New to the Family

Alone

 A metallic taste filled my mouth when the blood dripped from my nose and ran past my lips. I moved to wipe it away, but the rope dug into my wrists. I shifted my weight on the mattress and the plastic underneath me crinkled.

There was only one small window in the basement that let moonlight into the room. The way that the shadows ran across the room made it seem like there were no bars on the window. I bent my head to look behind me, but without my glasses I could not see if there was any bars. When I got out of this, I would need to try and squeeze out of that small window.

The sound of someone walking around upstairs echoed through the basement. I held my breath as I listened to the person walking around. Knowing Gabe, he would come down here and beat me. The sound stopped, and I let go of my breath.

Everyone must have gone back to bed.

That made me wonder how long they were going to leave me down here. Surely in the morning Gabe or Jared would come down here. They would give me some big lecture about how I need to respect this family and how they are trying to protect me. I would give them a fake apology, and then they would untie me. I would be back to trying to steal knives.

I shimmied and tried to get comfortable. The cold air caused goosebumps to run along my arms and legs. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep.

--

I fell into pockets of sleep throughout the night. I would wake up shivering and my shoulders ached. I yawned and tried to stretch my arms out.

The sound returned of someone walking around. It must be Lindsay making breakfast. Jared or Gabe would have to come down and untie me before they went outside for the day. I just had to wait a few more minutes.

More footsteps joined Lindsay's. I braced myself for the door to open, but it did not.

The footsteps were quiet for a few minutes, and then a door slammed shut. It returned to just one set of footsteps walking around.

I lifted my head off of the mattress.

They must have left me down here. They must want to keep me down here for the day. I shifted my weight as my shoulders started to burn. My stomach growled and I squeezed my eyes shut. Hopefully, they would allow Lindsay to come down here with food.

I relaxed back into the mattress, and the plastic cover crinkled. If I had to stay down here I should at least try to sleep. It would allow me to at least ignore the pain in my shoulders and stomach.

I did not manage to sleep. I spent the day wide awake with goosebumps running across my skin. The pain seeped in deeper to my muscles as the day went. The ache had spread from my shoulders all the way down to my elbows.

I was distracted from the pain in shoulders when my bladder began to hurt. I had to go to the bathroom, but no one else was down here. I called out for Lindsay, but I got no answer. I heard her moving around when I called out her name, but she never came down the stairs.

I shifted across the mattress as my teeth dug into my lip. The plastic sheet crinkled under me, and I realized its purpose.

They were going to keep me down here for a long time, and they knew it. The plastic was so that I would not stain the mattress when I wet myself. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to distract myself. I mumbled prayers under my breath that Jared or Gabe would come inside, but they did not.

Embarrassment washed over me when a warm trickle ran down my leg.

--

It was dark when I heard more steps walking up above me. The awful smell filled my nose, and my body itched with disgust.

If Jared or Gabe came downstairs, I was willing to beg for them to untie me. The pain had grown so intense that I could not even shift my weight anymore. Anytime that I moved my muscles screamed out in pain.

I listened as the feet shuffled around upstairs. They stopped for about half an hour, and I assumed that they were eating dinner. They had to come get me soon. Surely they would not leave me down here to starve.

It was a relief to hear footsteps come closer to the basement. The door creaked open, and I lifted my head off of the mattress. A blurry figure walked down the stairs.

"Please," I said before I figured out who it was. "Please, please, can you untie me?"

"Had enough already, Leah?" Gabe said.

I dropped my head back onto the mattress. I groaned as I turned so that I was lying on my side. Gabe walked to the side of the mattress and kneeled down. His thin lips were lifted into a smirk. I shook my head and closed my eyes.

"Please, I am so sorry," I said. "I promise I will never do it again. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Gee, Leah if I knew that this was all that it would take to break you I would have done it sooner," he said.

"Please." A tear slipped out of my eyes. "Please, let me go."

Gabe chuckled. He ran his fingers through my hair. He wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"I think you need one more night down here," he said. "I will let Jared decide when you can come back upstairs."

"Please-"

"He's pretty hurt," Gabe cut me off. "He was not able to do much outside. I am not sure when he will forgive you."

"Let him come down here," I said. "Let me apologize to him."

"It doesn't work that way."

Gabe stood up so that he was towering over me. I bit down on my cheeks to stop myself from screaming out in pain as I rolled onto my back.

"Please, let me go," I said.

"You're just going to have to wait for Jared," he said.

My voice was dry and hoarse as I screamed for Gabe to untie me. I listened to him chuckle as he went back up the stairs.