Princess of the boys

Chapter Two - The Murder

I scrambled back and ran into Zane. He had run in after hearing my scream. His eyes were concerned. “What’s wrong?”

I looked at him for a moment, then hugged him around the waist tightly. I felt tears going down my face. He stiffened in shock, but then slowly began to hug me. “What’s wrong?” He repeated.

“L-look at the wall.” I mumbled into his shirt.

He looked around and I felt his body contract in tension. I looked up at him and sniffled softly. He looked down at me and smiled reassuringly. “They won’t hurt you.”

“Where did they come from?”

“Your mother.”

“Momma couldn’t have done this. She wouldn’t have.”

“Kalyla, your mother wanted you to abuse us. What does that tell you?” Zane asked, rubbing my back comfortingly.

I just closed my eyes and shook my head, pulling back from him. “There are more than twenty.” I said quietly. “Could she really have killed them all?”

“She could and she did.” He replied, pulling me back toward the other room. “Don’t come in here again.”

“I won’t.” I mumbled.

He gently pushed me toward the other room and I walked quickly. As soon as I walked in, I got stuck across the face. I gasped and recoiled, looking up at my attacker. It was Xeno. “Aw, little princess get scared of some dead bodies?”

I just sat on the ground, staring up at him. I didn’t know what to say to him. I didn’t like being hit.

Wait, I didn’t like being hit.

 I looked back at Zane, who was still in the room with the bodies chained to the walls. He was considering them closely. Then I looked at Milo, who was sitting next to the fire, watching me with a curious expression. Finally I looked back up at Xeno. His eyes were narrowed as he watched me look around.

“I don’t like being hit.” I said quietly.

“Really? Well—“

“No, you don’t understand. I don’t like being hit. I’ve never been hit.” I said, trying to get him to understand.

I felt someone lift me into the air and I squeaked. I turned to see Zane holding me tightly. “Oh, Kalyla, the things we have to teach you.” He sighed.

“No, I don’t like being hit.” I said.

“I know.”

“You don’t either, do you?”

He smiled. “I don’t.”

“So when I hit you, it felt like that?” I asked.

He smiled. “Exactly.”

For a moment I was silent. Then, “Sorry.” I said in a small voice.

He laughed and carried me over to the fire. “I think Kalyla has learned a lesson!” He said, swinging me around. I laughed and clung onto him. Then he put me down next to the fire. I sat beside Milo and crossed my legs. I stared into the fire calmly as the boys began to talk quietly. Xeno was already calmer by me, and Zane seemed to be talking about how to teach me the next lesson.

I don’t know what that means, but I don’t know if it’s good. I was slowly starting to fall asleep, and I started to lean on Milo. He smiled down at me gently and didn’t protest. My head fell into his lap and I closed my eyes, sighing in content. Then I fell asleep.

When I woke up Zane, Xeno and Milo were nowhere to be found. The fire was out, and I was shivering cold. I sat up and shook my head a bit, trying to clear it. It was all foggy with sleep. I wanted to know where they were, but I couldn’t see past my nose.

“Zane?” I asked weakly.

I heard something shifting in the room behind me and I turned, my eyes straining against the dark. “Zane?” I asked again. The shuffling got closer to me and I got scared. “Zane!” I called, moving away from the noise.

I heard a dark, violent laughter ring out through the room, and I whimpered, pressing me chin to my chest. I didn’t like this. I didn’t know what it was. Suddenly I felt something tackle me and I screamed. I was smashed back against the cold, hard floor and I whimpered in pain. The person on top of me was much bigger than me. Bigger than the three boys, too. So I slapped him.

He cursed loudly and I was able to wiggle away. I scrambled across the floor and I ran straight into the wall. I fell and I felt something wet and warm trickling down my forehead. I heard the guy coming after me again and I felt around for something to use against him. Then I found the knife I had stabbed Xeno with.

Do I dare?

I was attacked again and slammed back. I felt their fingers wrap around my neck and I struggled to breath. I tightened my grip on the knife and closed my eyes, making a blind swing with it. My attacker made a choking noise, and fell off me. I whimpered again and scrambled away, trying to find the stairs.

Then someone picked me up and spun me around. “Princess, why are you screaming?” I heard Zane’s quiet voice in my ear.

I only whimpered again and tried to get away. He was gonna be mad at me.

“Milo, relight the fire. I think we have a problem.” I heard Xeno’s strained voice from where I think my attacker had been.

Zane tried to put me down but I clung to him fearfully. “What’s wrong?” He whispered soothingly.

“I k-killed him. I didn’t mean to, I swear! He attacked me first and I got scared!” I pleaded.

He stiffened.

He brought me over to the fire and put me down slowly, unwrapping my reluctant arms from around his neck. I looked over at Milo and he pulled me to a hug. “You’re okay. Zane isn’t mad at you. I promise.”

I snuggled up next to Milo and closed my eyes like I did last night. Milo was lying. Zane and Xeno were furious. I felt someone sit beside me and they gently rubbed my back. “Princess?” I heard Xeno whisper.

“What?” I mumbled.

“You’re not in trouble. We believe that you were attacked. But this is bad for us. Good for you, but bad for us.”

“Why?”

“’Cause your momma is gonna want you to hurt us like that. We don’t want you to do that to us.”

“I just wanna get out of here!” I wailed, burying my face in my arms and pulling away from them. “I didn’t do anything wrong! This is al your fault! If you didn’t scare me, I wouldn’t be down here, and I wouldn’t have killed him!”

I heard someone slam open the door at the top of the stairs and we all froze. “Kalyla?” I heard my mother’s worried voice. I scrambled up and ran over to her, tears streaming down my face.

“Momma” I cried, running to her and hugging her around the waist.

“Shh, shh, what’s wrong? Why did you scream?”

“I k-killed him. I didn’t mean to! He attacked me and I was scared.” I whispered.

I was surprised when she only laughed. “Kalyla, why are you sorry? That’s a good thing!”

I looked up at her in shock. “It is?” I asked quietly.

“Yes, it is dear.”

“No it’s not!” I heard Zane roar from behind me, making me absolutely cringe. “It’s not a good thing! She murdered a boy and you’re fine with it? She’s eight you bitch!”

Eliza’s grip tightened painfully around me. “Baby, go back upstairs.” She growled. “I have to deal with this—thing.”

Zane only spat at her. I winced again, ran up the stairs, and sprinted into my room. I curled up on my bed, shaking and shivering. In the distance and down the stairs, I heard a cry of agony. I closed my eyes and hugged my knees to my chest, silent tears streaming my face.

What did I do?