The House on The Hill

The Basement, a Prolog

I looked over to the rotten stairs. Once again, I tried to bend the bars. I knew it wouldn't work, but I tried. I'm not sure why, maybe out of habit.

I tried to wiggle threw them, again. I've lost count of how many times I've tried these stupid tricks. Maybe I've lost my mind somewhere along the line and maybe that's why I keep trying. The one thing I knew for sure was that I've lost all sense of time. That's something I guess, I thought and felt sorrow for myself.

My feet hurt, my ribs hurt, and my shoulder hurt. I tightened the bandages around my feet. A brown fluid trickled out from underneath them. "They must be healing," I thought out loud, but wasn't sure I was convinced of that. There had been a lot more of that brown-stuff a couple days ago, so there must be some sort of progress.

I could still feel the heat lick up my legs, I shivered thinking about it. I scanned the bruising on my chest. It still looked like a morbid painting of a flower. Blue, green, and yellow bloomed across my chest.

It was idiotic of me to think I could escape.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I chanted out loud while pulling at my hair. I tried to stand up, but my feet betrayed me. I collapsed and fell on my left shoulder.

"Great," I mumbled crawling over to my spotted mattress. I grabbed my thin, dirty blanket and pulled it over my head. I closed my eyes, praying that I this time I would wake up from this nightmare. I took a deep shaky breath.

Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack.

Not now. Why now?! My heart started racing and I threw my blanket aside as I jolted up. I watched the old hag wobble clumsily down the old stairs. Stairs which squealed underneath her. I could see her shoes, black heels that were shortly followed by the torn-up hem of a discolored yellow dress.

"It's dinner time sweety." Her voice rang out in a cheerful note. She made her way over to my cage, showing off the keys in her hand. She gestured for me to get up. I huffed in disbelief.

"I'm not able to walk, remember?" I hissed at her. Her peaceful smile was quickly traded for a grim sneer. A dark storm was building behind her eyes. Fuck.

"Don't you be rude. I am your mother. I've given you clothes, a bed, a place to sleep, to eat, a place to call home!" Her voice was stern, speaking through her teeth. Like a wild animal growling.

"This isn't a home! The house is barely standing" I laughed in disbelief, immediately regretting doing so. I bit my tongue and held my breath.

"Watch your tongue young lady!" She shot and pointed a crooked, grey finger at me. The keys in her hand made a small clink-sound at the sharp and sudden movement.

"Is there something wrong honey?" A voice called out from the floor above us.

"Yes! She is being difficult again!" Mama yelled upset.

"There will be no food for you the next days missy," I could her Daddy call back. This was their way of punishing me, but the joke's on them. I didn't mind, the food is horrible anyway. And the stench is so much worse upstairs.

"I need to get out of here before I wither," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" Mama stopped dead in her tracks, she had since turned her back on me and was on her way upstairs.

"Nothing," I spoke softly, frightened I'd anger the beast any more than what I already had. I knew they were capable of so much worse than just starving me. I thought about the flames in the downtrodden fireplace, how fast they had crept up my legs. I could feel my stomach turn. Mama scoffed at me and my dismay, then continued walking. I sighed and felt a heavy cloud above me. Everything went dark after that.