Betrayal

Chapter 1

*This story contains disturbing content such as physical abuse, rape, brainwashing, and extreme gore and violence. If any of this bothers you DO NOT READ!! There will be trigger warnings on the chapters that do contain these things so if you want to read, you can but you can always skip those chapters.*

   The hot and humid late summer Louisiana air blew through the open windows of my car. I felt nervous and a little saddened about my oncoming departure from Dulvey, but I knew that I could come back for the holidays and return for good after I was done with college... if I wanted to, that is.

There was nothing but dense swamp flora before me as I drove into the forest next to my old friends' home. While I hadn't heard from them in a few months, I figured it had been because of the possible damage that could've been done after the hurricane that came through. They were fixing their house up, it seemed the most logical to me. These people were like family to me, I had been friends with their children since I could remember. The only time we weren't together was when my family and I briefly moved to Georgia due to my father's new job. Obviously it didn't last long, we weren't there for more than six months before moving back home to Dulvey. For my little visit, I decided to drive through the forest surrounding their house to surprise them. I could go through the old house and head through the main house front door. I was sure they wouldn't mind.

The mud stuck to the bottom of my boots and I could only hope that it would rub off on nearby stone or maybe the wood of the old house porch, it would be rude of me to track it inside of their home. There was something strange about the property as I approached it, the smell of smoke filled the air and no one was around. The front seemed to be flooded as well. This worried me.

It was best not to climb over the gate, if I were to do that I'd just end up in a gross and muddy mess, so I decided to go around and through the path to the back. The deeper I ventured, the more I worried. Normally they kept up with cleaning the steps and keeping the vegetation trimmed back so one could easily walk through, but everything had become overgrown and the wooden steps were covered in mud. As the trail opened up to the lake, I noticed how dirty everything else had become. While yes, it was outdoors, everything was well kept a few months ago, but now it was muddy. Everything. I blamed it on the storm again and moved on. Although, I did find it interesting when I found rope blocking off the opening to the lake. I had a bad feeling about it, but I went through it anyway. I would regret it later.

The side of the house came into view at last! I clutched at my bag, running up the steps and checked under the mat for the key. I couldn't seem to find it, which completely ruined my plans. Quickly, I knocked on the door, hoping that maybe someone was inside the house. As my fist beat down on the door, it opened. No one seemed to be in sight, but I went in anyway. Another decision I would later regret.

The house was peeling away and reeked of mold. I feared for my health and the health of The Bakers. The wooden planks beneath my feet creaked with every step I took and gave away my position in the house to anyone or anything that resided within it. The kitchen table was cluttered and held a whole bunch of newspapers that were damp, ruined. There were a few garbage bags scattered among the halls, decorating the house and adding to my growing worry. The furniture had become damaged as well, the stuffing coming out of a few rips in the couches. After a while, I had actually come across mold. I had walked by an opened drawer and noticed the black fungus inside. But it looked weird. It wasn't like any mold I had ever seen. I didn't dare pay any more attention to it than I needed, though. At the time it was just regular mold to me.

As I made my way around the old house, I heard creaking from other rooms. My nerves were set on edge and I found myself frantically trying to open the door. For some strange reason, the setting of the old house had gotten to me. It was nothing like I remembered and there was an unsettling feeling that took over me. The door wouldn't open, however. My breath quickened as the footsteps got closer, so I did what I thought would save me.

"Hello? Mr. Jack? Mrs. Marguerite? It's me, Jolene. I came to say bye..." I stated as I cautiously made my way down the hallway once more. There was no answer, and that startled me even more. Perhaps it wasn't them, maybe it was someone who had broken in. If that were the case, I was in a whole lot of trouble.

"Lucas? Zoe?" I called out. There was still no answer, only the sounds of footsteps quickening. I could barely see a thing due to the windows still being boarded up from the storm. My heartbeat echoed through my ears and I was sure others in the house could hear it, even if I knew that probably wasn't the case. The living room was to my left and the closest room I could escape into, so I did. The familiar sound of the tv static filled my ears and replaced the sounds of my heartbeat and the foreign footsteps. This wasn't the best thing though, how could I tell if they were getting closer to my hiding spot if the static was deafening?

I rushed to the tv set, turning it off. Finally, there was complete silence... but that wasn't right. By the time I realized the footsteps had stopped, there was a rag over my mouth. I began to panic, which didn't help at all. Within a few seconds I was out cold. It was a heavy, dreamless sleep that enveloped me after the rag was pressed to my face. Nothing but inky blackness and no memories of that sleep that overcame me.

Instead of any answers to the questions that looped around in my head, I was locked in a cell, seated on the floor. There was a bed placed against the stone brick wall with salmon-colored blankets draped over it. The floor, which was cement, was damp with a few actual puddles in random places. There was a single lamp attached to the wall above my head, illumination the otherwise dark cell. As I stood from my place on the floor, a body came into view. I jumped, accidentally hitting my head on the lamp, moving it slightly from the position it was in.

Indeed, there was a woman sleeping on the bed. Her raven locks spread on the pillow and covering her face. She wasn't under the blankets, instead curled up on top of them. Her shirt was dirty and greying, but I felt as if I had seen it before. I shrugged this feeling off, however, and walked away from the stranger's sleeping form.

If I were to find out just what happened and if I were still in the Baker's home, it would be a miracle. I had just begun living a hellish life. Sadly, for me, there was no escaping from it.