Tales from Ravenhearst: Home, Sweet Home

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst series. This is an AU of that universe. This was inspired by The Basement Chronicles by SilveRanger on AO3. I highly recommend you read that as well, even though it is not related to this story.

WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of violent medical procedures that are horribly inaccurate.

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At this point, she was well-versed enough to cook all of the meals and take care of all of the chores. Her day typically started with her waking up early, changing into her clothes for the day. Then, she had to draw water from the pump in advance for that day's wash, finishing in time to get breakfast started. Once that monotonous ritual was completed, and the dishes washed, it was time for the laundry. This task actually took the least amount of time for her to do, so she didn't dread it as much. Once she was done, she would occupy herself with the literature lessons Charles and Rose would lay out for her. After that, she had to fix up something quick for lunch. She had free time for a few hours until she had piano lessons with Emma, something she enjoyed marginally. She was quite decent at it at this point, and she was proud of that. It helped that Emma was proud of her too. Once the lesson was over, she had to make dinner and then complete her routine tasks for bed, so she could wake up early and do it all over again.

Usually, this boring cycle would drive her insane. But nowadays, she found that her body was working on auto-pilot, like she wasn't entirely in control of it. Maybe Charles had found a way to control her mind. The thought should've terrified her, but she learned awhile ago that it was best to feel numb. Not that it was easy to do that, but she never stopped trying to reach that state of apathy.

The discipline had done its duty. The punishments were less frequent after she stopped trying to escape, making her believe that she should've just done this from the beginning. It would have saved her a lot of pain. And it wasn't like her father wanted to beat her or lock her in the dark in that small cage (which felt as though it had shrunk as time passed). Father only wanted what was best for her, and it was easier to accept that. No one else wanted her anyways. She would've been rescued by now if they had.

Father seemed to be in a very cheerful mood today. During breakfast, he instructed her to meet him outside the parlor room during the afternoon today. He claimed that he wanted to show her something. Maddie had no idea what it could be, but there was no disobeying Father. So, the thirteen-year-old (was she thirteen? Or was she fourteen? Perhaps she should pay attention the next time her birthday rolled around.) did as she was told, finding the man standing just outside the parlor in the main atrium.

He smiled warmly at her, gesturing her inside. Usually, she never went near the parlor. Not because it was forbidden, but because there was really no use for it. It was meant as an entertainment area for guests, but it's not like they would have any guests. It was just a nondescript room with light-pink paisley wallpaper, the furniture matching. End tables and the occasional vase adorned the spacious room, giving it a more homely touch. She didn't acknowledge any of this. She simply followed Charles to the center of the room, where he removed the coffee table and rug underneath to reveal a trapdoor she had never known existed before. He opened it, revealing a staircase leading downwards. They went down together, all of this beginning to set the girl on edge.

The staircase ended at what looked to be an old elevator door, one you'd see in that first episode of The Twilight Zone. Her father reached over and pushed a button, and a resounding ding echoed around them. The door opened into an unremarkable hallway. It looked like any other in this underground house, except it looked like it was half-finished. Clusters of dirt, shovels, and wooden beams lined the frame of the unfinished walls. Maddie had no idea what was down here that Charles had to show her.