Haunted

Champagne

Chapter5-Champagne

"For everything that we've been through, I'll take your hand, I'll carry on." The Weigh Down by The Amity Affliction.

I stared at the bubbles coating my legs, making half of me invisible in the water. Because Tommy had given me some privacy, I let my mind wander.

Were Sam and Sarah getting fed? Were they allowed to shower and get fancy jewelry and dance? It seemed unfair that I was allowed such luxuries while they were trapped and forced to endure God-knows-what.

I stood up and watched soap suds drip down my body. I quickly rinsed off with the shower head before I stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my body. On the sink were extra clothes. Surprisingly, they were girls' clothes.

As I was getting dressed, I noticed my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were dark and my hair, though wet, was knotted in multiple places. How long had it been since I last showered?

Tommy knocked on the door. "Katrina, are you okay?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah. Do you have a brush?"

"Are you dressed?"

I nodded though he couldn't see that. "Yes."

He opened the door and pulled the middle drawer under the sink out. In it were multiple brushes and combs, some not even used once. "Use whatever you want."

"Thank you." I said softly.

He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone again.

I took a comb from the mix and began getting the tangles and knots from my hair.

Once I was done, I stepped out of the bathroom and saw Tommy sitting on the bed, a book in his hands.

"What are you reading?" I asked, staying just outside the bathroom door.

He folded the page marker down then closed the book. "T.S. Elliot. His poems are very insightful."

I just nodded. I hardly ever read poems and never got the symbolism in them. It seemed too hard to decipher.

"Aaron has lunch set out for us in the dinning room."

I followed him from the bedroom and out into a hallway. At every turn was a small table with fake flowers on it. It wasn't something I would have thought Tommy to do. Then again he'd kidnapped Sam, Sarah, and I so I didn't put much past him.

Once we walked down the few hallways, Tommy opened the door to the dinning room. I'd memorized the way from the bedroom to the dinning room: just two hallways apart, last door on the left. If I wanted to ever figure my way around the place I'd have to memorize the hallways.

Tommy pulled out my chair at the table before taking his own at the head of the table. There were champagne glasses at each of our spots and a bottle between our plates. There were four covered dishes on the table, hiding different kinds of food in them.

Aaron, who was Tommy's assistant, butler, etc., had made chicken, green beans, sweet potatoes, and rolls this time. I could only imagine what his best dish would be.

The music I'd put on earlier was playing, as if it were on repeat. I assumed Aaron had restarted it for us.

Neither Tommy nor I said anything as we ate. I hardly had anything to say to him and I figured he liked silence. Some guys were like that.

I wanted to down my glass of champagne, try to get myself drunk, and forget what was going on around me. But it was a stupid idea and one that would most likely get me in trouble with Tommy.

As Tommy left the table to play another record, I stared at the leftover food, wondering if Sam and Sarah would get the food. Would they get any food?

I wanted to take some food and run but I didn't know where he was keeping Sam and Sarah and since he knew and I didn't, he'd catch me before I had the chance to find them.

When he came back to the table, I put my elbows on the table and propped my chin up with my hands.

"Can I ask you something?" I wanted to seem interested in him, like I cared, not like I was using him for information.

"Like what?" He asked, mimicking my action.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dead."

"Both of them?"

He nodded.

"How did you get this place?"

"They gave it to me in their will. That and all the money they had."

"How old were you?"

"Nineteen."

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-one."

"Is Aaron your brother?"

He laughed. "No. Just a friend. He needed a job and I offered to pay him to stay here."

"As your personal servant."

"More or less."

I nodded. I wanted to drag the answers out from him but it wasn't happening that way. And instead of being subtle, I just blurted out the next question. "Are Sam and Sarah okay?"

He stared at me for a few, long moments, silence between us, only the music filling the room. His voice didn't seem angry or annoyed at all. Just calm. Which probably wasn't good either. "Just fine."

"Can I see them?"

Again, he said nothing for a while. He cracked his knuckles and I almost thought he was going to punch me. But if he stayed true to his word, he wouldn't hurt me.

Then he got up from the table and started pacing behind me.

I sighed and leaned back in the seat, feeling like I was at a dead end again. "Right. Sorry I asked."

He continued pacing for another few seconds before he just left the room. He didn't say a single word.

I groaned and put my face in my hands. I was never getting to see them.

----------------------------

Thank you for reading this story! It means a lot.