Hell is Lost | Book I

Chapter 4

I quickly turned the light off, shut the door up and ran downstairs. I was panting, and sweating profusely, soon panic took over me as I descended the stairs.

Agnes was waiting for me downstairs when I reached the end. Her face had an expression of shock and surprise--as if she was wondering why I was running so fast.

"Where were you?" she questioned suspiciously.

"I was just in my room...but then I remembered you didn't give me medicine for my headache," I lied.

She stared me down like she was a little unsure of whether I was lying or not. But after a moment's pause, she spoke, "yeah I had forgotten about it. Wait here."

I waited patiently but inside my heart was throbbing badly. The picture of that torture chamber flashed before my eyes everytime I blinked. I was in the house of a sadist who had a knack for torturing people. Agnes returned with a pill and glass of water,"Have it." I immediately took it and hid it under my tongue, pretending I had swallowed it. "I'm gonna go and sleep," I told her and headed to my room.

Closing the door behind me, I threw the pill in the toilet and flushed it.

"Is he going to torture me?" I thought to myself. "What if he removed my organs?"

Millions of frightening thoughts circled my brain like a shark. I knew I had to get out of here...but how? The door was locked. I didn't have the key. Then there was this old housekeeper, who followed me like a shadow. And there's no way this guy didn't have security outside the mansion. Maybe I should contact Jake. But I couldn't find a phone anywhere. Then why did the man aka Damian told Agnes to call him? Maybe there was a phone in the garden..

I looked at the window and the sky was filled with shadowy clouds, and dusk was falling rapidly. Soon it was going to be night, and then morning and he'd be back. The thought of him punishing me came back and I felt a tingling sensation in my body. Tears poured down. I wanted to hide but there was nothing I could do.

Darkness was caging me in when suddenly my inner voice started talking to me.

"You are intelligent and courageous. Only you can find the way out of here. Trust in yourself. You are stronger than you know."

The voice vanished and I felt a new energy in my heart. I knew I had the strength in me but I just needed to find the right way.

I wiped my tears and laid out a plan.

I would befriend the old lady and win her trust. I had seen how she wanted to sympathise with me, although there were constraints. She longed for company and happiness and I was going to giving it to her.

I started on my plan immediately. Damian came back but he was too tired from work and hardly noticed me. After resting for a day, he left again for a business trip--giving me ample time to strengthen my bond with Agnes.

The mornings she would bring the breakfast to my room and talked with me for hours. We started sharing lunch and dinner together. She let me sit on those fancy chairs in the dining room, and would bring some of the most delicious dishes out of the kitchen. She told me she loved cooking and how her father was a famous cook, who cooked for elites.

She became so friendly and would sometimes let me in the kitchen and ask me to help her with the preparations.

We kept our activities low when Damian was in the house. She had strictly instructed me to not to talk to her in front of him.

Damian got so busy with his work that he often stayed disappeared for hours, ignoring me completely and sometimes if he did catch me, I acted like I didn't notice him or pretended to sleep. His busy schedule was a blessing in disguise for me for two reasons--first he didn't punish me, second it gave me freedom to plan my escape.

My bond with Agnes grew stronger. She treated me like her daughter and cared for me like a child. I asked her about her family, her life and her future. She teared up when she told me how nobody had ever asked her all this.

She had a grandson who lived in the city and would often visit her here.

One day, Agnes and I were in the dining room. She had just cooked a traditional dessert for me. "This is delicious," I exclaimed as I gobbled up on the sweetness. "I'm glad you like it," Agnes smiled, clearly pleased with my compliment.

"You know, I have been here for a week now...I miss my family and they must be worried for me." I put the bowl on the side and continued,"my father is really ill and my mother has mental issues. I was the only one who earned..but now me being absent like this, would've taken a toll on them." I cleared my throat and held Agnes' hand in my hand,"please can I call them and tell them I am okay and they didn't have to worry?" I pleaded.

Agnes was perturbed and quite startled by my request. She snatched her hand away and looked down at the table.

"Please, it would just be for thirty seconds," I begged.

"Okay, "she replied. "I can't arrange a call but you can write a letter to your family."

I agreed, even though I had no idea how the letter would reach its destination. But it was my only chance of contacting someone.

She gave me a pen and paper. I wrote what I had to write and put the letter in an envelope and gave it to Agnes.

"I'll deliver it first thing in the morning," she assured me and left.

I took a deep breath and felt relieved as I lay in the bed and waited for the morning sun. I was finally getting out of here. They would read the letter and send the police for him--then I'd be free!

However, my joy was short-lived as I could hear Damian shouting downstairs. I wondered what angered him. Did he find out about my friendship with Agnes? Or was it something else. I crept up under the covers and tried to ignore him.

But suddenly, Damian smashed the door open and crashed in like a raging lion. I sat up and held on to my sheets. He looked furious and anger was pouring out of him like a destructive volcano.

"You really don't listen, do you," he roared.

Every nerve in my body was trembling with fear. My heart raced, and I felt my cheeks burning up with terror as I faced his unforgiving stare.

I was in big trouble!