Madison's Journey

Part 7: Madison's POV

I sit up slowly weighing my options, 'There are a few different things that I could do...

1. Sit here and try to get some more sleep (Though then I won't sleep well tonight).

2. Stay here and try to distract myself from my growling stomach.

3. Go downstairs and try to sneak some food.

4. Go downstairs and ask for food (Though options 3 and 4 both risk punishment).

Sighing I fall back on the bed, 'I know options 3 and 4 risk punishment, but neither Tobin nor Christian have shown any signs of being violent.' Shaking my head violently, 'No! No! I can't think like that. Things can change quickly, it's happened before.'

After spending a few more minutes considering my options my body decides to make the decision for me. The pain becomes too much to bear and I make my way out of the room.

'It's worth the risk,' I try to convince myself as I descend the stairs. Making it to the ground floor I glance around trying to spot either of the other women.

'I don't think either of them is down here. Now all I need to do is get to the kitchen and see if I can grab a granola bar or two.'

I make my way over to the kitchen and over to the pantry, 'Please be granola bars or fruit cups or some other sort of easy-to-conceal snacks.'

When I get to the cabinet I immediately note the lack of a lock on it. 'Maybe this will be easier than I thought.'

I open the door slowly praying that it doesn't squeak. Whatever I had thought a professional athlete's pantry to look like it was definitely not this. 'I didn't know one house could have this much food in it.'

There are boxes upon boxes of cereal, mac and cheese, granola bars, fruit cups, cans of fruits and vegetables, chips, and even sweet foods like cookies. What I'm seeing is so overwhelming I hesitate to take anything.

'With this much food, they won't possibly notice a few missing granola bars, right?' I think to myself.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a glass being set on the counter. I spin around to where the sound came from. I stumble back into the pantry trying to put as much distance between me and the sound as I can. 'Oh, God. This is it. I'm gonna get it now. I am so dead.'

"Hey. Hey, it's ok." The voice in front of me said. It is Christian.

"I-I-I was... I-I was j-j-just-t... y-you said th-that-t... n-n-n-no-no I-I mean-n... I..." I try to get out an explanation to what I am doing.

"Madison, it's ok. You didn't have lunch and it's almost two now. Are you hungry?"She asks, keeping her voice calm and even.

I shake my head.

"Are you sure?" She asks me once again. This time I nod my head.

"Ok well, I'm going to make myself some mac and cheese. So it wouldn't be any trouble to give you some when it's finished if you want."

'How is she keeping her voice so calm and even? I can't get a read on how she is feeling about this situation. She doesn't seem mad that I was in the pantry but that could all change in an instant.' I remind myself.

She again shakes me out of my head when she asks me another question. I look at her with wide eyes, 'What did she ask me? Shoot. Shoot!' I try to take another step back, but I'm met with the shelves of the pantry once again. She gives me a small smile and lets out a little laugh before repeating, I assume, her question, "Will you hand me the box? Please."

I nod my head, turning around to grab the box. I hand it to her and look over her shoulder trying to see if there is a way to escape back to the room.

"Would you mind staying and helping me out?" I stop to think about it. 'If I go back to the room then I won't be able to try and sneak any food. If I stay she could catch me trying to take it. She did offer me food. Is it a test? Is she trying to trick me? Can I say no?' I sigh making up my mind. I nod towards her. She smiles at me leading us back into the kitchen to get started.

"Fill this with water?' She asks handing me a pot. I take it from her walking over to the sink and fill it with water just like she asked me to. 'Maybe she will give me some if I do everything she tells me to.'

I bring it straight over to the stove top when I'm finished. Christian already has the box open and the cheese packet pulled out.

I take a step away as she starts walking over to turn on the burner. This time though she acts as if nothing out of the normal had happened.

"Why don't we watch some tv while we wait for the water to boil?" I nod following her into the living room.

Christian takes a seat on the couch while I opt for a spot on the floor. "You can sit on the couch if you want. Don't feel like you have to sit on the floor."

I shake my head and wait for her to put something on, "Is there something specific you want to watch?"

"N-no, th-that-ts ok-k-k, y-you c-can pick-k."

"Alright." She settles for a movie on Netflix. It's some cheesy movie that makes absolutely no sense to me but Christian seems to be enjoying it. About ten minutes into the movie she gets up and I move to follow.

"You can stay here. I'm just pouring the noodles into the pot."

"Ok." She leaves and I pull my knees into my chest. 'I thought I was helping.'

She pours the noodles into the boiling water but doesn't come straight back leaving me to continue watching the movie on my own.

She calls my name a little while later and I head back into the kitchen. "Sorry I didn't come back. I decided to stay and stir the noodles.

I nod my understanding. "You want to help drain the noodles and add the cheese?" I nod again. She ends up taking care of the noodles while I add the butter and milk to the cheese powder.

When it's finally done she pulls three bowls down from the cupboard. "Will you please go get Tobin? She's up in our room?" I nod, turning towards the stairs.

I quietly walk over to their door and knock. After a minute without an answer, I knock again, a little harder this time.

A few seconds later I hear a faint 'Come in' so I slowly open the door. Tobin is sitting on her bed typing on the computer, She looks up at me, "Hey kid, what's up?"

"N-noth-thing. Chris-Christ-tian m-made m-mac and ch-cheese. Sh-she t-told me t-to to c-come and get-t y-you." I stutter out.

Tobin nods her head and puts her computer away. As she gets off the bed I turn around to head back to the room I'm staying in.

"Where are you going?" Tobin asks me. I turn back and look at her with my eyebrows furrowed. "Aren't you gonna come eat with us?"

I tilt my head and consider the question, 'Well they both offered so I might as well try.' I nod, once again turning towards the stairs.

A/N: Leave a like and a comment to let me know what you think!

And let me know if you have any ideas or if there's anything you want to see in this book.