heave of disgust and tried both taps herself. "What the fuck did you do to the sink? It was working when you came over here!"

She turned and looked directly at him. "Did you kidnap me, you sick fuck? Is this your idea of a good time? I don't know who you are or what you want, but I'm not playing along. Fuck you and fuck this! I want fucking out of here right goddamned NOW. Do you fucking HEAR me?!?!"

The ding was heard again followed by the voice and the rules.

Kirk ran his hand through his thick, black hair. "No. I didn't kidnap you. I didn't bring you here. I have no idea where 'here' even is. But I do have an idea and it would help if you'd just answer my question. Where were you last?"

"I was at my shrink's office in Bellevue. She was talking about some new kind of...therapy or something. She told me it was incredibly expensive but that they'd found someone who would pay for it IF I was a suitable candidate. I had to sign a release form and agree to be hypnotized. That, in turn, would tell her whether or not I was a suitable candidate. We'd used hypno-therapy before, so I agreed to it. When we finished, she sent the results into some kind of review board which determined I was a perfect fit for the new program. That's all I remember. I swear. Okay? Is that good enough for you, asshole?"

Just the one small drink of water was helping. Kirk's head still throbbed but he was coming to his senses. "Thank you, he said. So did your therapist ask you what you most want in life at any point?"

The look in the young woman's eyes was one of genuine surprise. "How did you know that?" she asked quietly. She began stepping away from Kirk and as she did she began feeling behind her. "I asked you how you knew that! Answer me!" Her eyes looked wild with fear. "You're in on this. You were watching me. You know all of this and then you lured me here! You're going to rape me! Or...kill me!" Just then she began ripping open drawers until she found a large knife which she held in front of her. "Don't touch me! I swear I'll fucking kill you! You hear me? I mean it. Stay AWAY from me!"

Kirk stood there quietly watching her. Her eyes were wild with fear and she was brandishing the knife in a way that made her look silly if not pathetic. His head hurt too much to laugh even though the spectacle made him want to. "I'm not going to hurt you so please, please put down the knife. I think I know why we're here and if I'm right this is going to take all of the cooperation we can muster to get through it. So please. Will you put down the knife?"

Her hands were shaking as Kirk walked toward her. "I said stay away from me! I'll cut you with this! I'll cut your fucking balls off if you come one step closer!" she screamed as he very slowly inched his way forward.

"No you won't," he said calmly. "You won't because you want to be happy—just like me. And we can both do that but you're going to have to put the knife down first." The tip of the blade was just inches away from his body but Kirk could tell she had no intention of using it. He reached out and took the hilt in his hand and gently lifted it away from her. As he did, she began to cry. He sat the knife down and held out his arms beckoning her to come to him. She literally fell into his embrace and began sobbing like a little girl. "It's okay," Kirk said to her. He stroked her hair and told her everything would be okay.

At that very moment, they heard the same sound and pushed one another away to see if what they'd heard was real. It was the sound of running water. This time Kirk was able to get a full glass before it stopped. He handed it to the girl saying, "Here. Ladies first. And my name is Kirk, by the way."

She took the glass then said quietly, "I'm Erin." She drank nearly the entire glass before realizing there was no more water. "Oh. I'm sorry. Here." She handed Kirk the rest of the glass then added, "Thank you...Kirk."

"You're welcome." The tap flowed briefly again just long enough for Kirk to get what would have been his half of the glass. He was dying of thirst but offered it to Erin anyway.

She initially took the glass then handed it back and said, "No. That's for you. I think I'm starting to catch on here. Finish your water then tell me your theory about all this, okay? And...and...I don't do 'sorry' very well but well...I'm sorry I went off on you like that."

As Erin finished speaking, they heard a quiet humming sound. Next to the sink there were two stainless steel panels which were in the process of raising up. She and Kirk moved toward them and sitting inside of each was a glass of milk and two small, white tablets. Kirk took two of them out and examined them. Each had the word "Bayer" imprinted on it. "Aspirin," he said. "And milk to coat the lining of our stomachs." He handed them to Erin and one of the glasses of milk then grabbed the other glass and pills for himself. "To a successful session of therapy," he said.

Erin looked puzzled and Kirk said, "I'll explain later. This will help with the headache. So for now, drink up, okay?" They clinked glasses and downed the pain medication and every drop of the liquid.

For the first time, Erin smiled. It was only a partial smile, but Kirk couldn't help but notice her perfect teeth and soft, full lips. And the long, dark hair. And the fact that she was about 5' 5" and 105 pounds. She wasn't Anne but she was...ideal.

Chapter 2

"So why are we here?" Erin asked.

"Before we talk, let's look around and see what's in the house. Can you check the bedrooms while I look around the kitchen?" Kirk suggested.

"Okay. Sure. Be right back."

