When All Hope Is Lost

-chαptєr tєn: thє cєllαr-

Chapter Ten- The Cellar

"What is that?" I asked Toby, flashing my light over to the corner as well to notice a small white blanket draped over a small figure laying on the floor. Walking up with Toby to investigate what it was further, Toby pulled the blanket off completely to reveal something neither of us were expecting underneath. "Is that a-"

"I think so," Toby cut in, throwing the blanket to the side and nearly tripping back. Lying dead on the floor in a pool of dried blood was a newborn child, eyes wide open and lifeless. Scrambling back with fear, I almost threw up at the sight of it, something neither of us were expecting. "Oh God," Toby choked out, stepping back but still examining the child closely. "How didn't the police find this?" he asked, creasing his eyebrows in disgust as the baby looked to have been murdered from knife marks cut through its stomach.

"Maybe it wasn't here when the police were? Because if it were they wouldn't have just left it," I wondered, grabbing a hold of a nearby, lone table for support due to my weak, shaking legs. I really wasn't the best with blood...or anything dead for that matter.

"Do you think it belongs to any of the girls down here?" Toby whispered, since I knew his mind was immediately going to his sister and if it could be hers.

"Toby..." I hesitated, considering I really had no clue what to think. "Let's just get out of here, we can report it and they can do DNA testing to see who's it really is-"

"No," Toby cut me off, going over to the child and wrapping it up in the blanket that was once over it. "we can't turn it in, they would know we were down here and that would put us in a terrible position," he said, picking up the child in his arms and looking once more down at it. Its gold curled hair stuck onto its small head effortlessly, as the pale skin and piercing blue eyes of the thing made me realize the murder must have happened not any more than an hour ago. It still looked to be in decent condition...

"Put it down, please! It's dead Toby..." I told, as he looked over to me in the second, tears hidden in the crook of his eyes awaiting their release. "Everything will be okay, let's just go turn it in and see what comes back," I said to him once more, still trapped against the wall in terror.

Turning to me slowly, I could tell that he saw I was scared, not only because of the dead child in his arms, but also because of where we were. "Okay, let's turn it in," he whispered, making me smile and immediately go rushing over to the small staircase leading us out of the cellar...

---

"Hope Ann Charsity!" I heard my name screeched, as I entered inside the house once Toby had dropped me off. After him and I had turned in the child to the police, things definitely turned for both of us, as officers threatened to put us behind bars for years due to our acts of crossing restricted areas.

"In our defense, there was no police tape in the cellar," Toby told one of the officers, holding me behind him a bit as if he was about to run for it and take me with him. However, I knew Toby's protective nature took a toll without him even realizing it, like when he had nearly hit those deer in the road and stuck his hand out to cover me. I thought it was cute.

"In your defense? You shouldn't have crossed anywhere within that sectioned off forest!" the officer yelled, making me tense up a bit against Toby's side. Ever since being kidnapped, whenever a word is yelled out of any male's mouth I immediately think back to Dee. I hate being controlled by him even when I'm away from him...

"Both me and Hope's records are completely clean, just please let us go. Hope just got away from being tortured, don't make her go back," Toby said, looking down to me quick before meeting eyes back with the officer, as same did I. Sighing, I didn't know what to think in the moment, but luckily Toby's words got to the police and we left with nothing but a warning to never do it again and a quick 'The DNA testing will be done within a week,'. I, again, owed Toby big, even if he was the one who got us into this mess.

"Hope, what on earth were you thinking?" I heard my mom ask loudly, knocking me from my thoughts and back into reality. "You could have gotten yourself killed! And it's all that no good boyfriend of yours fault!" she yelled, sending my dad to come into the living room as well and try to calm her down a bit, even though I knew he was fuming with anger as well.

"He's not my boyfriend," I said back, though it didn't help in any way. Screeching at me, as my father held her back and plopped her down onto the couch, I knew I had made a big mistake in going with Toby, but I didn't regret it completely. We found a baby, something that could help the police significantly, and I in no way regretted doing that. 

"Either way, you are no longer able to meet with him ever again. If you want another guy to mingle with, I will definitely pick that out for you, but Toby is out of the picture," she said mad again, making me open my mouth in shock at what she had told me. I couldn't see Toby again? Ever?

"You can't do that! You can't do that to me!" I screamed back, the first time I had ever raised my voice that high since when I was kidnapped. "I'm 18, you have no say in anything anymore," I ended, storming out of the room and down the hallway to mine.

"As long as you live under my roof, I have every say in your life," my mom yelled back, as I entered into my room and slammed the door shut for what I in the moment thought to be the rest of my life...

Plunk, plunk, plunk. I heard against my window, my eyes fluttering open from an unwanted slumber I had escaped into after the argument with my mom.

Plunk, plunk, plunk. I heard once more, sending me wondering what was hitting up against my window so consistently. Getting up slowly to go check, my mind wandered to it being Dee, who was finally coming to get me and bring me back. However, once I looked quick, my eyes centered on Toby who was standing in the middle of my yard, a November breeze blowing something in his hand back and forth. Motioning for him to come in closer, I opened up my window and helped him inside, the cool air of the night entering as well.

"What are you doing here this late?" I asked him, looking over to my clock which read midnight exactly. I knew I shouldn't have let him inside, for my parents would kill me if they knew he was here, but I just couldn't say no.

"I tried calling your phone, but you didn't answer, so I had to come as quick as I could to tell you what I received under my door," Toby said out of breath, sitting down upon my bed and handing me a folded up piece of paper. Looking over at the messy looking thing, I hesitantly grabbed it from him to unfold and read what was inside. Immediately upon looking at the handwriting, though, I knew Toby and I were both in for something neither of us expected...