Once A Month

London is a 17 year old teenage girl who loves her family, which only includes her two parents. London's parents have given her three rules which are very important not to break, rule number one, she must stay in her room from 9:30 pm to 8:30 am, rule number two, never come out of her room at any given circumstances even if there are strange noises throughout the house, rule number three never ever step foot in the basement.
London decides one day that she is tired of being locked in her room, so when she knows her parents have fallen asleep she does what she's never done before she walks to her bedroom door turns the door handle and walks out. She creeps down the hall towards the stairs she sneaks down the stairs to the kitchen where the basement door is, it's always locked. She creaks the door open and steps down the basement stairs, once she reaches the bottom her life will change forever.

My hands are trembling as I walk to the basement door, I can hear my heart drumming in my ears, once I clasp my fingers around the lock and open the door I realize there's no going back. I look for the light switch with my hands till I graze over it with my finger tips, I switch the lights on and start walking down the stairs. Once I reached the bottom I look to my left and my heart stops, and I can't breathe. There in front of me is a teenage boy who looks to be about my age and is hanging from the ceiling with arm shackles and duct tape over he's mouth. He is shirtless and only in his boxers, he has cuts and bruises covering his body

"Wh-who are you?" I ask terrified by the thought of a teenage boy beat up and locked in my basement

His eyes shift to me quickly after hearing my voice, they widened with fear before he starts to talk but his words are muffled by the tape.
I walk to him and slowly raise my hand to his mouth."this is going to sting"I tell him right before I quickly rip the tape off.
(I do not take credit for cover photo)