The light's flickered as the wind swirled around the old, unwanted building, leaving the children inside afraid and frightned. The busy corridors packed with anxious looking women, cradling the newly born, almost running up and down the aisle. So many children. So many faces. So many trapped.
Rose Humbleton sat alone in her bed feeling isolated and bleak. Two familliar faces looked at her, almost instantly she recognised them, "mum, dad" she managed to utter though her silent whimper and then they were gone without even a glance back. A silent tear fell as Rose lowered herself to the cold, hard mattress she now called home.
The grating sound of the bell echoed around the room, simultaneously waking up the many children, the muffled sunds of crying in the distance was circling in Rose's head. This sound was instantly intercepted by the large bang of the main doors as a tall, muscular man strode in. The children's helpless, frightened eyes pierced him as he made his way slowly and steadily through the corridor. One child's arm stretching through the slats in the broken crib, longing for affection, longing to be loved by someone.
His muddy boots came to a halt as he coldly examined Rose. "Her" he bellowed, "I want her". The women run back and forth collecting paperwork as the run to him like bringing a ball to their master. He signed sharply as he reached over Rose's bed and his strong, muscular, bear like arms lifted Rose to his eye line. His green, snake like eyes stared intensly into hers, a shiver lingered it's way slowly and steadily down her spine. Little did she know, things were about to get far worse.
The journey was long as he lived in the West of Shropshire in a small and secluded farm. Rose sat still in the back, afraid to even breath. An eerie feeling surrounded this man. However her thoughts were shortly interupted, "The names Edward" He said coldly "but you can call me Mr Flyn".
Two hours later, the jeep came to an abrupt halt, forcing Rose out of her seat and flying to the floor. "Get up you brainless child!" he yelled as Rose quickly stood up gasping for air. He grabbed at her hair, pulling clumps out as he went. Rose instantly screamed, her eyes fixated with terror as he pulled her into a small, cemetry-like house. His hatred for her seemed to be soo powerfull, he could hardly controll himself.
That night, Rose was in the basement on the cold, damp mattress that she now called home, when the opening of light at the doorside was shut out by a silhouette of a man. Rose's eyes were on stalks as she tried to slow her breathing down for him not to hear her. There was a lingering silence, although he sharply snapped his fingers, "chores". Rose slowly stepped onto the concrete floor as she steadily made her way over to him. "Quicker!" he yelled. Rose ran to him as fast as she could. "Quicker next time" he roared as he hit her to the ground, her blood stained face frightened and in distress. That night, she was made to clean the whole house. "Ready for those fucking social workers tomorrow" he said cleverly as he turned off the lights.
The next morning, there was a knock at the door as the social workers arrived. Edward lead them to the living room as Rose brought them tea. Edwards eyes met her's sharply, "Oh Rose, you shouldn't be carrying that hot tea" he said in an unfamilliar, soft tone, whilst looking at the approving social workers. His charm was smooth as he lead them to the door, Rose was almost convinced herself that this was the real Edwards, so convincing yet so dangerous.
The door slammed shut and Edwards cold, grave-like eyes met hers. The hatred from his eyes poured into the room as he stepped towards her, wondering what he would do next, Rose stepped back as she was fearing for her life. "Upstairs, wash your hair. GO!" he screamed. Rose ran to the bathroom where she turned on the hot water, she breathed a a slow sigh of relief as she tried calming herself down. She was shaking uncontrollably, when she could hear his footsteps slyly making his way upstairs. She began trembling with fear as she wondered what horrors he had planned for her.
He grabbed her, as he pushed her head under the water, no doubt enjying the feeling of having the power of life or death over her. Just like a small boy pulling the wings off insects or watching them starve and suffocate, he seemed to enjoy watching her suffer for no reason at all. The moment she was swallowed up into the house and invisible to the outside world, he made his hatred of her plain. Every time he passes her, he'd slap her or kick her. "You wait til later" he'd say coldly.
One night, Rose was in the kitchen pouring herself some water from the tap when she slipped and tipped it all over the floor. "What the fuck have you done, you pathetic, stupd child!" Edward screamed at her. She managed to get into her room and shut the door, but by the time it took her to reach the other side of the room, he'd burst through and caught up with her. Shouting, punching and throwing her around. It was the worst beating she'd ever endured.
She was curled up in a ball in the corner trying to make herself as small as possible as Edward went on beating her. Rose was drifting in and out of consciouness as the blood began oozing from her. Edward picked her up and threw her outside.
As she lay on the ground, unable to move beause of the pain, a shooting star passed by the night's sky. A silent tear fell as she wished for her parents. A tear that told a hundred stories. "Oh, and merry christmas", Edward laughed as he made his way back into the warmth.
As the snow fell around her, she could feel her body growing weaker, her glazed eyes blinked no more and her breathing went from a faint murmer to an exhale of all of her bad memories, as she shut her eyes to finaly be at peace forever.
