When Lucy Heartfilia moves into her estranged fathers house after her mother passes, he gives her three rules.
She is not allowed in the mansion by herself.
She is not allowed to invite people into the mansion.
And she is not allowed to go dow...
Lucy tosses and turns, trying to fall asleep. But she cannot. Her mind is filled with thoughts of the boy two storeys beneath her. Her eyes water at the memory of his cold, dirty, terrified figure. He was so scared of me... He couldn't stop shaking. What had Jude done to him? Turning over to pick up her watch, she sees it is past midnight. She is usually fast asleep by now. Maybe I'll go grab a glass of milk. That might settle my mind a bit...
Quietly creeping out of her bed, she pulls on some socks to muffle the slapping her feet with make on the hard wooden floor. She slinks down the stairs, her eyes drifting to the door as she passes into the kitchen. She can hear the sound of rushing water. It is muffled through the door, but it is still loud enough for her to head. The clicking sound that Lucy now knows to be the chains binding the boy to the floor is drowned out by the sound of the water.
Moving closer to the door, Lucy tentatively presses her ear against it.
"You are starting to stink. You should be used to this by now," She can hear Jude's voice say. He's cleaning him? She hears a soft moan, causing her heart to stutter. It was a painful and sad sound. One that broke her heart. She can faintly hear a thud, as the hissing sound of water dulls.
"Shut up. Don't make a sound." Jude grumbles angrily, before the water starts to hiss louder. Lucy's hand covers her mouth as she tries to imagine what she would see down there.
Jude standing over the defenceless boy, spraying him with icy cold water. Whenever the boy makes a sound, he would hit him to reinforce the silence. Oh goodness...
Lucy's hand catches her sobs, as she silently rushes back to her room, her eyes dripping with tears. Tears that the boy can smell. He can remember it is the same smell as the night before. When Lucy reaches her room, he can hear the same sound as the might before as well.
Lucy cries into her pillow, her heart breaking for the boy down stairs.
I wish I could help you. But I know that if I were to run down there now, any chance I would have of setting you free would be ruined. I'm the only one who knows you are down there...
Lucy's eyes crack open, meaning she feel asleep crying again. Her eyes are itchy and her chest is sore from the broken sobs from last night. Her mind creeps back to the boy down stairs, as she tries to think about what she should do with him. How she could help him.
Would it be cruel if I took a blanket down stairs to warm him? I mean, I can't leave it down there with him – Jude would know that I know about him. Could I take him food? Lucy begins to wonder how often her father actually feeds him. Does he give him a meal a day? Does he feed him at all? Her mind begins to fester with horrible possibilities. I'll take him some food.
