Devil's Playground

Chapter 21: Mother

Liz sat at the dining table, silent, lost in thought. She was trying to piece together the puzzle of the last few hours. One moment she was enjoying the pleasures of Sarah and D, and the safety of their bedroom. The next, she was clobbered over the head, knocked unconscious, tied up, and interrogated. But one question still lingered on her mind; How the hell did Cynthia get back inside the mansion? The place was surrounded by thousands of flesh-eating monsters, and the secret tunnel that Ethan and Summer had made their exit through, would have set off an alarm.

"Cynthia?" Liz called out, breaking the silence at the table. Sophia, Grace, and Sarah all sat around the table next to Liz, remaining still and quiet as their mother stewed at the head of the table.

"Yes, Liz? What is it?"Cynthia responded, not bothering to look up at her.

"I know the girls are so happy and excited to have you back home, they were worried sick." Liz started.

Cynthia lifted her gaze to her three daughters, taking a long look at each girl. "Is that so?" she asked them.

"Of course Mother." Sarah immediately replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"Because it would seem that I wasn't missed much at all. Not the way all you behaved while I was gone." Cynthia scolded, the girls resting their chins into their chests in embarrassment.

Cynthia's attention shifted to Liz, who had remained silent. "And what about you, Liz?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Liz locked eyes with Cynthia, her face expressionless. "Honestly, I don't know what to think of you," she admitted. Cynthia's eyes narrowed as she studied Liz, her gaze unwavering. Liz could feel the heat from Cynthia's stare, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. She could see the wheels turning in Cynthia's mind as she tried to size Liz up, trying to figure out what made her tick.

"That's fair. I don't know what I think of you either," Cynthia said, " I do, however, know about what you've been up to with my daughter."

Liz's face turned bright red as she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She had been so caught up in the moment, that she hadn't even realized Cynthia was in the mansion.

"You didn't have to hit me over the head, ya know. We could have dealt with this like adults" Liz struck back.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on her lips. "It seemed like the appropriate action for a stranger in my home, fucking my android." Cynthia retorted, her voice filled with ice. The room fell deathly silent as she glared at Liz, who withered under her gaze.

"Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a good fuck, and D certainly provides that. But you had no right to activate him."

"That was my fault, Mother," Sarah interjected, "I'm the one that turned him on. Liz had nothing to do with it."

Cynthia tilted her head, "Oh I know darling. I know the slut that you've turned into since I've been gone. Frankly, it's disappointing and downright disgusting." Cynthia's voice seethed with anger, causing the room to grow colder, the tension between her and Sarah palpable.

"And do you have any idea what I had to do to make it back here, Liz? Any idea the kind of sacrifices I had to make to be reunited with my daughters?" Cynthia's voice escalated in intensity.

"And just how did you get back here, Cynthia? How is it that in a world so dangerous, in a mansion surrounded by zombies, you managed to sneak in here completely unnoticed.?" Liz asked matching Cynthia's energy. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"How dare you.! You little bitch!" Cynthia hissed, standing at her chair, ready to charge at Liz.

"Mother! Enough!" Grace screamed, surprised everyone around the table. She walked over to her mother and stood in front of her, grabbing her hands into hers. "I'm sorry, Mother. I have to." Grace whimpered, wrapping her arms around Cynthia's neck.