Chapter Five
Summer
Sunday 25th July 2010
I pushed myself up and wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. I was still in that room. This wasn’t a dream. “Good morning, Lily,” Rose said from the bed opposite mine. Good morning wasn’t what I would have called it. This was a morning from a nightmare – one that I couldn’t wake up from.
I smiled, though I was sure my mouth didn’t even move. What happened next? What was I supposed to do today? I wanted to say something to Rose, but I didn’t know what. I didn’t even know what I was thinking or feeling. Everything was still dream-like and seemed so unreal.
Rose smiled in sympathy and opened the half width wardrobe beside me. “Here, you can borrow some of Violet’s clothes until Clover gets you some new things.”
The blood drained from my face. Rose laid a pair of jeans an oversized lilac jumper on the bed. I shook my head. How could she expect me to wear the clothes of a girl I had witnessed being murdered not even twenty-four hours ago? “No,” I whispered. “I can’t.” My heard hammered in my chest.
She winced and nodded. “Right. Of course. I’m sorry, Lily, I wasn’t thinking.”
“You can borrow some of mine,” Poppy offered, and grabbed me a very similar outfit from her wardrobe.
“Okay, I’m going to have a shower. Poppy, can you explain to Lily, please?” Rose asked, and picked up her clothes and a towel. Explain what? I doubted I even wanted to know what she had to explain.
Poppy waited until we were alone and sat on my bed. “The morning routine,” she said. “We need to have a shower and be ready by eight, every morning. That’s when Clover comes down for breakfast.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “What? We have to dress up for him!” This was too crazy to be real. What the hell was wrong with him!
“It’s not dressing up exactly. He likes us to be clean, dressed respectfully, and have our hair and make-up done for when he comes. He likes us to look nice for him.”
My stomach turned. He was seriously fucked up. “I don’t want to look nice for him.”
“Honestly, Lily, neither do I. Trust me though, it’s better than the alternative.”
I gulped and closed my eyes. The answer to my next question was obvious but I still asked it. “What’s the alternative?”
“You know what happened to Violet,” she whispered, and looked over at the empty bed.
“He’ll kill me if I don’t look nice for him,” I thought aloud.
Poppy sighed. “He wouldn’t kill you for that the first time, but he would punish you.”
My heart stopped beating. “Punish?” I shook my head. Nothing made sense. Things like this happened in movies, not in real life. “I just want to go home.” I sobbed and squeezed my eyes closed, picturing Lewis’ face. “I want to see Lewis.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” I nodded and sniffed. “Do you love him?”
“Yes.” I had been in love with him for ages before we got together. He was so easy going and fun to be around. He could also stress over silly little things and was fiercely protective of the people he loved.
YOU ARE READING
The Cellar
HorrorFor months Summer is trapped in a cellar with the man who took her - and three other girls: Rose, Poppy, and Violet. His perfect, pure flowers. His family. But flowers can't survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out...
