Everlasting #Wattys2018

Stinky socks

My hair is getting out of control, it reaches far past my shoulders now. Miss talked about putting me and Andi in school, wondering how to make us silent. My heart skipped a beat when mister suggested a beating every day after school, talking as if I wasn't there running around to help, Evelyn was out of the basement and in a cage in the living room, I wasn't sure why, but I hoped my guess was incorrect.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on them," she hissed, her voice shaky and raw. They seemed to grow increasingly frustrated when she didn't fatten up, but grew thinner. I glanced in her direction and she met my eyes. "Play up to them," she mouthed. "They want you to continue, so please, please do,"

I gave a small nod, trying to work out what she was saying. It clicked, and I paced into the kitchen, turning on the stove. I heated some milk and put a tea bag in, adding two lumps of sugar. Jane didn't say anything, trying to wash the dishes and keep an eye on Ellen at the same time. I placed the two mugs on a tray, added some cake and balanced it into the living room, thinking of ways to sweet talk the couple.

I put the tray in front of them and miss looked up. I gave her a warm smile, hoping my acting skills where good enough. I'd learned how to act from the boarding nursery, it was a must if you wanted to please the angry matrons. She looked amused.

"You're learning," she commented, taking a sip of the tea. The telly was blaring at full volume and it was hard to hear her.

"Miss... can I call you mummy?"

"Of course," she replied.

I glanced at mister, my eyes automatically searching for any weapon. "Can I call you daddy?"

"No," he replied.

I had miss in my favour. I just had to win mister over. I silently decided to bake him a cake (with the help of Jane) he was a sucker for sweets. I sat myself down on the carpet, sitting on my legs. I looked up at Miss. "Can you please tell me about the tradition?" I blinked innocently, trying to look interested. I knew she'd have her doubts, she's not dumb.

"You know that gist of it, though I'll have to teach you how to cut up the meat and cook it properly, and how to lure the prey in-"

My stomach churned, but I kept an interested look on my face and sweet talked for all I was worth. I think I managed to convince her I was sincere, but not enough.

"What do think of going to school?"

"Whatever makes you happy makes me happy," I smiled, feeling sick. The matron would've probably nagged me, telling me I'll go to hell with all these lies.

"Do you want to?"

I nodded, my mind working rapidly. "It's a good place to lure in prey,"

As in the police.

"How do I know your not lying?" She asked me, grinning. "How do I know I can trust you?"

My heart skipped a beat. I knew it would come down to this, but the answer I came up with wasn't one I'd like. For one thing, Jane and Andi would scold me for voluntarily doing this, but it was for the greater good.

"You can beat me," I said, bile rose in my throat. Evelyn didn't hold back.

"No," She said. "You can't beat yourself- and then show the marks to prove it,"

Andi had walked in to the living room, dirty from all of the sweeping and cleaning. He looked at me in confusion.

I gave a nod, feeling like my stomach's contents would spill the second I opened my mouth.

"Now,"

It took my all my strength not to cry. Andi looked even more confused.

So I did.

These people are sick. I thought, tears dripping down my chin. As much as I wanted to run into my room, I didn't. They wanted to make Andi hurt himself too, but I convinced them that hurting me would be more efficient. It took even more work to convince Andi, and he held back so much I don't feel like I even convinced him. But miss bought the show, and told us we'd both go to school in a few days when my "injuries have been reduced to scars," i felt pretty sure it would take more then a few days, but I took it.

Do I still have to call this woman my mother?

I was scolded the second I limped back into my room, Andi's plan connecting with my face. "I can't believe you!"

"You seem to angry about hurting me- and the you smack me," I said, trying to not meet Jane's disappointed eyes.

"-I'm more angry about you hurting yourself," Andi hissed, tears forming in his eyes. "You didn't hold back a bit, did you?"

"I have to be convincing," I said, Jane got up and started helping me clean myself up. She wouldn't talk to me. "Evelyn didn't seem that happy either... why can't I even do good?"

"Not this way-"

"But we'll be able to go to the police now!"

Jane sighed, biting her lip. "I've tried to escape my own fair share of amounts,"

"-it doesn't matter!" I insisted. "You can't win without fail!"

"No, I'm not saying that we can't escape..." She have another theoretical sigh. "They have control over lots of the police officers. There's was a book, I'm assuming it was form your older sister and some other person, and they left notes and tricks for trying to escape. They stated in there that you'd have to find police officers who weren't under control, and you'd have to convince a hefty amount since they're both skilled and could kill unhesitatingly,"

Andi breathed, slumping himself onto the bed and pulling his hair. "We're going back to school tomorrow,"

"Yeah duh," I said.

"This is dumb, you'd think that because we're in deadly circumstances we'd get to skip school for at least a week!"

I tried not to laugh. "To be completely honest, I miss school,"

Andi looked at me as if I was crazy. "I think you hit yourself too hard in the head,"

"And I think you're mean as old stinky socks,"