The Skeletøn Bøy

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++ C H A P T E R | F Ø U R T Y - T W Ø ++

Elliott froze, her palms sweaty and her ears ringing. This wasn't the basement, but Mother had done wonders to rearrange Elliott's old bedroom. The torture chair stood in the place of her bed, and her wardrobe was lined with toys. Toys Elliott had no interest in playing with.

"Meet your new siblings, Elliott!" Mother squealed with delight, from behind. When Elliott spun around, she took in the sight of Mother with a baby tucked tight in her arms and a toddler standing beside her legs. It shocked Elliott to the bone.

Brent's siblings. The sight of them, though she'd never met them before, made her angry. Angry that it was her fault Brent was not only downstairs facing death, but that his siblings were facing the same. Angry that Brent and his family had been suffering for forever because of her.

"Mother, why did you take these kids?" Elliott demanded, so furious that she wished she had never felt guilty for running away. It was a malfunction in Elliott's personality - she had always longed for the love of her mother. After suffering from the death of her father, who was possibly the only person who had cared about her, despite the fact he had always volunteered to leave her behind if the others could be safe, Elliott had always longed for someone. Anyone. She had Mat and Adrian, but they were different.

She was protecting them. But all she ever wanted was someone to protect her, someone to care and love her. It was a futile wish, but one that had stopped Elliott from ever calling the police on Mother, or for the longest time, running away from her. Elliott had always believed that Mother would come around and love her.It was a wicked wish. One that she now knew would never really come true.

After living with Anna, who truly cared, it was hard to go back to ever thinking Mother could. And with Adrian, who had stepped up to act as the older brother instead, Elliott felt that Mother's love wasn't actually needed. Or wanted.

And Elliott couldn't exactly forget about Brent.

Brent, the boy who had really become Elliott's only real friend. She thought Wes was, but it was abundantly clear Wes wasn't. The entire time, Wes had been pretending. The laughs, the job, the kiss, everything. Elliott's first crush, and her first kiss, had all belonged to Wes. It was just, there was something Elliott thought was good about Wes. Besides the first moment they had met, she had felt a connection.The fact that it had all been a lie made Elliott frustrated. Frustrated that she had been fooled so easily.

But Brent, he had never tried to fool her. He'd always been real with her since the beginning, even when he hated her. And when they became friends, Brent was always real and always had Elliott's best interest at heart.

Elliott didn't need Mother. She had a perfectly fine family waiting for her at home.

"Elliott, enough. I've finally found you the perfect subjects for our game. It'll be just like the animals, but more thrilling. Just wait until you have your hands on them. On their silky smooth skin, their blood just waiting to be spread." Mother got a far away look in her eyes, excited at the idea. She hadn't laid a finger on these children, because she knew they were Elliott's.

"Mother, I'm not-"

"You are." She threw the toddler in the chair, strapping him down in one smooth move. "You've been gone for too long. You've forgotten what it feels like to have a whip in your hands. You've forgotten the rush.

"Elliott took a step back. "You're crazy, Mother, and I want nothing to do with you."

Mother got a wild look in her eyes as she yanked Elliott forward, her nose pushed up against Elliott's. "You are my little skeleton boy. And you will do as I say, or you'll be in that chair next. I've done you a favor, Elliott. And I'm never letting you go. No one is here to save you. Everyone you talk to is dead."