Pantophobia

Cleithrophobia

Jessica grumbled to herself as she tied her bedsheets to Marias' bed post because it was closer to the window. "Not a word of this to madame Crechit, or I'll throw you off this window"

"Jessica, stop, you're not thinking straight" Thelma tried to convince Jessica out of her horrendous plan but Jessica was at her wits end. Day after day they spent away from their parents in an unknown room with unknown people who were snatched away from their families. She watched her roommates get picked out one after the other never to be seen again and replaced by a new girl who had been recently kidnapped or as they liked to call it, "rescued" but they sure as hell ain't deceiving her.

"I've seen it in the movies, I'll be fine" Jessica mumbled to herself.

"Madame Crechit!!!! Madame Crechit!!!"

"Thelma!" Jessica exclaimed in shock, not expecting Thelma to snitch on her. "Thelma please" she pleaded in frustration but Thelma did not listen.

"Forgive me but I simply cannot let you fall to your death".

'click clock'

Jessica heard the fast approaching footsteps of Madame Crechit and paled at the realization that her plan had failed and she would be punished all because of Thelma. She looked at Thelma with newly bred hate
"you traitorous wench" she found herself saying in a voice that was hers yet not completely her own.
"You ugly bitch!" This time, she jumped at Thelma with an intention to hurt her. Probably scratch her eyes out so she won't be able to see anyone to snitch on ever again but Madame Crechit came in at that moment and in a fluid motion, grabbed Jessica and dragged her out as she growled like an animal while making futile attempts to harm Thelma.

Thelma dusted her skirts and walked up to Maria's bedpost, setting to order what Jessica put in disorder "There you go Maria"

"Thank you, are you alright though?" Maria asked. She had been locked up there almost as long as Thelma had so little incidents like these were very common amongst the girls. Especially with new ones like Jessica. Maria knew by now how useless it was to escape. It was better not to try than to be caught and punished in the worst way possible. None of them knew how exactly but they've heard screams and pleas at night of girls who had misbehaved and been taken away like Jessica. Horrifying screams that had been the bedrock of nightmares for the other girls but that wasn't the only thing that terrified Maria and the other older girls, they knew there was an evil in that house. Something that possesses the girls who were unstable and gave to evil thoughts, making them do horrifying things.
But of course they had a plan to escape. It was Thelma's plan and it involved taking the keys which had proved unsuccessful until a few minutes ago when Jessica distracted Madame Crechit enough for Thelma to steal the keys from Madame Crechit and slide it into her pockets. Maria smiled to herself.

She was supposed to fake a commotion to get Madame Crechits attention but thanks to Jessica, she won't be playing the sacrificial lamb anymore.

"Everyone gather round" Thelma called out to everyone else in the room who did exactly as they were told. They all respected and hoped on Thelma so it was not a big surprise, "I got the key" Thelma dangled it in her pockets as proof  "But Madame Crechit will be here for them soon so we need to make sure she doesn't find them when she comes back."

"I think it'll be better if we wait for a bigger person to come save us" Charlie spoke up and Fiona nodded her head in agreement with Charlie.

"Look around you, I am the bigger person. These people are very smart. Our parents will never find us.

"Have you even looked outside?" Maria added "We are in the middle of nowhere"

"Then how are we supposed to get out of here?" Prudence asked

"I have a plan" Thelma said

"We are just children! We can barely reach the cookie jar on our own" Charlie spoke up, annoyed.

"Charlie calm down, you're going to be heard and punished" Fiona warned in a whisper just before they heard the familiar sound of heels clicking towards their room. They dispersed to their various bedposts and pretended to be engaged in something extremely important.

"Girls" Madame Crechit began as she walked into the room with a never changing smile on her face "I seem to have lost my keys. Perhaps, you know where they are?" She asked and they all stared at her in response. Saying no will be too suspicious and saying yes was not an option. "Girls?" she called again and this time she walked from one girl to the next as they stood in an arc at the end of their beds. "So no one knows where they are? I could have sworn I lost them in here" She walked passed Charlie but stopped when she noticed her squeezed toes. She squatted to be at the same eye level with Charlie "Charlie dear, are you alright?" Madame Crechit asked and Charlie nodded in response "You are sweating profusely, is there something you want to tell me?"

Charlie glanced at Maria, then Fiona before finally stopping at Thelma who shook her head slowly at Charlie "Yes Madame, I kn..." she began but was startled out of her words when she heard an earpiercing scream from Jessica who was taken away recently. Madame Crechit gracefully walked towards the door and closed it shut to muffle the screams. She walked back with an unwavering smile and a bead of sweat on her forehead.

"Yes Charlie?"

"I...I need to use the ladies room"

"The Ladies room?" She asked as she held tightly unto Charlies left arm and almost stopping her blood flow

"Madame Crechit" Charlie whinced

"Where are my keys?" She asked

"I swear I don't know!" Charlie cried out in pain

"She doesn't know! You're hurting her!" Thelma chided

Madame Crechit shoved Charlie away and brought back the smile she had let go for a very short moment. She stood up and walked to the door
"Do have a lovely day Children" She said before gracefully walking out of the room

"Are you okay Charlie?" Prudence held Charlie up as Fiona rubbed on the skin that had turned red.

"Yes, thank you" She got up just as Thelma approached them.

"We need to leave, she's going to be back really soon" Thelma said as she went under Maria's bed and brought out the little butter knife she stole during breakfast.

"Why is it always my bed?" Maria murmured to herself

"What exactly is the plan?" Fiona asked

"First, we find a phone and call the police" Thelma said as she listened through the door for any approaching footsteps "Come on" She urged the girls as she slowly opened the door.

"And where do you think you are going?" They all heard Madame Crechits voice before they saw her figure in the dark hallway as she slowly moved into the room, causing Thelma to take a couple steps backwards

"Madame Crechit" Thelma managed to breathe out

"Thelma" She responded as she slammed the door shut.

"Madame Crechit we were just..."

"We?" She asked causing Thelma to look back at the girls to help with a proper excuse but they were all at their bedposts with eyes turned away from her

"You were saying?" Madame Crechit asked. Thelma blinked back the tears threatening to spill. Of course they would betray her like this but Maria too?

"I..." She began but was cut short when her tiny pockets gave way and the heavy keys slipped out from underneath her dress to the floor, announcing its presense in a loud unwelcomed way.

"You know what this means. You've lied, stolen and disobeyed simple orders given to you"

"But you have to let me explain..." Thelma complained, frightened.

"Go ahead then, explain" Madame Crechit waited in silence for the explanation that never came "That's what I thought. Come with me now" She said and when Thelma made no attempt to follow her, She pulled her along by her short dark curls as she cried in pain out of the room. "Hush now child. It'll all be over soon"