Chapter 3: Naughty Roomates 5

The next day Charlie woke up to the sound of Shadow Witch teleporting into the doorless room. It startled her just as much as it usually did, and, even though her face couldn't be seen, Shadow Witch seemed just as annoyed as before at her reaction.

"Can you at least let me know you're coming in?" Charlie grumbled, sitting up. "That's super jarring."

Shadow Witch ignored her.

"I brought the wallet like you requested. Breakfast as well."

"Oh, uhm, thanks." She took her wallet and a plate of bacon and eggs from the masked woman. The food looked just as unappetizing as yesterday, though it was slightly less burnt. She sat back down on the mattress, but before she started eating, asked "Have you heard anything from my father yet?"

"Not yet. Though I suspect he's probably talking through his reply with the local authorities."

Charlie grimaced. She had at least expected him to issue a statement by now. She wanted to know what was happening, who was looking for her. She didn't want her father to be worried, especially since she was okay. Well, okay for the time being...

"Don't worry. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." Shadow Witch said. "In the meantime, is there anything I can bring you to make your time here more comfortable?"

Uh, at least she's a polite evil villain, I guess? This has to be the weirdest kidnapping ever.

Even though she was technically being polite right now, Charlie decided to take this opportunity and run with it. She was very annoyed about her current situation, and she wanted to repay that by being very annoying.

"Yes, actually." She said, clearing her throat. "There's only a bar of soap in the bathroom."

"And...?" Shadow Witch lifted her hand listlessly.

"I can't wash my face with a bar of soap!" Charlie scoffed. "It'll dry my skin out!"

"Oh my god..." Shadow Witch grumbled.

"I need a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer at the very least." She said. "I don't want to ruin my complexion with the stress of being kidnapped."

"I can't believe talking to you for just a few minutes can give me such a migraine." Shadow Witch said, resting her hand against the helmet.

Let's really get on her nerves then. Be a brat! The annoying voice inside of Charlie head said.

"Also, how about some porn?"

"... porn?" Shadow Witch said. "You want me to bring you... porn?"

Charlie crossed her arms and smirked. "Yep."

Shadow Witch crossed her arms as well. "Fine."

"Okay."

"Cool."

"Do it then."

"I will."

"Okay, Good."

Charlie did her best to stare as seriously as possibly in the black visor of her skull-spangled helmet.

There was a startling snap and she vanished again.

"Bitch." Charlie said quietly under her breath.

She sat down again, and started to eat her breakfast before it got cold. She turned on the TV as she did so, watching the news cycle.

It seemed like every hour or so, they went over the details of her disappearance again, despite not having any new information. It was probably even trending on Twitter. Charlie couldn't help but smirk at the thought of all of the followers she probably had by now. Harleigh would be jealous. She wouldn't admit it, but she would be jealous.

Still, she hadn't seen where her father had responded yet. She wondered if the police were advising him not to respond. That had to be it.

She set her plate aside and opened up her wallet. Sure enough, all of her credit cards were still there, as well as the four grand in cash. She pulled one of the cards out, nearest to the top, and a small picture came out with it.

It was her family portrait, the same one that was above the mantel back at home. Her parents and here all wore white, standing in front of a dark marbled background. It was taken when she was twelve, and it was the last picture she had taken while her mom was still alive.

Charlie had always thought her mother was very beautiful. Her long, shiny black hair, her dark eyes that flicked up at the ends, and her dazzling smile. You could always tell how outgoing her mother was, just by her confident smile.

She had even been a model back in Japan, when she was younger.

Charlie admitted that she took after her a lot, but the features somehow didn't look as good on her. She was like a scrawnier, more bland version of her mother, thanks to her dad, probably.

Harleigh often teased her, that if it wasn't for her wealth, she wouldn't get nearly as many dates as she did. She couldn't help but agree.

She smiled softly, and slid the picture back into her wallet, and into her pants.

Afterwards, she rummaged through the dresser in the room, and found that it was supplied with a few pairs of t-shirts and sweatpants.

Even though they were cheap and old, she changed into them, tired of wearing the same clothes for the third day in a row.

She turned the television back on, but quickly realized there was no internet, and therefore no streaming services. There was no cable either, only three public access channels that could be picked up with the two pronged antenna. What was this? The pioneer times?

She sighed and flicked back to the news. There wasn't really anything else to do, aside from stare at the gross wallpaper

It was going to be a long day.

Around an hour or so later Shadow Witch snapped back into the room, six or seven shopping bags all lining her arms.

"I brought the things you requested." She said.

"Oh, I—"

She turned the first bag upside down, and out spilled half a dozen porno DVD's. Who even had a DVD player these days? Where did you even get DVDs from?

"I mean—"

She turned the second bag upside down and added a stack of Playboy magazines to the pile. Magazines? Really?

"Okay, first of all—"

She added a third bag to the pile, and five or six books bounced against the mattress.

"...Books?"

"Erotica." Shadow Witch corrected. "I didn't know what you like, and honestly, I don't care to know, so I got a little bit of everything for you. The skincare items are in the other bags. Enjoy."

"Okay, But—"

She snapped and vanished again.

Charlie sighed, and sorted through the stack of porn DVDs on the bed.

"I should have asked her to bring me some kind of real movie to watch." Charlie grumbled out loud. "Or maybe like a regular magazine, if they still make those."

She sighed, and popped one into the DVD player by the television. At least it was something to watch.

"Charlie."

Charlie held up a hand in response.

