Chosen

Chapter 7 - Blair's POV

I watched him walk out of the door and finally released the flood of tears that had been held hostage in my blinking eyes from the moment we had woken up this morning. There was something eerily familiar about this man, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Asking him his name and slipped my mind, however, it wasn't information he seemed ready to give. That's the first thing most people do when they meet someone...isn't it?

I looked around for a clock as I had already lost track of time. This seemed like some sort of nightmare. I was so desperate to find what I had been searching for, but I was not desperate to be a part of it. An overwhelming sense of annoyance flooded throughout my mind. I really should have just minded by own business as my parents had put it so many times.

My parents...I was due back any day now, and once I didn't come back, they would know the truth. They would send a search party out for me, and I would be found quickly. I was thankful for that. I also knew I needed to be smart about what I was doing. I had no idea what these people were capable of.

I took the dishes from breakfast into the kitchen and decided to get all of it cleaned up. The strange man told me I had to keep the house clean and cook lunch for everyone, and I didn't have anything else to do. I noticed that the microwave on the counter looked relatively modern, and had a time on it. It seemed to be the only clock in the house. It was 10am, and I realized I must've gotten lost in thought. I didn't have much time to figure out where everything was and decide what to make for lunch.

I quickly washed the dishes and let them dry in the drying rack while I scoured over the fridge and the cabinet trying to find something decent to prepare a meal with. Everything that came to mind would require longer preparation, so I settled on homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. As I prepped everything for lunch, my head raced with many thoughts.

What were these people capable of? What would they do to me? What did they do to others? I quickly shook the thoughts out of my mind as I finished my meal preparation. The soup was simmering on the stove to stay warm, and the sandwiches would only take a few minutes to sear, so I set to work searching for plates and silverware. I glanced at the clock on the microwave and it read 11:45. Panic mode kicked in and I ferociously searched the kitchen until I finally came across the dishes. I would need to remember where they all were.

I set the table with four plates, bowls, spoons, and cups. I took the leftover lemonade out of the fridge and set it on the table and got to work frying up the grilled cheese. Right at noon, a woman came inside as I was frying up the last of the sandwiches.

I shyly turned the stovetop off and went to work ladling out portions of soup and grilled cheese. The woman washed her hands in the kitchen sink, and I noticed it looked like she had blood on her hands. Maybe one of the animals were injured. She turned the faucet off and walked to the table and inspected everything with a smile and took a seat. She gestured for me to sit across from her, and so I did.

"Hello dear. How are you settling in? It looks like you got the kitchen all figured out, and I must admit, this smells delicious." She smiled at me again and just as I was getting ready to respond, the man who kidnapped me and an older man trumped through the door, locking it behind them. They walked straight to the kitchen to wash their hands before the meal.

I decided against responding and instead looked down at the table. The woman continued to smile at me and it was starting to get creepy. I could hear the two men talking loudly in the kitchen. After a couple of minutes they came and sat at the table. The one who kidnapped me sat beside me, and the older man sat next to the woman. It was clear immediately that they were husband and wife, and I could only assume that the man next to me was their son.

He squeezed my knee under the table and my body tensed up instinctively. The older man looked around the table and suddenly everyone bowed their heads, so I followed suit.

His deep voice echoed throughout the quaint room. "Father, thank you for this bounty you have set before us. We thank you for bringing Blair home to us, and we thank you for the abundance of animals you give us to nourish our bodies. Amen."

The woman and the man beside me followed with a quiet "amen" and I did the same. Everyone around me started to eat, so I slowly nibbled at the sandwich on my plate.

The older man finished his sandwich in less than five minutes and sipped slowly at his soup and looked up at me. "Blair. This is delicious. Thank you for preparing this meal for us. Let me introduce you to the family. My name is Jay, but you will respectfully refer to me as sir or Pa. This beautiful creature beside me is my wife, Lou, and you can refer to her as such. The handsome young man sitting next to you is our son, and your new husband, Tyler."

I choked on the lemonade I was sipping and had to carefully set the glass down so I didn't break it. "Excuse me? Husband? Listen, I think that you have the..."

I was cut off by a sharp slap across my face. Tears rushed to my eyes and I grabbed my tender cheek and looked up at my attacker. The smiling woman who had sat before me was now reaching across the table, red faced and wide eyed.

"Watch your mouth, young lady. The first thing you will learn in my house is to never talk back to anyone. The next time you do, I will take you outside and chain you up alongside the animals in the barn. Is that understood?"

I nodded my head slowly as tears streamed down my face. Tyler angrily dug his nails into my thigh causing me to cry out in pain. "Answer her." He gritted his teeth and flared his nostrils.

"Y-yes ma'am." I was terrified. What was wrong with these people? Most importantly, how could I get myself out of this situation?

Tyler released his grip on me, and Lou sat down readjusting her apron and smoothing the wiry gray hairs framing her face. She nodded her head and plastered an ugly, yellow-toothed smile across her face. Everyone continued eating until their bowls and plates had been practically licked clean. I had only managed to eat a few more bites before I just couldn't stomach anymore of it.

Lou left the table first and walked towards the door, "Have a great rest of the day dear. I suggest you take the rest of your alone time to think about your behavior. For your sake, I hope you have better manners when I come in to help prepare dinner."

I looked at my feet and mumbled, "Y-yes ma'am." The door slammed shut and I heard the lock click into place as she locked the door.

"Come on, Blair, I'll help you take the dishes to the sink." Tyler nudged me gently with his boot, and I begrudgingly gathered up half of the dishes as he gathered the other half and followed him into the kitchen.

We set the dishes in the sink and he pulled me into an embrace. I stiffened against him, which only made him squeeze tighter.

He pulled back and kissed my forehead. "I know it's gonna take you some time to get used to things, but I promise you it will get easier. Just do as your told. I have to go back out, but I'll be back in for dinner, okay?"

I nodded my head he kissed my forehead once more and left. I turned the faucet to hot and let the water heat up a little bit as I added soap to the dish sponge. Suddenly, I was yanked backwards by my hair and I cried out.

Jay pushed me up against the wall and I cowered beneath him. His foul smelling breath forced its way into my air supply as he got right in my face. "Ungrateful little bitch. Don't you ever disrespect your husband that way, you got that?"

"Y-y-yes s-sir, I'm s-sorry..." I trailed off as he let go of me and stormed out of the kitchen. I heard the door slam shut and the lock click into place. I desperately needed to get out of here.