Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
“This is his house?” she asked, watching her mother pace the stone floor of the cellar.
Cobwebs hung from pipes overhead. It was dank and windowless, lit only by a single light bulb near the top of a rickety set of wooden steps.
Other than the furnace, hot water heater, and a few buckets filled with cleaning supplies, it was empty.
Though she swore she could hear rodents scurrying around in the dark corners.
“I think so,” said her mother. “I’m not sure.”
She’d seen the exterior when they arrived, but it was dark and she hadn’t gotten a good look at it. She hadn’t gotten a good look at the interior either since he’d been in such a rush to lock them away in the cold, dirty basement.
She and her mother hadn’t spoken since he’d forced them into his truck and driven them here.
Not that they could speak freely in front of him.
Neither of them had wanted to draw more of his attention.
In the back of his truck, her mother had slid an arm around her shoulders and held her.
She promised herself she wouldn’t cry. It would only make her mom feel badly and give him a sick satisfaction that she refused to hand over.
Now, though, having been left in this horrible room, the tears spilled down her cheeks. What if he never let them out? What if he killed her mom? What if she had to stay here alone? What if she never escaped? What if she escaped and he caught her and decided to punish her for it?
What if the one person who would come searching for them couldn’t find them?
“Oh, sweetie,” her mother cooed, plopping onto the floor beside her and taking her into her arms. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
Her mother sounded so confident, but it was easy to feel that way when he wasn’t looming over you. When her mom touched her hair, she winced. Her scalp was still tender. Everything felt tender. Even her soul.
“What if he can’t find us?” she whispered.
Beneath her cheek, her mother’s heartbeat raced. “We’re going to get out of here. I promise. Whether he finds us or not. We’re going to be okay. I promise.”
She made a noise of agreement because she knew that’s what her mother needed to hear, but the older she got, the more she understood that promises were as worthless as the miles they’d tried to put between themselves and their monster.
They weren’t getting out of this without giving up more than he’d already taken.
She wasn’t sure she had anything left.