"Shhh. I'm really getting into the story right now."

"The...uh...story?" Shadow Witch said, picking up the case to 'Naughty Roommates 5'.

"Yes. See, the two girls were studying, but then they started comparing boob sizes, which obviously led to sex. The redhead's boyfriend just walked in on them, which you'll see is a major plot point." Charlie explained very seriously. "What's going to happen? Will he break up with her? Join in? Just watch? Will either of them ever trim their nails? I'll have to watch to find out."

"I don't think—"

"Honestly, my main complaint is that none of the characters have names. It does make it a little difficult to connect with them, you know, on an emotional level, so—"

Shadow Witch walked over to the TV and literally unplugged it.

"Hey! I was really invested in the plot! It was just getting to the main theme, infidelity, and what it really means to—" Charlie said.

"I've gotten a reply." Shadow Witch cut her off. "Someone's on the line."

Charlie hopped up off of the floor.

"Is it my dad?"

"I don't know. I haven't picked up the line yet. Would you like to come with me?"

She's really going to let me out of this room? Now could be my chance to get away...

"Yes!" She said.

"Very well."

Shadow Witch clapped a hand into her shoulder, and snapped.

The world flashed white, then went dark. Her body immediately felt hot and sweaty. Before she knew it, she was stumbling onto the ground. Her vision was blurred, and she was hit with a wave of nausea.

"I think I'm going to puke." She complained, pulling herself upright and grabbing her stomach.

"Please don't." Shadow Witch said evenly.

She gagged tremendously, but managed to hold herself together.

I guess that's how she got me into the room...

Once she managed to stand back up, she took in her surroundings, desperately looking for a door, or window, or any kind of exit. Shadow Witch seemed to realize where her thoughts were.

"There are no doors or windows in here. I'm not stupid."

Fuck.

"So is this place designed to keep people in, or out?" She asked with a resigned sigh.

Shadow Witch didn't respond for a while, eventually turning her head to the side.

"Both, I suppose you could say."

The room was dimly lit, and empty, save for a large screen, and a series of computers and switchboards lined up below it, a swiveling chair tucked neatly in front.

Shadow Witch walked over to it, and took a seat. Charlie walked up behind her as the screen flickered to life, bathing them in a soft white glow.   Shadow Witch tapped her gloved hands on the keyboard at the speed of light, and a face appeared on the screen.

"You finally answer." Then man on the screen said.

But it wasn't her father.

"Hello, Linton." Shadow Witch said. "I was expecting a call from Mr. Delacqua."

It was the Copper Knight.

"Listen, B—"

"Don't call me that!" She Immediately snapped.

"Okay, Okay." He said evenly. "Listen... Shadow Witch, you don't need to do this."

"You only say that because your solution is to do nothing."

"You know that's not true." Linton countered.

"You're doing so little, it may as well be nothing."

"B, listen, if you just let Charlie go, I'll make sure you don't get in any trouble. We can all just walk away from this, and forget that it happened—"

Charlie's mouth gaped open. There was no way the Copper Knight was trying to reason with a villain! He would never do something like that. It wasn't how a hero would respond.

Shadow Witch slammed her fist onto the table.

"No. Even you don't have that kind of power. What's done is done. Tell them to give me what I asked for. Goodbye."

"Wait!" Charlie scrambled forward. "Wait, can I talk to him?"

"Is that Charlie?" Linton asked.

"Yes. Who else would it be?" Shadow Witch snapped.

"Let me see her."

Shadow Witch moved her chair to the side, making room for Charlie in the video feed.

"Hey!" Charlie said, feeling giddy again at seeing him. "Hey, can you tell my dad I'm okay?"

"Yes, I'll tell him that, presently, you're fine." Linton said with a tight nod.

"Goodbye." Shadow Witch interrupted, quickly shutting down the transmission. The room was dark again.

"Really?" Charlie snapped.

Shadow Witch quickly stood up.

"What? Nothing productive was going to come from that interaction. Trust me."

"That seemed pretty personal." Charlie accused, following closely behind her. "How are you two so well acquainted?"

"That's none of your concern."

"What? Did you two used to be a thing or something? He's your ex?"

Shadow Witch visibly recoiled at her words. "Ew. Gross."

"Gross?" Charlie frowned.

"What, you find him attractive? I thought you were a lesbian?"

"I am!" Charlie said, exasperated. "I just thought every straight girl liked him. Even a straight dude would admit he's pretty conventionally attractive."

"I'm sure not every straight girl likes the same kind of guy."

Charlie crossed her arms and took on a defiant stance in front of her.

"Are you saying you're not straight?"

"I think it's time to go back to your room."

"Wa—"

Shadow Witch grabbed her shoulder again, and the same disorienting flash of light and dark took over her again. She collapsed onto the floor of the doorless room, a wave of nausea hitting her once more.

This time she couldn't keep it together, and immediately ran to the bathroom to puke. Shadow Witch awkwardly stood in the doorway and watched.

"Do you want a soda or something?" She offered.

"Please." Charlie said, lifting herself up. "...and a paper and pen? If you have it?"

She didn't reply, just vanished in a cloud of smoke as usual. Charlie brushed her teeth, and decided to take a shower. By the time she was out and dressed again, she saw exactly what she had asked for sitting on the mattress.

She cracked open the soda, and placed the notebook in her lap. For once in her life, she was going to try to do some work. She didn't know how it might help, but she was determined to find out anything she could about Shadow Witch.

She was going to get out of here.