Just Like Old Times

Fidus Et Audax

7-year-old Lilly was sitting under the kitchen floor as Bronte's men searched the house. It was a bit cramped under the house with the floorboards so low to the ground, but not so much for a child. She was wearing red pants and a white chemise shirt with puppy faces sewn into the fabric. No shoes. Her hair was down and ended at the middle of her back. Lilly decided she hated dresses and swore to never wear one again. Or have ribbons in her hair. The men kept coming back. She'd only been there three days and this was their seventh time back.

"Where is the god damn girl, Mrs. Bartleby?!" one of the men shouted.

"I told you already, she is not here!" Gretchen shouted back. "I am scared to death for her! I wish I knew where she was! Lilly is such a..." Lilly heard Mrs. Bartleby start to cry. "She's such a lovely child! What if she's dead? What if an alligator got her?!"

Lilly sighed quietly and held her legs to her chest. This woman sure knew how to lie.

"Look Gretchen," another man said. "I know this is hard...on all of us. I'm worried sick about her too. But please, if you know anything..."

Lilly recognized the voice. It was George. He wasn't so bad. And he wasn't there that night. Lilly figured he had no knowledge of any of it."George, I swear if I knew-"

"Mrs. Bartleby." Lilly heard Mr. Bronte enter the house. Lilly felt her heart stop for a moment. She covered her mouth to stifle her crying as she shook in fear.

"Mr. Bronte!" Gretchen exclaimed. "I...I swear, sir. Lilly is not here."

"Oh, I'm sure. We've checked your house several times already. I'm only being thorough in my search."

"I understand, sir, but-"

"For example," Bronte said, waltzing over towards the kitchen. "A lot of these houses...they still have secrets, don't they?"

"Sir?"

"Secrets. People used to hide slaves under their houses, sometimes. During the war. To keep them hidden from the Confederates."

Lilly gasped quietly and she looked around for a way to escape. She couldn't find one. Lilly looked down. The dirt. She began to quickly, but silently, dig a hole. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

"Really? I didn't know that. That's a fun fact, isn't it?"

Lilly heard a 'tap tap tap' over where the kitchen was. He was trying to find the trap door, she was sure of it. Lilly kept digging, her heart pounding harder inside her chest.

"Oh, yes. A lot of these houses have a trap door in the floors. The living room," tap tap tap, "the dining room," tap tap tap, "even the kitchens," tap tap tap.

Lilly silently got into the small hole, laying on her back. She started covering herself up. In her mind, she was praying he would not find her.

"Huh. Well, Mr. Bartleby and I, we only moved in half a year ago. Haven't really noticed any trap doors. Don't even know what one looks like."

Lilly heard the rug over the trap door come off. She kept going. "Please don't find me," she whispered to herself.

"Ah, there it is. You never noticed this, Mrs. Bartleby?" Bronte asked.