Chapter 8 - All the pretty boats

“You’re going to have some fun at least.” Robert retorts, placing both of his hands around April’s wrist as he is held high in the air, jammed against the door.  

“Oh come now, don’t be so ungrateful, you’ve been fed, washed, and clothed, where would you be right now without me? Trapped in your apartment, just like I said...” April snaps, wrapping her arms around Robert and pressing him against her chest.  She opens the door and walks into the guest room.

“Maybe I would have been better off?” Robert snaps angrily as he is placed back into the stroller.  April’s hand zooms into the confines of the stroller, and Robert is smacked so hard across his cheek that he sees stars.  He seethes, breathing heavily and slowly raises his hand to his numb face.  

“Stop making this so difficult! STOP IT!” April scowls.  She quickly pushes the stroller towards the hallway and to the top of the stairs, tilting it upwards so that Robert can see down the endless flight.  His hands slam to the sides of the carriage, and he starts to hyperventilate.

“Rock a bye baby, on the treetop.” April sings sinisterly as she rocks the carriage back and forth a few times.

“Noooo!! Nooo!!” Robert screams desperately.

“And why shouldn’t I? Hmm? You are such a disrespectful little thing, I am not sure I want to keep you around any longer.” April says coolly.

“No, April, stop! let’s talk about this!” Robert pleads, his voice cracking.

“I’m listening...” April insist, dropping the carriage back onto it’s rear wheels.

“OK...” Robert says quiveringly.  “You win, I’ll be good.” He adds, his whole body trembling, though he can no longer see the steps below, he knows the steep descent is still right before him.

“And who do you belong to?” April asks sternly.

“You... I belong to you...” He replies, without hesitation.  

“It’s a start.” April admits, rolling the carriage back into the guest room.  Robert clutches his chest, trying to calm his heart and catch his breath.

“You know, I don’t like having to do things like this Robert, I like my toys to trust me.” April explains as she grabs the duct tape off of the bed, rolling a piece off of the roll, loudly.

“Samantha trusts me, Seth trusted me, Elizabeth trusted me, but that all took time...With you...I don’t have that luxury.” April continues as she bends down, holding Robert’s ankles together and rolling them again and again within the sticky tape.

“And where are they-” Robert begins, but is cut off instantly.

“Did I give you permission to speak? I don’t recall doing that!” April snaps, silencing Robert.

“They are where they belong.” April huffs, ripping the tape from the roll, and standing up.  Robert tries to push his ankles apart, uselessly, his tiny muscles no match for the thick, silvery tape.

April disappears, and Robert is left sitting there, he loses all track of time, but is certain at least an hour has passed before he feels the stroller roll forward.  He snaps out of his light slumber as he is pushed out into the hallway. “Hoollld onnnn!” April warns, playfully, lifting the stroller onto its hind wheels and rolling it down one step, roughly.  

“Ahh! Oh god!” Robert screams.  

“Scream Robbie Scream, bada boom!” April exclaims playfully as she repeats the process, causing Robert to bounce around helplessly within the stroller.

“Apri- ahah!” Robert grunts fearfully as the stroller is pushed down three more steps, at one point Robert’s entire body is airborne, but lands safely within the confines of the carriage.  

“Weeeeeeee!” April Coos as she takes a few more steps, nearing the midpoint of the staircase.

Robert grips the sides of the carriage so hard that his fingers begin to cramp as it is pushed down the remaining stairs, into the living room.  The front door lumbers over Robert, stretching and curving into the sky as the carriage stops.  April appears off to the left side, slipping her feet into some unseen footwear as Robert catches his breath.  She grabs a small black bag off of a coat rack and smiles downward at Robert.

April appears dressed in denim shorts and a black tank-top, the backs of her smooth legs filingl his vision as she steps in front of the stroller.

“Ok, let’s go.” She says calmly, opening the door and moving behind Robert and pushing the carriage outside.  The July heat hits Robert instantly, but it is a dry, pleasant heat, and a cool ocean breeze blows into the stroller.  

