Hey beautiful!

Rice and Rulers

I look around the place. A living room, has one of those tv's that are slightly curved, a coffee table, and a big leather couch. I scoff and walk into the next room. It's... a mud room, with a sliding glass door! I look out the door, it's vast open fields, and giant hills! It's beautiful, over a hill I see a house, just barely. I try to open the door, but I can find a knob.....
it's not a door.
It's a window.
A door sized window. I sigh and walk up some stairs. I take notice of the amount of carpet here. I walk up the five steps and see a small hallway, it has two doors on the sides and one at the end.
I look in the first one on the left, it's a bathroom, I check the door knob, it does in fact have a lock. Use it wisely! The bathroom has no window tho.... so that isn't an option. It's a really big bathroom, a shower, and a bath. And it smells strongly of mango cleaner. I gag and go to the one on the right. It's a laundry room, with beige walls and bright lights. I walk out and go to the one on the end. It's locked, probably his room. I turn around and walk back towards the TV room and sit on the couch. I turn the TV on to the news.
"Yesterday there has been a report on a missing girl, her name is Kayo Vang and didn't come home from school by her curfew." A lady with bright blond hair states "We are interviewing her parents right now. Mr and Mrs vang. Happened exactly?"
The screen goes to my living room with my mom and dad crying on the couch.
"We told Kayo to be back by four always, since she got a car. She always came home by then or told us otherwise! She never came late after theater, or if there was traffic. She call us if she would be late!" My moms thick accent rings in my ears, then she burst out crying and hugs dad.
"Kayo, if your watching this. We will get you home! And if you took her, please! Bring our daughter back!" My dad says, I feel tears roll down my cheeks. I turn the TV off again, I couldn't take anymore.

I bury my head in my arms and press my forehead on the cool stone counter. Jay and Cleo casually talk as if nothing is going on.
"What do I even call this guy?" I ask out of nowhere,
"His name is Morgan." Jay answers, then quickly goes back to his conversation.
"... How do you do that?" I ask them,
"What?" Cleo asks me, I lift my head off the counter.
"Well I don't know how long you two have been here but." I inhale deeply "How do you just casually talk while being in a house where your beaten and not with your family? How could you just eat his food like your sitting in a mall cafeteria? How can you spend every day of your life not plotting escape while he's gone?" I break down, I dig my fingers through my hair. "How can you feel normal when you aren't with the family you really care about? Your friends who you hated but still... you loved them? How can you not talk about your little white husky you would go on marathons with?!? Or how you miss your parents hugging you by getting a 100% on your calculous test?" I couldn't speak anymore, I choke on my own breath. Cleo scoots her stool closer too mine. I feel her put her arms around me.
"We lost hope after being here for two days. Don't lose yours. We watched the news, you have a lot of people who care about you. I wouldn't dare to let that go." She rubs my shoulder then releases me, Jay passes me a tissue box. I grab one and wipe my eyes, then I blow my nose in it.
"Hold on a moment. Not only did you have a husky. But you ran marathons with it?!" Jay asked, I chuckle a bit.
"Yea! His name is Poco! He was the family dog, but I was basically his owner!" I sniff back some snot "Did you guys have any pet's?"
"I was a reptile girl, my room was like a zoo! I had a tank with two turtles, a tank with five frogs, and one tank that had one snake! AUG! My room was one thing I have never forgotten! I wanted to become a herpetologist! My science grades were over the top!" Cleo exclaims, "Even my room here has a load of reptile research books!"
"I had a ferret, the name was Oliver! My mom told me I could get one on two conditions. To get a load of ferbrise! And that I have to take care of it! Oliver died at thirteen. I wanted to get a new one but my mom said air freshener couldn't solve the stench!" Jay explains,
We talk about our past life, we got so engulfed in it that we didn't realize Morgan come in. When I realize he's here I shut myself up. He seems angry, he opens a cabinet roughly and pulls out a bag of rice.
"Morgan please! We still love you! Can't we talk about the troubles we've had before we've had the fortune of you taking us in?" Jay asks, he must've rehearsed that line for months. But Morgan doesn't listen, he throws some rice on the tiled floor.
"Roll up your pants!" He snaps at us, but he looks at me
"You three are ungrateful! After all I've done for you? You laugh about forbidden language when you have a future to talk about?!?" I roll up my pants half way up my shins. But Cleo and Jay roll them above their knees, so I roll them up more.
"Kneel on the rice!" He demands, Jay and Cleo are about to but he pushes them away. He grabs my wrist and kicks the back of my legs so I kneel on the rice. I hear hard whacks from behind me.
"Kayo! Beautiful Kayo! She doesn't understand the rules here yet! YOU TWO SHOULD KNOW BETT-" I cannot handle the smacking sound anymore, I interrupt him.
"ITS MY FAULT IM SORRY!" I shout, the grains of rice start to dig into my skin. But the smacking stops, I hear him walk over to me.
"But how would it be your fault?" He asks me, he sounds slightly less mad.
"I started to cry over how I missed my best friend, they didn't know how to cheer me up. So I- ouch!" I felt some of my skin break under the rice "So I suggested if I could know their story, and how they got here. I'm sorry! Just please don't-ouch!" I feel my knees bleed more, "just please stop hitting them!"
I look down, I see his hand reaching out for me. I grab it and use it to help me up, then I feel a stinging smack on my shin and fall back down.
"You ungrateful swine! How dare you talk about your friend infront of your family." He slaps my face again, I see the wood of a ruler pass my face.
"She was all I held dear in my life before you took me in!" I lie, another smack meets my face. "The only one I truly held dear!" I ignore the blood I feel soaking my knees.
"I'm sorry." I say, I hear Morgan exhale.
"I forgive you. I suppose you only wanted to get to know Cleo and Jay more. And I understand they only wanted you happy. It must be hard losing a friend...." he holds his handout again, "You can actually stand up now."
I grab his hand and help myself up.
"Just be careful on what you talk about. I'll make dinner tonight. You guys can tend to your accessories." He says, Jay and Cleo lead me to the bathroom.

~~~~~
Chapter inspired by and episode of law and order.