Ghost (Second Edition)

Chapter Fifteen--Chained to Fear

Luis

A horrid, cracking on his bedroom door made Luis wake with a jump, his heart lodging in his throat. He looked around wildly, taking in the familiar bareness of his room, and the fact that he was alone.

"WAKE UP, YOU BRAT!" His mother screamed through the door, "There's cleaning to be done!"

Luis bit back a groan before pushing himself out of bed and stumbling to his door. He yelped as he stood on a sharp splinter, the pain enough to bring him completely to his senses.

Dread seeped into the pit of his stomach. He bit his lip, slipping his hand around the cold handle. He swallowed; when he stepped out that door, he'd be walking back into hell.

He slipped out into the dirty hallway, his bare feet shuffling on the wood. His mother was nowhere in sight, so he let out a small sigh of relief before heading down the hall.

The kitchen was lit dimly by early sunlight, and the faint singing of birds could be heard outside. Luis tugged at the hem of his jumper as he looked around. He could hear the faint sound of the TV from the living room, and on the counter was a single slice of stale bread on the dirty counter.

Luis slumped his shoulder and headed over to it. It was brittle against his fingers. Hard and crusty. He curled his lips back slightly in disgust, missing the meals Nathan used to buy for him.

He choked it down, grimacing. He could bet it was five days out of date. He coughed slightly, trying to get rid of the taste.

"Luis!"

He froze. "Ah... Yes, Mother?"

He watched in fear as she walked in, an old plaid skirt swishing around her skinny legs. There was a hard gleam in her eyes. She said nothing as she gapped him by the ear, her sharp nails digging into his skin, and dragged him up the hall.

"OW! Stop! Please!" Luis begged, stumbling after her as he tried to yank back.

She rounded on him and slapped him across the face. "Shut it!" She hissed, shoving him into the bathroom. "And clean it!" She slammed the door shut, bathing Luis in darkness.

Luis blinked, rubbing his ear. Slowly his eyes adjusted enough for him to see the space was lit by very dim sunlight that was mostly blocked by a massive tree.

The bathroom was small and smelly. The toilet was covered in dust and grime. The sink was filthy, and black mold covered the edges of the drain. The shower was disgusting. Soap scum coated the glass, mushrooms grew through the cracks.

Luis groaned. He had to do this quickly or his mother would come in screaming. He opened the cupboard under the sink, grabbed the filthy rag and half-empty spray bottle, and got to cleaning.

***

Luis eyed the shower. He could clean while having a shower... But he'd risk getting beat. I had a bath at Nathan's... Luis thought, trying to ignore the stench of perspiration coming off him.

He slipped into the shower to start cleaning it. A drop of water hit his head, making him look up. The shower head was leaking. He ignored it and just got back to cleaning.

It wasn't until he had to wash the shower down that he gave in. He needed a shower.

He drew off his jumper and was working on taking his trackpants off when he heard his mother's feet shuffling up the hall.

Fear gripped his heart, squeezing tight. He rushed to pull his jumper back on, his hands getting stuck in the sleeves. He managed to pull the jumper over his head just as his mother threw the door open.

Her beady little eyes looked at everything but him for a long time. When they did land on him, they were hard and dark.

Luis stiffened. "I-I-I-I cleaned it!" He stammered, his breath catching in his throat as he tugged at the hem of his jumper. "As best I could!"

"You haven't done anything!" She sneered at him.

Luis shrank back a little. "I-I tried, Mother!"

Her palm met the soft flesh of his cheek with a resounding smack. Luis cried out, stepping back and raising a hand to his cheek.

"You brat! I told you to clean it! It is not CLEAN!" His mother screeched.

She grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin. She dragged him from the bathroom.

Luis tried to dig his feet in and pull back, but she had a grip like steel. He could feel tears hot and sticky on his cheeks.

"Please, Mother! Stop! I'm sorry!" He begged, pulling back as hard as he could.

She let go and he fell backwards, hitting his head on the drywall. He bit back the whimper that lodged in his throat and looked up at the woman towering above him.

She bent down low, her breath hot and foul against his face, like rotting eggs. "Do you know how easily I could kill you?" She hissed.

Luis whimpered.

"The only reason I keep you alive is because you're useful." She grabbed his chin, her nails cutting the flesh. "Don't push my patience, boy."

"Hmm mhmm," Luis nodded, looking up at her with the best pleading eyes he could manage.

She stepped back, letting him go. "Get to your room, I don't want to see you for the rest of the day. Nor hear you."

Luis wasted no time in getting up and bolting, closing his bedroom door with a click. He backed up to his bed and fell on it, looking up at the cracked, moldy ceiling. Some part of him wished she followed through with her threat.

If she did... I would be free and her in prison...

But another part didn't want to leave her. It wasn't her fault. There was something wrong with her mind, just as much as something was wrong with his.

His breath rattled in and out of his lungs as his eyes burned with tears. He rolled over, burying his face into the mattress. He felt so trapped, wanting freedom but not wanting it at the same time.

Just let me go... Please...