Second Chances Don't Come Often | Scarlett Johansson x Daughter

Chapter Seven

True to her word, Ella stayed in her room, all in effort to avoid Scarlett. She didn't answer when either Scarlett or Colin knocked on her door. But she knew when they'd left, a meal would be on hardwood floor outside her door. She ignored every attempt at communication, just waited for the retreating footsteps before she cracked the door open to take the food. One evening it was pizza – her favourite – and she decided to leave that food outside her door. Her stomach had protested greatly at that during the night.

She lay in bed, the night setting on the second day in her isolation, and she watched the stars above her head start to glow. Shifting on the duet and pillows, she decided to go to sleep despite the early hour. The hunger must have warped her mind, because she was having the strangest dreams in her life.

"Mummy, please! I'll be good! Please let me stay!"

She could feel a stronger, rough hand holding her arm. She could feel her body scream and writher as she pleaded. She could hear someone else crying, but she wasn't sure if it was in her dream. It felt like she was being torn in two, as another hand grabbed her; it was much softer, trying to be gentle but still pulling.

"I wanna stay with Mummy!"

The crying sound got louder, and her eyes snapped open. Ella found herself breathing heavily, and felt her face, finding it damp. Had the crying been in her dream, or had she cried out loud?

Just as quickly as it had started, the dream started to fade from her memory. After several deep breathes, and cuddling the little teddy she had brought with her, Ella couldn't even remember what she had been crying about. She went to the bathroom and quickly splashed her face, getting sight of her peaky reflection in the mirror. Several days inside with no sun hadn't agreed with her. She stared at her reflection and scrunched her face up – Rose had been right, she did look a bit like Scarlett. She bit the inside of her cheek, before turning the light out and returning to a more fitful, dreamless sleep.

Ella woke up, after only a few hours, as dawn creeped over the neighbourhood. No one else in the house was stirring yet. Staying in the bedroom wasn't the best idea, so she decided to venture downstairs. The house was defiantly large enough for her avoid Scarlett the majority of the time if she tried. She may have to enlist the help of Rose for that. The little girl had been the only one allowed in her room during her isolation. Rose had asked why she didn't want to come out, why Colin looked so tired, and why Scarlett seemed to cry at everything. Something tried to gnaw at her insides, but Ella refused to let it show. Ella didn't know how to explain it to eh little girl – whenever she broached the notion that Ella would leave back to London, Rose's bottom lip quivered and that gnawing feeing was overwhelming.

This morning, Ella went downstairs towards the kitchen. She had only just grabbed the Coco Pops when she heard footsteps upstairs. She listened intently, following the pattern. She'd had a lot of time to listen in her room and had the layout of the house worked out. The noise started in Scarlett and Colin's bedroom, before trailing out and towards Rose's bedroom. Ella shrugged and ate her Coco Pops in silence. Her eyes cast over some papers left on the marble countertop of the island, and raised an eyebrow.

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One shiny looking pamphlet sat next to the fruit bowl; a smiling child with its parents smiling for the camera.

As footsteps began to move again upstairs, Ella grabbed the pamphlet and tore it in half, before depositing it in the trashcan. The footsteps raced down the stairs, and a little gasp could be heard at the doorway.

"Ella!" Rose rushed over in little Disney Jungle Book pyjamas, and hugged her sisters leg. "Are you taking me to school today?" Rose had been closely followed by Colin, who looked shocked to see Ella sat in the kitchen.