Curiosity Killed the Cat

Chapter Three

"It was two years ago, when I met him. He had this smile that melted my heart." Leila tells me. "You would've thought I was the only girl in the world, the way he looked at me. He told me I was the perfect shade of beauty. I had been trying to find the way to my father's new house and he was on the side of the road and needed someone to help jump start his truck. So I did and fell in love with him."

A tear started to make it's way down her cheek. "After two months, I got pregnant. The baby never made it though, I had a miscarriage at four months. He was devastated. Her name was going to be Catherine Lee Ann Winters." 

"That's my full name." I chime in, feeling like there was a lump in my throat.

"I always felt like something was holding him back in our relationship, like someone was in the way. I ad tried everything. New things in the bedroom, communicating more, couples therapy; hell, I even tried to get pregnant again. But nothing helped make that wall he had up break down. He had never talked about his family. I didn't even know he had a sister. Or how obsessed he is with you. I wasted two years of my life for him, only to be locked up in this shit hole basement as soon as the real thing came along. Now that he has you, the rest of us are useless. Why would he keep copies when he has the original?"

"Leila, calm down." Sally shakes her head, a frown permanently placed on her face. 

"Shut up, she's the reason we're all in here. It's all her fucking fault! Don't any of you understand that?! She's just as much of the enemy as he is!" She retorts, struggling in her chains. The tears had been rolling down my face silently. I felt m heart start to crack with every word Leila aid It is my fault, isn't it? They're down here because of me. "We're all gonna die because he has her now!"

"I-I'm sorry." I mumble, my voice cracking at the end as I choke on the words. I start to hysterically cry and feel my whole body shake. "I'm so sorry everyone!" I cry out, feeling awful. 

"It's okay honey, you aren't responsible for this. You didn't have any part in this." Cassidy tries to comfort me. "I was waiting for my brother to pick me up from school when he came rolling up in his truck. He said m brother sent him and that Joshua was in the hospital because of a car crash. once i got in, he covered my mouth with a rag and the next thing I remember is waking up in here, chained to this wall. He kept calling me cat, over and over."

"He picked me up for a bar, for a one night thing. I thought he was cute so I got in his truck. When we started going out into the woods, I had a bad feeling in my stomach and I should've listen to my instinct. We did the deed and when I woke up, I was down here with Cassidy and Angelica." Sally says, looking down at her feet. The small window let just enough light in the basement to see everything. "Poor Angelica."

"She got what she deserved. She tried to run and kill him. She should've know what was going to come." Leila sneers, turning her head away from all of us.

"No she didn't! It should've been me, it was my plan. She should be here right now." Jenna cries.

"The way I see it, she's better off than us. She doesn't have to live this torture anymore." Leila laughs sarcastically.

"I'm the only one who should've known what she was getting into." Marie speaks up.  Never trust an ad on craigslist. I was so stupid to even come out here."

"My parents died in a car crash. They sent me to live with Jackson. If I had know you all were down here, I would've called the police. I swear, I would've. I'm so sorry." I cry, feeling like my head was about to explode. 

They're all 5'4 with black wavy hair and emerald green eyes. They all had tanned skin and were medium build, not too skinny but not fat; thick. They're facial features were exactly like my own and their voices even sounded like mine. This was his type. I was his type. I can't believe my own brother is this obsessed with me. 

"Be quiet, I hear him up there." Marie whispers as the door to the basement creeks open. 

The eerie squeaks of the stairs with every step he took sent chills down my spine. Then that vile voice sounded. "Cassidy." He sings, making Cassidy shut her eyes closed tight. He strutted over to her and grabs her face with his large hand. Cassidy looked younger than I was. Like she was still in middle school. She was tall for her age and definitely more mature. "Time to go." 

"No, please!" She cries as he takes scissors out from his back pocket and squishes her cheeks making her mouth pop open. He grabs her tongue and starts to cut if off. She screams bloody murder as he mutilates her tongue, throwing the chopped off bit behind him, towards me. "You told a lie. I heard you say I ticked you into getting into my truck. That was a lie! You came willingly. You wanted to be with me. No lies, stupid girl!"

He then unlocks her chains. I watch in horror as she struggles to get away from him and he pushes her into the wall, her skull making a crackling sound when it hit the hard floor. Tears came faster from my eyes as he got above her, her body barely moving. Only her chest was moving up and down as she struggled to breathe. He takes her hair with both hands and smashes her skull against the floor over and over, with every hit making a breaking sound. There was blood and gush every where. Marie and Leila's legs and feet were covered in Cassidy's brain matter because her spot had been between the two. 

"Ah, that's better." Jacks smirks, wiping his hands on his jeans as he got up. It was such a brutal scene, I thought I was going to throw up. There was nothing left of her face and the right side of her head. Just a huge gash wound where her once beautiful face was. Jacks takes a key and unchains Leila, pushing her towards Cassidy's dead body. She was stone cold, no emotion showing. He walked over to the tool table and got two trash bags and a mop with a bucket.  "Clean it up."

"Yes, sir." She utters, getting on her hands and knees, scooping Cassidy's brains off he floor and into the bag. he laughs, watching Leila follow his command. She showed no remorse, empathy, sympathy, sadness, nothing. After she was done scooping up her brains off the floor, Jackson chained Leila back up and stuffed Cassidy's body in the other bag and started his way upstairs. 

After the door slammed shut, Marie cried out. "He's gonna kill us all!"

"I told you." Leila says, sticking her nose in the air. There was something off about her, like she didn't belong. I had a bad feeling about her. Like this was more to her then being held kidnapped and tortured. 

______________________

"Since Cassidy can't join us anymore, I thought our family could use some happiness. Girl's you no longer will be chained to the wall. But you will wear cuffs." Jacks announces at dinner, smiling widely as if he didn't just kill a girl a few hours ago. 

"Thank you, sir." Leila smiles at him lovingly. Maybe she's still in love with him?

"No need for thanks. I need you girls mobile so you can clean up down here. It smells like death." 

I wonder why?

He raises his glass of whine towards the middle of the table. "Cheers, to a good life with my girls."

"Cheers." Leila says, tapping her glass with his. 

This is my fifth day here an I already wish he had killed me next to that creek. Someone save me. Someone save us.