In Our Blood

Chapter Nine

Charlie sighed as she laid back on the bed, she stared up at the ceiling. Her body ached with pain, she was still wearing her bloody clothes, she could feel pain shooting through her arm from the bullet hitting her.

She felt her eyes water with tears, she didn't stop them from rolling down her cheeks.

Charlie felt a fresh patch of bloody soak through her sleeve, she wouldn't be surprised if her white bedding was now covered in blood.

She curled up in ball, she kept her gaze staring out the window. Watching as the sun tried to break in through the bars of the window.

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Charlie wasn't sure how long she had slept for, her body burned with pain as she slowly sat up. She slowly tilted her head side to side to stretch it. She slowly turned her attention out the window, the balance of the sunrising and the dark night blending through her room.

She looked down at her arm, it had stopped bleeding. She carefully pulled her shirt sleeve away from her bullet wound; feeling the fabric try to unstick itself from the dried blood.

Charlie reached into her bra and pulled out the key, she felt relief from no longer having to squash the key against her chest.

She inspected the key carefully, she tried to think of what the keys of her father's look like.

Maybe the key was a trap to lure her further or a spark of freedom that Charlie desperately craved?

Charlie quickly shoved the key under her thigh as the door opened.

She watched as Macy placed a green toiletries bag on the floor.

"Macy, isn't it?"

Macy nodded.

"Can I ask, what do you do?"

"for him?" Macy shrugged "I just cater to you."

Charlie seemed confused "Do you live here?"

"Define live? Can I come and go? Of course. Is this my house? I just follow what he says."

"How long have you been with him?"

Macy shrugged.

"Can you leave?"

Macy thought for a moment "We can all leave when death comes, that's our cue."

Charlie lowered her eyes to her lap. She had heard that sentence time and time again from her father.

Macy stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Charlie sighed.

She carefully stepped to the toiletries bag, she cautiously picked it up before unzipping it. Charlie beamed at the sight of various sized tampons "Now this is a plan." She grabbed the key and hid it in the bottom of the toiletries bag before zipping up the bag.

Charlie kept her guard up as she reached for the door handle with her other hand, she kept hold of the toiletries bag. She pushed down the handle, she pulled the door towards her.

She paused for a moment, she slowly peered her head out from the door as she looked both up and down the hallway.

Charlie smiled with a plan as she noticed dried blood droplets on the ground leading up to her room.

She glanced down at her bullet wound shoulder.

Charlie quickly glanced up and down the hallway before taking a step out of the room. She closed her door before sneaking her way up the hallway, she mentally kept count of the doors swiftly moves past them.

She beamed with happiness as she found a glass door, she stared out the door seeing the outside; an overgrown garden, green and brown coloured leaves filled the trees, brown leaves barely hung onto the bushes and once colourful flowers now brown and crumpled.

Charlie placed her hand on the door handle, she prayed for a miracle as she pushed down the handle.

Her face dropped as she kept trying to push the handle down.

She felt frustration wash over her face as she pressed her weight against the door when she pushed the door handle down.

Charlie felt tears roll down her cheeks as she continued at failing to open the door.

"Charlotte." She heard his calm voice.

Charlie cried as she leant her head against the glass door "It won't open." She cried to herself; her hand stayed on the door handle as her grip loosened on her toiletries bag.

He placed his hand over her hand holding the door handle. "Charlotte, look at me."

Charlie slowly turned her head to look at him, she couldn't remember the last time she had seen a worried expression on his face. She was used to seeing him being cold and calculating, to see him worried that wasn't like him.

He gently moved her hand off the door handle before pulling her into his chest, he let her cry into his jacket as he wrapped his arms around her.