THE CELLAR is being PUBLISHED on March 1st 2014! This version will stay on Wattpad, but the twice re-written, polished book will be available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository and many others, as well as stores in the US and Canada. E-book is available on most e-readers.
Nothing ever happens in the town of Long Thorpe - that is, until sixteen-year-old Summer Robinson disappears without a trace. No family or police investigation can track her down.
Spending months inside the cellar of her kidnapper with several other girls, Summer learns of Colin's abusive past, and his thoughts of his victims being his family...his perfect, pure flowers.
But flowers can't survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out...
Copyright 2012 Natasha Preston
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Chapter One
Summer
Saturday 24th July 2010
Looking out of the window, I came face to face with the dull, grey sky. The heavy clouds made it look too dark for summer, but not even that could break my happy mood tonight. GCSEs were finally over, and I wouldn't have to take another exam until next year. I was celebrating my freedom by going out with my friends to a local gig.
"Hey, what time are you leaving?" my boyfriend, Lewis, asked as he let himself into my room and sat on the end of my bed.
"In about half an hour. Do I look okay?" I looked back at my reflection in the mirror and frowned. My hair never really ended up how I pictured it in my head. Lewis smirked and rolled his eyes behind me. "You know I can see you in the mirror, right?" I teased.
"You look beautiful. As always," he replied. "Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off tonight?"
I sighed. The social club where the gig was being held was barely a two-minute walk. I could make it in my sleep. "No thanks, I'm fine walking. What time are you leaving?"
He shrugged. "Whenever your lazy brother's ready. Are you sure? We can give you a lift on the way."
"It's fine, seriously! I'm leaving now, and if you're waiting for Henry to get ready, you'll be a while."
"You shouldn't walk alone at night, Summer."
I sighed again and slammed my brush down on my dresser-it wasn't improving the look of my hair anyway. "Lewis, I've been walking around on my own for years. I used to walk to and from school every day and I'll do it again for Sixth Form. These-" I slapped my legs for emphasis- "work perfectly fine."
He smirked, his pervert eyes flicking down to my legs. "Hmm, I can see that."
Grinning, I pushed him down on the bed and sat on his lap. "Can you put your overprotective boyfriend shirt away and kiss me?" Lewis chuckled as his lips met mine. We had been together for fourteen months and I was totally crazy about him.
I had started liking him when I was eleven and he had come home with Henry after football practice one day. Being so young, I thought it was just a silly crush-like the one I also had on Usher at the time-and didn't think anything of it. But when he still gave me butterflies four years later, I knew it was something more.
YOU ARE READING
The Cellar
HorrorFor months Summer is trapped in a cellar with the man who took her - and three other girls: Rose, Poppy, and Violet. His perfect, pure flowers. His family. But flowers can't survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out...