It is a pleasant day.

“It is a pleasant day.” April says as she closes the door behind her, locking it and then gently pushing the stroller down the three small steps, onto the walkway.  

The stroller is pushed down the walkway, and Robert looks at his truck, which is still sitting where he left it, the night before.  It was an entirely different beast to Robert now, impossibly tall and long, it looked more like a red wall as they approached the street then a vehicle.

“That thing is so nasty, I’ll have to get rid of it right away.” April says in disgust.

Robert simply sighs.

“Problem?” April asks, menacingly, yet with a hint of mirth.

“No...” Robert replies submissively as he is pushed down the narrow sidewalk, down a steep hill.  The view was unlike anything Robert had ever experienced. The bay sits a few blocks down, at the base of the hill, the water sparkling in the sunlight. Dozens upon dozens of boats, maybe a hundred crowd the water.  All kinds of birds fly by overhead, their songs filling the air as they land in the many trees that line the street.  

“Who do you belong to Robert?” April asks as she continues her stroll.

“You.” Robert replies, in a deflated voice.

“How does that make you feel Robert?” April asks, her tone cool and even.

Robert hesitates to answer, fearing reprisal if his answer is negative.

"I asked you a question little boy...” April says, her tone growing impatient.

“It makes me feel...” Robert begins, still stumbling for words as a sheriff’s car rolls by on the road, honking a few times.

“Hiiii!” April yells as the white and gold car passes, slowly rolling down the hill.

“It makes you feel like what, Robbie? Tell April.” She pushes the issue.

“It makes me afraid.” Robert admits, quiveringly.

April is silent for a long moment as they approach an intersection, she crosses the street and continues on before speaking again.  Oh god say something... Why won’t she just say something?! Robert thinks to himself, frantically.

“Why does it make you afraid?” She asks, her tone even and opaque.

Again Robert is stumped, fearing reprisal if he utters the wrong response.

April giggles as a lone car passes them, going the opposite direction, up the hill.

“Answer me, or I’ll toss you into the bay, with the fishies!” April suggest playfully.

“I think you just answered your own question.” Robert responds, his breaths becoming shallow and rapid.

“Oh relax, I’m not going to throw you into the bay, you big baby.” April responds sarcastically.

Robert sits silently as April stops in front of a large brick building.  She opens a glass door and pushes the stroller inside, parking it in front of a gargantuan A.T.M.

She steps in front of the carriage and slides Robert’s bank card into the machine.

“Two-one-four-one.” She says as she pushes the buttons, smiling.  Her smile disappears in an instant as the words ‘invalid pin’ come up across the small screen.  She slowly turns her head down towards Robert, a serious expression playing across her face.

“Robert...” She says, accusingly.  “Robert...Did you give me the wrong numbers, just so I would stop playing with Samantha?” She asks, agitation creeping into her voice.

“No! Those are the numbers April, I swear!” Robert Responds, nervously.

April turns back towards the A.T.M, typing the numbers in once more, only to be met with ‘invalid pin’ once more.

“You’re lying.” She says, venom dripping from her voice.  

“Fine, you know what, I don’t need your money Robert!” She snaps, angrily, swiping the card from the A.T.M. and tossing it back into her purse.  She angrily pushes the stroller out of the building, and quickly down the hill, huffing and puffing in agitation.

The world zooms menacingly towards Robert, the sound of April’s quickened footfalls pounding behind him, matched only by the pace of his heart.  Within a minute or two, April is pushing the stroller down a winding path, towards an empty dock.  Old-style houses line the shore in the distance, green tree laden hills stretching as far as the eye can see.  The stroller’s wheels rattle against the wood of the dock, and Robert yelps as April roughly snatches him up.  She holds him out, away from her at arm’s length, and turns him around, facing him towards the water before hanging him over the edge.  Robert looks down past his bound feet, and screams, twisting and whimpering.

“Look Robert...” April says with an eerie calmness.

“Look at all the pretty boats.” She whispers, a wide smile stretching across her face.