pretend to be asleep. I tried to slow my rapid breathing as I relaxed into the couch, but my mind wouldn't stop replaying the scene with Garrett and me. My breathing finally slowed after a few seconds, and I relaxed my body into the couch as if I was sleeping.
Steve's footsteps entered the room and came to a halt. I felt fear spike through me again as I began to wonder what made him stop. Did Steve know something was going on? What gave us away?
"Kelly, wake up!" Steve ordered.
"Dad, she's sleeping. She's been cleaning all week—” Garrett started, but never finished.
"Did I tell you to speak?" Steve coldly interrupted. "Kelly, get up!"
I stirred slightly and slowly as I pretended to stretch and yawn. "Hello, Steve," I said quietly in a feigned raspy voice as if I had just awoken.
"I have a surprise for you," he stated with a smile, as he produced a small girl, no more than five or six years old, from behind his back. Her hair had dirt in it, her pink sundress was torn, and she only had on one flip flop. It must be warm outside for her to be dressed like this—how long had I been here?
"What is this?" I asked in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing. He brought someone else into the house? He took a little girl as a second child, and her life would be ruined like mine if she stayed trapped in here.
The little girl began crying, but had long given up fighting Steve's hold as she just wept to herself. Steve ordered her to shut up and she did for a moment, but then her cries got louder. Angry at the girl’s defiance, he slapped her and made the crying worse. The scene ripped my heart out, but I had no way of helping the girl.
"This is our new daughter, Kelly. She's about Garrett's age when we took him, and she is so beautiful," he said cooing at the young girl.
I glanced at Garrett while Steve's attention was on the little girl. His mouth hung open, his eyes bulging from their sockets. Steve’s statement was news to him. He was taken at such a young age that he didn’t remember a life before this house.
Garrett abruptly stood up without Steve taking notice to him as he fawned over the little girl. “You took me?”
"Yes, just like this one. Of course, a girl is better for the family than another boy." Steve said with a smile as he handed me the little girl. I quickly pulled her away from Steve and let her cry in my arms. When I looked up from my new 'daughter' I caught Garrett staring at me, asking the silent question 'what now?'
Chapter 12
It was a great question. What do we do now? I had been up all night thinking about what was there to do. A six year old wouldn't be able to comprehend what was happening around her. She couldn't understand how she was taken from a family that most likely adored her or what this prison would be like. She wouldn't understand the severity of the situation. Being taken at a young age, like Garrett, had shown that the mind blocks out horrible things and adapts in order for us to survive. He coped with living here by forgetting about his previous life. He truly believed Kelly was his mother and Steve was his father, but now that reality had been shattered, and he was angry.
Just like this little girl would be one day if we didn't find a way escape. We needed to think of a new plan. Was there even a way to get us all out at once?
I'm not sure, but can I risk a young girl's life just to attempt to save Garrett's and my own? Questions continually poured into my mind as I gave up on sleeping and walked out into the living room. The situation had changed drastically, and there wasn't anything we could do about it. This girl had barely lived, it wasn't fair to risk her life, but if I left her here alone it would be worse. She would have to come with me, she couldn't stay with Garrett while he was beaten. The sight would kill me, and it would do irreversible damage to her. We had to go together, we had to get her out safely back to her
Steve's footsteps entered the room and came to a halt. I felt fear spike through me again as I began to wonder what made him stop. Did Steve know something was going on? What gave us away?
"Kelly, wake up!" Steve ordered.
"Dad, she's sleeping. She's been cleaning all week—” Garrett started, but never finished.
"Did I tell you to speak?" Steve coldly interrupted. "Kelly, get up!"
I stirred slightly and slowly as I pretended to stretch and yawn. "Hello, Steve," I said quietly in a feigned raspy voice as if I had just awoken.
"I have a surprise for you," he stated with a smile, as he produced a small girl, no more than five or six years old, from behind his back. Her hair had dirt in it, her pink sundress was torn, and she only had on one flip flop. It must be warm outside for her to be dressed like this—how long had I been here?
"What is this?" I asked in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing. He brought someone else into the house? He took a little girl as a second child, and her life would be ruined like mine if she stayed trapped in here.
The little girl began crying, but had long given up fighting Steve's hold as she just wept to herself. Steve ordered her to shut up and she did for a moment, but then her cries got louder. Angry at the girl’s defiance, he slapped her and made the crying worse. The scene ripped my heart out, but I had no way of helping the girl.
"This is our new daughter, Kelly. She's about Garrett's age when we took him, and she is so beautiful," he said cooing at the young girl.
I glanced at Garrett while Steve's attention was on the little girl. His mouth hung open, his eyes bulging from their sockets. Steve’s statement was news to him. He was taken at such a young age that he didn’t remember a life before this house.
Garrett abruptly stood up without Steve taking notice to him as he fawned over the little girl. “You took me?”
"Yes, just like this one. Of course, a girl is better for the family than another boy." Steve said with a smile as he handed me the little girl. I quickly pulled her away from Steve and let her cry in my arms. When I looked up from my new 'daughter' I caught Garrett staring at me, asking the silent question 'what now?'
Chapter 12
It was a great question. What do we do now? I had been up all night thinking about what was there to do. A six year old wouldn't be able to comprehend what was happening around her. She couldn't understand how she was taken from a family that most likely adored her or what this prison would be like. She wouldn't understand the severity of the situation. Being taken at a young age, like Garrett, had shown that the mind blocks out horrible things and adapts in order for us to survive. He coped with living here by forgetting about his previous life. He truly believed Kelly was his mother and Steve was his father, but now that reality had been shattered, and he was angry.
Just like this little girl would be one day if we didn't find a way escape. We needed to think of a new plan. Was there even a way to get us all out at once?
I'm not sure, but can I risk a young girl's life just to attempt to save Garrett's and my own? Questions continually poured into my mind as I gave up on sleeping and walked out into the living room. The situation had changed drastically, and there wasn't anything we could do about it. This girl had barely lived, it wasn't fair to risk her life, but if I left her here alone it would be worse. She would have to come with me, she couldn't stay with Garrett while he was beaten. The sight would kill me, and it would do irreversible damage to her. We had to go together, we had to get her out safely back to her
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