Bad Apple - the Baddest Chick(57)
It was the sixth nightmare she’d had within two weeks, and it started to bother her. She thought about seeing a doctor, but then she didn’t want to be looked at as crazy.
With no one around to talk to or comfort her, Apple got out of bed and went into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face to calm her nerves. She lingered on her reflection in the bathroom mirror for a moment and noticed the change in her eyes, which were now cold and daring.
Next, she walked into the kitchen to fix herself a late-night snack. She figured having something in her stomach would ease her nerves a little more. She made herself a turkey and cheese sandwich, poured a large cup of iced tea, and returned to her bedroom to try and relax. She rested against the headboard, stuffed her face with food, and turned the volume up to see what was good to watch on cable at three in the morning. It was mostly paid programs and movies she’d already seen.
Nothing of interest caught her eye, until she turned to The History Channel and caught the beginning of an hour-long documentary on Stockholm syndrome, which she wanted to know more about. She didn’t know why the show had caught her eye, but she focused on the program.
At first, the host talked about the syndrome—“the psychological occurrence where hostages show admiration, worship and praise and have unreasonable positive feelings toward their captors, given the endangerment and risk.”
The program stated that the FBI’s Hostage Database System showed that almost 30% of victims show signs of Stockholm syndrome, an extraordinary phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to his captor.
Apple’s young eyes stayed glued to the program. The program then went on to talk about Patty Hearst, the heir to a publishing fortune who in 1974 was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Unbelievably, Hearst aggressively participated in a robbery just two months after she was captured. Patty was convicted and sent to prison, but in 1979 her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter, and in 2001 she received a pardon from President Bill Clinton.
After the program ended, Apple started wondering if she was suffering from the same condition. Was it Stockholm syndrome? She was in awe, still staring at the TV in a trance-like state. She realized that she had become a willing participant in covering up her sister’s murder by cohabiting with her murderer.
The tears started to flow from Apple’s eyes like a waterfall. It was like she was meant to watch that documentary. She felt Supreme had used her, taken advantage of her when she was vulnerable, and left her blinded from the reality that he was still a murderer. After killing her younger sister, now he was using her for his own purposes. And he would probably discard her when he had no more use for her.
Apple knew she was f*cked in her own way, though, without any real proof linking Supreme to her sister’s murder. Besides that, she figured the police weren’t likely to help because now she was known to be an accomplice in Supreme’s criminal enterprise.
That same night, Apple logged on to the Internet and continued to read more about Stockholm syndrome. She stayed up till morning reading about it and learned that hostages who develop Stockholm syndrome usually see the culprit as the giver of life simply because they spared it. The captor automatically becomes in control of the captive’s need for survival and the victim’s overall life.
Apple thought about Supreme taking her to DC, buying her things to make her happy, and not killing her when he had the chance. He’d provided her with material things and made her look to him for her survival.
She continued to read on. “The perpetrator threatens to murder the victim and paints the picture of having the capability to do so. The hostage figures it safer to align with the captor, bear the adversity of captivity, than to resist and face murder.”
Apple ended her research by reading some more. “When realization from the hostage seeps in that their life was spared, the hostage sees the perpetrator as showing some degree of kindness. Kindness is the basis of the Stockholm syndrome; the condition will not develop unless the captor exhibits it in some form toward the hostage. However, the hostages often misinterpret a lack of abuse as kindness and may develop feelings of gratitude for this supposed compassion.”
Apple thought about how Supreme had once threatened her and her family, and then sucked her into being in a relationship with him with his gifts, sex, and charm. She felt Supreme had manipulated her over the summer. Suddenly feeling disgusted and used, she ran into the bathroom, fell to her knees, positioned her face over the toilet, and began vomiting.
“Fuck me!” she uttered.
She stayed in the bathroom staring into space for about an hour. Then she got up, washed her face, collected herself, and devised a plan to get back at Supreme. He’d brought hell and shame upon her family, and for that he needed to pay with his life.
The following day, Apple got into her Benz and drove to Lincoln projects. Even though she had a sudden disgust in her heart and despised Supreme, she loved her newfound life and wasn’t about to give it up. She still had business to take care of.
The first thing on her agenda for the day was confronting Ayesha. Apple had got word that not only did she f-uck Supreme to cancel her debt, she was also talking shit about her.
Ayesha let it be known in public that she wasn’t scared of Apple, shouting out, “I remember when she used to be a dumb, broke bitch! That bitch ain’t shit to me!”
Apple didn’t take too lightly to the insult and wanted to teach Ayesha a lesson. She parked her Benz and strutted into the building in her tight Seven jeans and stylish top, her .22 and small blade concealed. When the locals saw Apple around the way, they knew to expect trouble. She only came through to either collect money or whip a bitch’s ass.