No Choice But Murder

10

"Hello, girlies!" Polly screeched, as she dropped messily down the stairs. She had a bouffant, yellow wig on top of her already yellow hair, and bright messy makeup. "Oh goody, Carty's awake too! And that other thing.' She bared her teeth at James, exposing a gruesome mouthful of blackening dentures, drenched in neon lipstick.

"Did you sleep well?' She said to myself and Farah. I turned to Farah, not knowing what to say but she dropped us and went to Carter.

'Oh, my love,' she smiled, cupping his cheeks in her hands. 'How I've missed you.' She thrust her arms around him. 'It's been most long. You are finally mine now.' She bared those disgusting teeth again and it took all my will power to stop myself from vomiting.

Petunia and Pam came cluttering down the steps. Petunia wore a tight pink dress that covered her entire body and a mauve cardigan on top. She too, wore extravagant makeup and her hair had been curled tightly. Pam, on the other hand, wore the same mauve dress as the previous day, and stood nervously behind Petunia, clutching a tray wrapped in layers and layers of crumpled foil.

Polly clung onto Carter, whispering in his ear, cackling, smiling. We all sat there, not knowing what to do, staring straight. Carter's face was set in a neutral mode, no emotion shown. He sat still while this woman whispered and hugged and kissed him.

'Er Polly,' Petunia croaked. Her lips were cracking with the effort of trying to speak whilst having them shut. Her lipstick smudged around the edges.

Polly put a finger to her lips and laughed, drunkenly. She whispered some more to Carter then finally got up and walked slowly to the other two. 'Girls,' she started, smiling drunkenly again. It was seriously scaring me now and I was fighting the urge to cry – I wanted to go home so bad. 'Carter, my darling son, and you,' she glowered at James. 'You have done well, I am very proud. You look darling, you,' she pointed at Farah, proudly. 'I guess you too.' She scowled at me. 'Therefore, I feel most obliged to provide you with something edible. Pam!'

Pam stumbled forward, bearing the foil wrapped tray in her arms. She dropped it shyly onto the cluttered table and retreated backwards, her forehead creasing. 'Enjoy!' said Polly, enthusiastically. She came forward and kissed Farah on the forehead, cupping her cheeks. Then she kissed me. Her lips felt like scrunched up card and when she pulled away, I knew there was a pink mark of her affection on my forehead. She kissed James too, briefly, then went away up the stairs, almost running. Petunia sneered at us all, then followed, mumbling under her breath.

'Sorry,' muttered Pam, and she too ran after them. The clanging of the iron door was heard, and the series of locks and bolts were fixed into place. We immediately relaxed. Farah lay back on the sofa, mumbling to herself angrily. James began to tear up again, shaking his head fiercely. I forced my tears back. I didn't know how I felt or what to feel like. I was scared, and I wanted to go home more than anything. Polly and the other two were fierce but then they were kind. I had to bare a face. I was mostly confused. What should I feel? What should I do?

Carter sat still on the sofa, his face wearing no emotion. He suddenly shifted position and I heard him sniffle a little and we stayed this way for ages.

'Right.' Farah declared. She stood up and stared at us like a dictator. 'I need answers. NOW. Carter, stop blubbing a sec and inform us on your connection with Polly. And why has she suddenly changed her view on us? She even kissed James,' she turned to James who scrubbed at the pink stain with his sleeve. 'We also need to make a strategic plan to how to escape here, I don't know about you lot, but I am NOT planning on living here.'

James and I turned to her. 'I don't know.' I said, tugging at the hem of my dress. 'But I can tell that Pam will be easy to win over. She feels bad for us, she's not like the other two. We can use her to our advantage.'

'Good. That's important. All of you, note that in your heads.' Her head turned to Carter who still sat with his head turned away. 'Carter?'

'Hmm.'

We all turned to look at him. He was crouching by the arm of the sofa, his head in his lap. Farah went over to him and they whispered for ages. I pretended not to mind. Instead, I got up and picked the foil wrapped tray up as well, unravelling the layers enclosing something edible. I was starving, we all were. We hadn't eaten since yesterday and that was only a few sweets. No wonder I had this constant ache in my stomach that just wouldn't go away.

After the endless wrap of foil came undone, the contents of the tray were finally visible. There were five plastic containers with rainbow lids on them. I opened them all. There was half a loaf of bread crammed into one, a little pot of jam in another, milk filling up two containers and the last contained something black and sticky that had obviously been unprofessionally transferred from the packet. My lips curled in disgust.

'I can't stay here any longer,' said James, shaking his head, his arms flailing everywhere. 'If that's what they're serving, bye.'

'We can't starve, James.'

'You know, I rather fancy that actually.'

'Eurgh, no you don't. I'll give you some bread and jam. You've got to eat, ok?'

James shook his head and went over to the whispering two. Together they all whispered while I spread the stingy portion of jam equally onto four slices of bread. The fifth slice was moulding.

'Right,' Farah said suddenly. 'You can do it, Carter.' They both got up and settled on the sofa together, Carter's face dry and isolated of tears.

'Are you ok?' I asked, handing him his bread. I gave out the rest of the bread to the others, then sat beside him. He nodded at me, then devoured his bread. I bit into my own, staring at him, willing him to elaborate on what had happened before. The bread was stale.