Episode 40 — The Eyes That Never Blinked
"What time are we leaving?"
Rae’s voice came from behind the bathroom wall. It was faint, but still clear enough to be heard from the living room of the penthouse.
Kenny was sitting on the sofa, reading a few messages on his phone. The sound of running water from the shower had stopped a few minutes ago. He glanced at the wall clock.
“Ten more minutes. I already called the car.”
Rae stepped out, wearing her own hoodie this time, not one of Kenny’s. Her hair was still slightly damp. Her face had no makeup, but her eyes looked more awake than the night before.
“How long will we stay there?” she asked again, reaching for the jacket hanging near the door.
“You're goona be living there..... Forever, if you want to,” Kenny replied, still not looking at her. “Or at least… until you want to leave.”
Rae frowned. “And what if I want to leave now??”
Kenny finally turned his head. His expression didn’t change. Calm, like still water hiding something deep underneath.
“If you truly wanted to leave,” he said softly, “you wouldn’t be asking, Rae.....”
Rae didn’t reply. She just stood there with the jacket in her hands, slowly putting it on. Quietly, she hated how logical his words were.
"Dammit Rae, He's right..." Rae thought.
On the Way to Kenny’s House...
“While I was in the penthouse... I didn’t see a single photo of you,” Rae said suddenly. Her eyes were on the window, watching the tall buildings pass by.
Kenny didn’t answer right away. Sitting next to Rae in the back seat, he simply adjusted the sleeve of his jacket. The driver remained silent in front, professional as always...
“No pictures of you as a child. No family pictures. Nothing personal at all,” Rae continued. Her voice was calm, but there was a quiet curiosity in her tone.
“Because there’s nothing that needs to be shown,” Kenny said at last. His voice was steady, almost without emotion.
“Or maybe you never really lived there?”
“It’s a place for work, Rae. For rest.... Not for memories.”
Rae gave a small nod. She went silent for a moment, then murmured, “It just felt strange. A place that big… but so empty.”
Kenny turned slightly toward her. “Empty doesn’t mean it has nothing. I’m still planning to fill it with photos someday…”
“What do you mean? Photos of who??”
“Could be yours. Could be ours… Or photos of the Blackwood Dreamland project. We’ll see....”
Rae didn’t respond. But this time, her eyes left the window and looked at him.
Just for a moment.
Long enough to say: she heard him. And she would remember.
They finally arrived at Kenny’s house
“Kenny… your house is done being fixed?”
Rae’s question came out in a light tone, but her eyes were serious. She stepped slowly into Kenny’s house, following the man who had just opened the front door for her.
“It’s finished,” Kenny said simply. “Everything’s been checked. Including the security system.”
Rae raised her eyebrows slightly but said nothing. She stopped at the edge of the living room. Her eyes scanned the space, now the security cameras were more obvious than before.
“It used to feel emptier,” she thought. “But now, something’s different.”
From the kitchen, quick footsteps approached. A woman in her fifties appeared, wearing a pale blue apron. Her hair was neatly tied back, her face clean and smiling warmly.
“Mr. Kenny. Miss Rae. Welcome back,” she said kindly. “I’ve prepared warm towels and lemon tea, if you’d like to rest for a while.”
Rae gave a small nod. She respected this older housekeeper, who had been kind to her before. But as she looked closer, the woman’s smile seemed a bit forced, as if giving Rae a silent warning, that this house had changed. It was more dangerous now.
As Rae walked deeper into the house, something caught her attention. In the corner of the room, between a bookshelf and a tall plant, a small camera stood in plain sight. It wasn’t hidden. Its red light was glowing....
Her eyes sharpened. Another camera sat above the dining room door. One more beside the glass cabinet.
“This house didn’t use to be this tight with security,” she thought. “Now it’s full of eyes. But not mine....”
She slowly turned her head toward Kenny, who was now speaking with a member of the house security staff. There was no guilty look on his face. No explanation either. And that made things even clearer.
Their room on the second floor had hardly changed... except for one thing.
On the bed, hanging from a silver metal hanger placed neatly on the wooden rack, was a new outfit.
A white ivory dress. Simple, but elegant. Not too short, not too long. No brand inside. No tags. Matching flat shoes were placed neatly under it.
Rae stared at it for a while. Her heartbeat was slow but steady. Like a ticking clock in an empty room.
“This is for me? I don’t even need fancy clothes…”
She sat slowly at the edge of the bed. Her fingers touched the hem of the dress. The fabric was soft. Expensive. But it felt like… a uniform.
She stood up and opened the closet in the corner. Her eyes froze.
All her clothes, the ones she remembered putting there, were gone.
Replaced by new ones. All in pastel colors, formal cuts, soft materials.
Not a single one was chosen by her.
“When did they change everything??” she thought.
“Why does it feel like I don’t even have the freedom to choose my own clothes…”
The hallway leading to the kitchen was quiet. Too quiet...
Each of Rae’s footsteps felt heavier. Above the ceiling, another camera blinked with a constant red light.
Like an eye that never sleeps.
“Crazy… cameras everywhere,” Rae whispered.
“Isn’t this dangerous for Kenny too?”
She reached the small dining room at the end of the kitchen. A round table with two chairs. Only two.
Kenny was already sitting there, wearing a light grey linen shirt, sleeves rolled up.
Breakfast was set: toast, soft-boiled eggs, sliced fruits, and warm tea in a porcelain pot.
“Kenny, why did you install more CCTV? Doesn’t this just make things worse?” Rae asked.
“It’s fine.... I just don’t want anyone to mess with you, Rae.” he said calmly.
“Especially those who turn you into their fantasy…”
Soft classical music played from hidden speakers.
Not dramatic. But enough to make the morning feel like a dream, one that was slowly turning into something else.
“Please... Sit down. Breakfast is ready,” Kenny said without turning his head.
Rae pulled the chair slowly and sat. Her hands trembled a little. She didn’t touch her food.
Kenny scooped an egg and placed it on her plate. His movement was calm, gentle. Almost like a caring husband....
“It’s starting to feel like home, right?” he said softly.
Rae paused. The egg in her mouth felt cold before she could even swallow it.
She stared at Kenny for a long time. She didn’t answer....
But in her eyes, a thousand words were waiting.
And from the corner of the ceiling, the camera kept recording.
By late afternoon, Rae stood in the back room.
There was a big window that used to open, letting fresh air in. Now?
She tried to push it. It didn’t move.
Sealed shut. No handle anymore....
She leaned closer. Her forehead touched the glass.
Outside, the backyard looked perfect. The grass was cut evenly.
No fallen leaves. No sound.
A silence that was too clean.
Too controlled.....
Rae whispered to herself,
“This isn’t a home.
This is a museum with living corpses…
And I’m the corpse....”
Night came slowly.
City lights lit up like fake stars, reflected on the windows of tall buildings.
The penthouse was left behind, but the feeling it gave had followed her here.
Rae sat on the edge of the bed, wearing the dress that had been laid out for her.
She didn’t move. She didn’t speak.
The room light was soft and dim. In the corner, the camera stayed on.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
She looked straight into the camera.
Her eyes didn’t scream. They didn’t show drama.
They were calm.
And somehow, that hurt more.
Someone was watching....
In Kenny’s office, a screen showed the day’s recordings.
Every corner of the house: stairs, kitchen, bedroom, backyard.
All being watched.
There was no sound. Only images.
Kenny sat in front of it. His body leaned forward.
His hand touched the screen that showed Rae staring into the camera.
He didn’t smile.
He wasn’t angry either.
He simply whispered:
“You’ll get used to it, Rae...
We all get used to anything... if we stay in it long enough.”