I could see the sun setting through the barred window of the room. "Another night in hell." I thought aloud. That was a mistake. I should have known that he was already in the basement. But I knew when his hand struck me across my face. Son of a bitch! I thought, internally this time. "You really shouldn't talk about your castle like that, princess." He said, angrily. His cold voice sent chills down my spine. Castle? This basement was my prison. I've been here for two weeks and I may be here forever. I apologized to him and returned my attention to the pile of laundry that was sitting in front of me. Most of the clothes had already been folded. "I'm going to start dinner while you finish this." He said as if he was disgusted with me. I shook my head and picked up a t-shirt. Stupid, I thought to myself.
"Dinner is ready, darling. Are you hungry?" He was standing in the archway that divided the living room area from the kitchen in the basement. I was still folding laundry as he demands me to do. On laundry day, I had to have it taken care of before I was allowed to join him for dinner, and if it wasn't done in a timely manner that pleased him, he got angry. "Yes." I replied simply. I was starving, actually. I hadn't eaten the first week I was here, so I stayed hungry. I didn't trust him at first so I refused to eat. He punished me for my 'rude behavior' as he had called it. I had to eat though and I came to the conclusion yesterday that he probably isn't going to poison me. He's keeping me around for a reason. I could smell the food he had prepared. The porkchops and broccoli stood out the most. I finished folding the last shirt of mine and placed it in the drawer. I stood up and turned off my bedroom's light and closed the door behind me. I turned down the hall and into the kitchen. He was bent down at the counter rummaging through something in the bottom cabinets of the counter. "Do you prefer white or red?" He asked, looking up at me. "Depends on what you have." I replied. "Wine, silly." He stated, a smile ran across his thin lips for just a second. "In that case, white. It's not as sweet." I replied, as I made my way into the kitchen to grab plates and forks to set up the table. "Arrange for a visitor tonight." He said, nonchalantly. A visitor, I thought as I grabbed three of the china plates from the cabinet. Who would he bring down here after he's kidnapped me? Did he kidnap someone else? I hope not. I took the plates to the table and began setting it for three. I'd find out my answers soon enough. Once the food was on the table as well as the eating utensils, half full wine glasses, and the plates; he hurried off upstairs without saying a word. He must have went to go get our 'visitor'. I sat at the table and stared at the stairs.
A tall skinny girl with pale skin and long hair that was black as night came down the stairs with him when he returned to the basement. "Hayleigh meet Isabella, but it's Bella for short." He said, introducing me to the poor girl. She looked frail and sickly and she just got here. "Hello, it's nice to meet you." The girl said without looking up as she extended her hand towards me for me to shake it. Her wrist was covered in scars and there was no doubt that they were self-inflicted. Her speech was slurred. Had he drugged her? Where did she come from? "Same to you." I said, politely. "Can we eat?" I asked my kidnapper. My stomach was growling and the savory aroma of the food was killing me. My kidnapper smiled as if he was pleased. "We may, Bella, you can sit in front of Hayleigh at the table. Then I can sit between my two beautiful girls. Chills went down my spine as he said that and I could feel goosebumps rising on my arms.
I didn't know his name or his intentions. It always seemed to please him when I called him pet names like love and babe. It's as if he has been trying to win my heart since he took me. I looked over at him at the table. He was watching me eat. I smiled at him and he diverted his attention to Bella, so I did too. She was picking at her plate and hadn't eaten a thing. He was going to get angry. "Bella, are you okay? It's okay to eat if you're hungry." I said to her. I felt so bad because she looks like she hasn't eaten in days. "I feel s-sick to my stomach." She muttered. Her accent was thick. French, I thought. Where the hell did he find her? Why did he bring us here? "Bella, darling." His voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade. I knew what was about to happen, because I was just like her when I first got here. I looked down at the scar of my freshly healed wound on my hand. He had burned me with the hot skillet he was cooking with because I refused to eat the meal he was preparing for me. "Bella said she feels nauseous." I piped up bravely, attempting to defend her. Maybe I could win her trust and we could team up and get out of this hell together. He just nodded his head as if he agreed with what I had said and patted her on the hand. "Hayleigh darling, show Bella to her bedroom. It's the room to the right of yours." He said, calmly. He stood up from the table and glared down at me. "I'll be back for you Hayleigh." With that said, he turned towards the hall that led to the stairs and proceeded to walk down it. I watched him walk down the hall, up the stairs, and through the door. I heard the door lock latch and that's when I stood up from the table. "Come on." I said as I walked past Isabella's seat. "I'll show you to your room." I said. She stood up from the table and followed me to her bedroom. The room he had instructed me to give her was a blank room with a bed and a dresser. I was bored one day and a little ballsy and I had decided to explore what I could of the basement.