Before she could leave, they heard the hum of the steel doors lifting up again. This time, there was half a sandwich and another glass of milk. As they ate, the now-familiar ding sounded followed again by the rules.

This time Kirk smiled. "I guess the rule of thumb around here is 'cooperate and graduate.'" Erin smiled back as they finished off the few bites of food before beginning their recon of the house.

In a couple of minutes Erin returned and said, "So what did you find in the kitchen?"

"Nothing," Kirk said. "This all seems to be window dressing. You know, stuff that you'd find in an nice home but there's no food or water anywhere. Apparently, that has to be given to us which means it must have to be 'earned.' How about you? What did you find?"

"Clothes. An entire closet full of everything a girl could want from dresses to blue jeans, from heels to tennis shoes, from purses to makeup and jewelry. This is a rich girl's dream. And on the other side of the room is everything a guy could ever wear from tee shirts to tuxedoes."

"Interesting," Kirk mused. "What do you mean by 'a rich girl's' dream if you don't mind me asking?"

"Normally, I'd tell you to go fuck off but that seems to be frowned upon in this establishment so... I'll just say it like this. I'm not into 'stuff.' I don't need nice clothes. I'm a free spirit and I don't like the feeling of being controlled and wearing beautiful clothes is a form of control." Erin paused before adding, "In case you haven't figured it out yet, I don't trust men much, okay? Truth be told, I don't really much care for them lately. They're all a bunch of pigs who only want what they want and when they get it they either leave or they cheat on you. So does that answer your question?"

"You swear—a lot. Has anyone every told you that, Erin?" She didn't respond. "It was honest so that's a good start, I suppose. It helps because if my theory is right, we need to know as much about one another as possible."

"Why? How does knowing about me help us get the hell out of here? And you still haven't told me why we're here or what this all about."

"I'm trying to," Kirk said trying not to sound angry. "At least to the degree I understand it. Let's go sit down and talk, okay?

Erin's demeanor softened and she said, "Okay. Sure. And...sorry. I just have a ton of trust issues and I don't know you so I definitely don't trust you."

Kirk led her to the couch and said, "I get it. You don't trust me. Trust, like the uh, rewards we get around here, has to be earned. Hopefully, I can persuade you to at least be willing to try and do so and that—hopefully—will help us get out of here."

Again, the sound of the panels opening up. This time, there were two steaming cups of hot coffee waiting for them. "Thank god!" Erin said. "I'm still starving but I'm dying for a cup of coffee."

They sat down on the large sofa which was positioned in front of a huge flatscreen TV which was connected to a DVD player and speakers below it. "Lemme guess," Erin said cynically. "We have to earn the right to watch the freakin' TV, too."

"That's my guess. After all, everything we need or want is considered a reward and all rewards..."

Erin chimed in finishing his sentence, "Must be earned." Both of them laughed for the first time.

They finished their coffee then Kirk spoke. "I was at my therapist's office agreeing to the same thing as you. After I signed the release papers, I got into a lime and was driven around for about four hours. I couldn't see or hear anything outside of the car. When we stopped, I was told to take some kind of white pill in the car. I took it and the next thing I remembered was waking up in bed next to you. What I agreed to with my therapist was to try what he called 'coercion intimacy therapy' or something close to that. He said it works by changing attitudes and beliefs by first changing behavior. At least that's what I think he said. Does that sound familiar to you, Erin?"

"No. Mine didn't say anything like that. She just told me that she knew of some radical new way that I could find the things I most wanted in life but that I'd have to agree to try it and trying it would be...challenging. That's the word I think she used."

"What was it she said you'd need to agree to? Do you remember?"

"She didn't give me any details. She just told me I could find the things I most want if I'd trust her and agree to some kind of new method of therapy or something. She just told me I'd need to be hypnotized first so she could find out what it was I really wanted most in life."

"And what is it you most want, Erin?" Kirk asked.

"Uh, that's kind of fucking personal, Kirk. And frankly, it's really none of your goddamned business." The sound of the steel panels slamming shut startled them. This time, there was a red LED panel above them and it was counting down from what appeared to be a 12 hour countdown.

"What the fuck is that?" Erin demanded.

"I believe that is the absence of rewards," Kirk said as they stared at the timer. It read 11:59:51 then 11:59:50 and so on.

"I apologize for asking something so personal, Erin, but if I'm right, we're going to have to learn to cooperate and get along if we want to get out of here or even eat...or drink. I wasn't trying to be nosey. I'm just trying to put the pieces together. It would appear that the way we respond to one another determines whether or not we go hungry."

"Jesus fucking Christ! This is totally fucked up! I didn't sign up for this! I want out. I'm gonna sue the fuck out of these people!"

A loud beep preceded the change in the timer. It went from 11:58:15 to 24:00:00.

"Erin. Please."

