Evie's 18th birthday is next week, she'll have been with him for 6 years. She doesn't have any memory of her life before, and she's terrified she'll never get out. But when he comes home with a new girl, even younger than she was when he took her, s...
I woke up to the front door slamming, "Evie, wake up" he yelled.
I knew what this meant, it had happened before, many times.. "Get dressed" he said, throwing my pants at me, "can I at least shower first?" I asked even though I knew the answer, "no" he spat back, "we don't have time, there's too much to do."
I got dressed, and went to the kitchen to make lunch, but when I walked in there was a little girl standing by the stairs. She looked scared. "What's your name?" I asked her, she didn't answer, she was afraid of me. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you" I said, I handed her a cup of water and started making her a sandwich, she set the cup on the counter, she didn't even take a sip. "Are you hungry?" I asked, handing her the sandwich, "no, I just want to go home" she said, and started to cry. "My name is Evie" I say, and push the sandwich towards her, "it'll be okay, I'm not going to let him hurt you." She looks at the sandwich, and then at me, "Lacey, my name is Lacey" she says, almost smiling. "Hi, Lacey" I say, and hand her a glass of milk, "I'm going to get you out of here" I say, and sit next to her, "but you can't tell him that, okay?" She shakes her head, taking a bite of the sandwich. "How old are you?" I ask, and get up to make Matt and I a sandwich. "6 1/2" she says, smiling, there's mayonnaise all over her face and her 2 front teeth are missing, we both laugh.
I hear the garage door open, I grab Lacey's hand and lead her to my room, "you have to be quiet, you can't make a sound or he'll find you, okay?" I whisper, "okay" she whispers back. I lock her in my closet, Matt doesn't have the key, and he'll never find it.
I know what will happen when he can't find her, he'll blame me, and think that she escaped, and that I helped her escape. I'd never helped the other girls.. I was always too scared of what he'd do if I disobeyed him, I take care of the girls he brought "home". That was my job.
Every girl was different, but the same, they all just wanted to go home. They were all 13, just like I was when he took me.. I think the only reason I'm still alive is because we were friends when we were kids, and because I'm the mother of our children.. Was the mother of our two little girls, until he took them away, too..
Lacey was the youngest girl he's brought here, that's why I can't let him hurt her like all the others, I won't let him touch her. I never should've let him hurt our daughters, I never should've let him hurt anyone.
I won't let him hurt this baby, this one's going to be different. I sigh and instinctively rub my stomach.
I go downstairs. "Evie" he screams, "Matt" I say, sarcastically, "where's the girl?" he asks, car keys in hand, "what girl?" I ask, pretending to be confused. "Don't play games with me, Evie. Where is she?" he says. I don't say anything, I just fold my arms and stand there. He grabs me by my shoulders and starts shaking me. "Stop" I scream, holding my stomach, "you're going to hurt the baby" I say pushing him off of me. "I'm sorry, if you would just tell me where she is.. I won't have to hurt you" he says rubbing my cheek. "You know I love you" he says, kissing me. I've never said it back, I don't love him, he's a monster, I hated him. He's never questioned why I don't say it, I guess he just assumes I love him. "I don't know what you're talking about, so I can't tell you, do whatever you feel you have to" I say, trying to walk away. He grabs my arm and pulls me back. "Evie, don't do this. I don't want to hurt you, I love you" he says. "Do you now? Do you love me, like you loved Lily and Hanna? "Love.."" I laugh, "you don't know what love is" I say, and pull his hand off of my arm. He doesn't say anything, but I can tell that I hurt him by the tears rolling down his cheeks. I walk straight out the front door, and he just lets me, watching me walk away, more tears rolling down his cheeks.
I go to the neighbor Linda's house and beg to use her phone, "please, it's an emergency" I say, "did your water break? Are you in labor? Oh my gosh" Linda says putting her hand on my stomach, "no no, I'm not in labor. Just call the cops, please" I said, she gives me a puzzled look, but pulls me inside and calls 911.
The cops get there and they ask me what happened, I tell them my name and they look at each other, knowing who I am. "You said your name is Evony Scott?" they ask, with a concerned look on their face, "yes" I say. "You're a lucky girl" they say, "I'm really not.." I mutter.
They take me to the hospital, they do a bunch of tests, check the baby and the doctor asks me how far along I am. "8 months" I say, "is she okay?" I ask trying not to cry, "she's perfect" the doctor says. The cops ask me a bunch of questions, and write down everything I tell them. A few minutes later my parents burst through the door, "Evie!" my mom says running up and hugging me, my dad just looks at me and starts crying, "what did that bastard do to you" he says. "Daddy" I cry, he hugs me so tightly I can't breathe, but I don't care, I missed them so much. "Did they find him yet?" I asked, my dad goes outside to ask one of the detectives, he comes back but doesn't say anything, he just sits beside me, so I know they didn't. "The justice system is really winning" I laugh, sarcastically.
It seemed like a blur, one moment I was with Matt, he was rubbing my stomach, picking out a name for the baby, and the next I'm in interrogation, accused of being an accomplice.
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"When they took you to the hospital they did an exam" the detective said, my heart sank, "the doctor said you've been pregnant before." I didn't say anything, I just kept drinking the water they kept handing me, "am I being charged with something?" I asked, poking holes in the cup. "How many were there?" he asked, "how many what were where?" I asked, seemingly confused, "come on, Eve, you were so helpful in the beginning, you gave us the key to the closet, you helped that girl" he said, handing me another cup of water, "I don't know what you're talking about, and my name is Evony" I say, pushing the cup away. "How many bodies were there?" he asks, again. "I think I need a lawyer, but first, can I go to the bathroom?" I ask, he sighs, "sure" he says, and shows me where the bathroom is.
I sink to the floor.
10 minutes go by, then another 10, and suddenly time stops and the room starts spinning.
Someone knocks on the door, "are you alright in there?" it's a woman's voice. "I can't get up" I mumble, pathetically. She opens the door and sits next to me."I don't think you had anything to do with it" she says, "I know what you're doing" I say, "anything you tell me can't be used against you, it's off the record, swear" she says, reaching out her hand, trying to make a deal with me, "do you think I'm stupid?" I say. "No, I don't. I think you're smart, and that's why you should talk to me, because once you go back in that room, I can't help you", I laugh. "Help? You're right, you can't help me, I want a lawyer."
