Eyes never left the little girl, already able to tell that she was a resourceful one. She would need to be careful with Beth, not let her step out of line. Offering a small smile in return, she nodded at her. “Good night, Beth. I’ll see you in the morning.” She stayed seated and watched her disappear out of view. For the most part it seemed like everything had gone rather well. There hadn’t been any awkward moments or silences. It also seemed like Beth knew that S was there to help, to try and provide her with some sort of a stable life. That’s all she could have hoped for on the first night. Staying seated for a moment longer, she finally stood and brought both plates to the sink to clean.
Rinsing the dishes and placing them to the side, she tidied up the kitchen to make it look just as it had before she had began cooking. The woman poured herself another mug of tea before quietly making her way into the living room. It was time to wind down and to Siobhan, there was nothing more relaxing than a good book, a cup of tea, and a small fire to warm the room. It didn’t take too long to get a fire going and after doing so, she was seated in her chair with the mug resting on her knee in one hand, the other holding up her book.
All was seemingly quiet and peaceful as she sat and read, sipping at her tea every so often. There were still some concerns int he back of her mind, though it seemed like Beth was tougher than she imagined. Some of the children she had taken care of could barely sleep, terror filling them and keeping them up. This quiet was nice, different but good. It was almost as if she had thought too soon, the clattering from upstairs breaking the silence. There was no other noise which was certainly suspicious. Rising slowly from her chair, S neatly placed her book back into its slot on the book case and produced a small handgun. It wasn’t unusual for the parents of the children to try and retaliate. It wasn’t often, but it had happened before. If that was the case? She was ready to defend herself as well as the new girl in her care.
She was nearly silent as she made her way up the stairs, slender fingers wrapped tightly around the grip. A quick look at the doors revealed that they were all open, something unusual for her. She had a hunch at what was really going on but better safe than sorry. Opening the door slowly, her eyes immediately went to the light on the ground which rest beside her rifle. Her steps were slow as she approached and S leaned over to pick the larger gun up, placing it neatly on the bed. Next was the photo album which she set down on the bedside table along before placing the handgun in the drawer, shutting it quickly. “No need to hide love. You can come out.” She leaned down once more to pick up the flashlight, switching it off and waiting, hoping she would have a chance to explain.
Those twenty seconds or so in the wardrobe felt like an hour. Beth tried her best to listen what was happening, but she couldn’t hear much. At one point, the stairs creaked and she only pressed her hand against her mouth tighter, hoping that she wouldn’t be found. She could hear S pick up the things she dropped and the rifle and squeezed in into the fabric, a shiver running down her spine at the noise it made. Her voice told her to come out. It was kind, which Beth was absolutely unable to comprehend. Everyone else would be screaming but frankly, right now, Beth didn’t really believe it. S probably just lied to her, just like everybody else.
Beth slowly opened the closet door, her chest wheezing. Her eyes we trained on the floor, trying to look guilty. After all, she was caught snooping. That’s what adults expected, right? However, she wanted to use it as a distraction. Beth inched to the side ever so slowly and then grabbed the door and ran out. She was going to get out. Screw her stuff. She would miss her blanket. Perhaps she could get someone to get it for her. Her thoughts were, just as expected for a child of her age and experience, chaotic and illogical. All Beth wanted was to get away. She still believed she would be best off on her own. She tried to run down the stairs two at a time and managed to trip and slide the rest down on her bum. Ignoring the pain as much as she could, she leapt towards the door, tried it, but it was locked.
Assuming that Mrs. S was probably right behind her and realizing she had no chance, Beth slammed her fist against the door and then turned around. Tears of pure anger and fear were forming in her eyes, pressing against the doorframe. “So who are you, huh? What do you want?” she shouted at her, absolutely losing her temper. She gave it a chance, she did. She decided to sort of trust S and now she just wanted an explanation. “Why do you have that,” she pointed upstairs referring to the things she’d found, knowing that there’d probably be more hidden around the house, still shivering from the sudden flood of emotions.
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