Erin was staring at the timer. "Jesus. I get it. Okay, people. I get it. I'll be a good girl. I promise." Another beep.The timer blinked and now read 11:57:45.

"Holy shit. Everything we say affects that timer and that..."

Kirk cut in, "Determines when or whether we eat or drink. And I'm pretty sure you're right about the television and most likely anything else in this house."

Kirk shared the rest of his thoughts on why they were there but didn't tell Erin about his desire to find the ideal woman who would be all the things Anne had been to him. He couldn't risk another angry outburst from Erin when it dawned on her that in order to be truly happy, she was going to have to give up control, trust a man completely, and give herself to him without reservation. Okay, he didn't know if all of that was true, but since that's what he wanted, he had to assume that was Erin's assigned role and that they thought she was capable of doing that.

His mind was now clear and functioning at full capacity again and the realization of what was happening made it spin. He didn't understand everything that was going on, but the gist of it was clear. He and Erin had been paired together by this mysterious 'board' because its members believed that each of them had the potential to become exactly what the other most wanted and needed and in so doing, find real happiness by giving rather than through taking.The thought of this fiery, independent young woman becoming a kind of Stepford Wife made him laugh out loud. Of course, Anne was no Stepford Wife, but that's how Erin would undoubtedly view a life like that.

"Mind sharing what's so funny?" Erin demanded.

"Nothing, really. Just the enormity of the task at hand, I suppose. It seems pretty daunting." Erin didn't respond but the look on her face said she had no idea what he meant.

Erin spoke first after a long pause. "So how old are you anyway?"

"I'm 51. You?"

Erin rolled her eyes and shook her head. "That is just too fucked up. I'm supposed to figure out how to what—learn to get along with..or even fall in love with...some guy who's old enough to be my father?"

"This wasn't my idea, Erin and there's not much I can about my age."

She looked over at Kirk and said, "Listen. I didn't mean it like that. You're actually really good looking for, well...for an old...-er guy. It's just that I like guys who are maybe 35 or so. I'd never date anyone over 40 so 50 is just...I mean..."

"I get it. You don't have to justify how you feel. We like what we like and that's that. The question is how can we get whoever's listening to think we care? How do we convince them we're making acceptable progress? Whatever that means."

"So, in other words, how do we fake it?" Erin offered. Her concern was genuine and Kirk couldn't help feel for her. She was clearly a very independent woman who liked being in control. It was dawning on her that she had none here.

"I believe it's important to know what you told your therapist about what it is you most want. This is obviously all set up to provide that in some sick, twisted way and it would really help to know what it is you said you're looking for in life."

Erin sighed. "Oh, Jesus. I really don't want to talk about this. It was hard enough with my fucking therapist. I don't even know you. And you're like 30 years older than me, for Christ's sake."

Kirk chuckled quietly. "What's so fucking funny about that?" Erin demanded.

"You're a very beautiful young woman, Erin, but you can't be 21 years old."

Erin turned toward Kirk and said matter of factly, "I'm 27. In fact, I'll turn 28 next month. So okay, it's not thirty years." She paused, softened her tone, then said in a more playful way, "It just seems like it."

No one spoke for a good five minutes before Erin, who was staring at the blank TV screen started talking. "Here's the deal. All my life all I wanted was to find someone who'd love me more than anything else in the world. Someone who could make me feel like I'm the most important thing in his life. I want to meet a guy who's just as into love and romance as I am. Or...was anyway. I...I'm really a...I'm...I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, you know? And so what am I really looking for? Someone who...who won't fucking fuck my best friend or my sister or anyone else for that matter. But that guy doesn't exist so it's like I'm screwed because I know what I want but I can't have it because it isn't out there." She sat quietly for another minute before saying, "So does that answer your question?"

Kirk waited for her to finish then spoke up. "That helps a lot, Erin. Thank you for sharing that. I can't imagine how hard that was for you. That took a lot of courage because it required a lot of trust."

Without looking at him, Erin replied to his comment. "What choice do I have? I'd like to be able to eat and drink around here so as much as this shit pisses me off, I'm a realist. I'm gonna have to cooperate with you to make that happen. So there you have it in a nutshell. I want the impossible. I want what I can't have." She finally turned to look at Kirk and asked, "So how about you? What's your big dream in life? With, you know, what little you've got left of it?" Erin said that and then grinned at Kirk.

"Um well, first of all...thanks for that...and secondly...ouch." Kirk smiled back at Erin who was still smiling at him. "It's not all that complicated really. It's just...well, it's just that my dream is as impossible as yours if not more so."

"You want a woman who won't cheat on you? That doesn't seem like it would be too hard to find. But try finding a MAN who can keep his dick in his pants. Now that is what's impossible."

Kirk laughed again. "No. It isn't just that. Fidelity is important, but I'm looking for someone who'll love me with all the passion of my late wife, Anne. She was—well—everything to me."