The Perfect Family - on hold

03 . question on question

•  CHAPTER THREE  •
QUESTION ON QUESTION

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Eve had come back to what she'd describes as a perfect picture. Her eldest daughter was staring at the wall, hands folded neatly in her lap, but her newest daughter was hunched over tracing lines on the wooden table, head in her elbow. She wasn't crying or screaming at the door! Eve smiled.

"Hello girls, how are we doing?" she clapped her hands, walking into the dining room. Mickey tried to hold back a grimace, the silence had granted her temporary solace, but the sickeningly sweet voice of Eve snapped her back to reality. "Mikayla, sweetheart, I'm so happy to meet you. I'm Eve, Hugh's wife." She held out her hand. Mickey stared at it, mouth agape.

'She couldn't possibly be serious?'

The woman talked like she was a new family member, which in her mind, Mickey was. It made her sick.

Eve pursed her lips, but didn't let her smile falter. "I know you must be very confused," she said, sitting down beside Mickey, "but I was once in your shoes, I will help you."

Mickey scowled, but it was hidden behind her arm. "Help me?" her voice was quiet and muffled, almost sounding like a child. Eve cooed softly, her heart melting.

"Of course, dear. Whatever you need."

"I need to leave," Mickey muttered, the other woman almost didn't hear it, but alas she did. Hurt swirled in her gut for her youngest daughter, she didn't understand just yet, but she would. It was Eve's job to make sure of it.

"No, you don't. It's so dangerous in the outside world, you're safe here,  protected by the men," Eve wanted to add that Mickey should be grateful, but that probably wouldn't be received well. "Let's go over what you need to do then, shall we?"

Mickey nodded a bit. Graceful as a dove, Eve stood up and waltzed over to a supply closet. Was she going to break into song next? It sounded like a bad Disney movie. Eve almost reminded her of Cinderella, but was Hugh Eve's prince charming? She frowned at the thought.

"Don't look so gloomy, Mickayla, we've done a lot of the work already. Just need to sweep these floors," Eve said. "Right Rosemary?" the girl didn't so much as turn her head upon hearing her name. She looked lifeless, empty, like a glass doll. Mickey almost forgot she was there. " Now, get up Mikayla, have you never seen a hard day's work before?" Eve asked it playfully, teasing her naturally. Like Mikayla was her daughter. As Eve got to work, the two younger girls followed. It didn't take long, with three of them house chores were a breeze, incredibly boring, but easy. It reminded Mickey of the tasks she was assigned in her foster homes. With a huff and shake of her head, she cut off the thought, she didn't want to associate this situation with any sort of normalcy. That would he her first step down into madness.

Eve and Rosemary didn't talk much. Sometimes they'd sing, the older woman sang happy little jingles, meant to entice her daughters to laugh or join in. Rosemary never did, she hummed and whispered under her breath, sombre sounds that Mickey couldn't quite make out the words to. She wanted to, she was bored out of her mind and it couldn't have been more than an hour. Was this everyday life? How had Eve not tore her hair out, Mickey hoped she would never know. Or experience, she'll be out soon enough. Cops must have been called, she's missed her classes, and her roommate would notice. After awakening from her drunken daze, surely she'd begin to ponder Mickey's disappearance? Even if it took a little while, Mickey wanted to have some faith in the girl.

She had no one else.

Mickey nodded, just a few days and cops would surround this hellhole and take them all in. Maybe she'd be back in time to finish her English paper. Hell, maybe the professor would give her a few extra points just to compensate for the craziness of her situation. Mickey laughed quietly at the absurdity of it all.

"You're practically having a conversation with yourself, Mikayla, I wanna get in on it too," Eve said, jesting her.

"It's nothing," Mickey insisted, "just thinking."

"What about?"

"Nothing."

Eve put her hand on her hips. "Y'know, I intended to talk to you today. And that I will do. You can trust me. Tell me about yourself."

"Myself? Uh, okay," Mikayla plopped down on the couch, Eve following suit, Rosemary stayed standing. "I'm in college, for business. I'm gonna be, like, a rich businessman. I can't wait to graduate and get a job, or, I hope I will," Mickey's voice trailed off, remembering where she was, who she was talking to.

Eve's smile had slowly fallen with every passing word, but she played it off with a fake one in its place. "Dear, you don't need those things. It's so dangerous in college, and in the city where all those businessmen live."

"It's what I want, though."

"No, you think you want that now, you'll realize you're best off here. Niko will make sure of it."

"But -"

"It's 4:30," Rosemary interrupted. Had the day gone by that fast?

Eve laughed sheepishly, "oh, dear." she stood up, extending a hand to Mickey, "so, Mikayla we start making dinner right about now. The men will be in around six and we want it ready."

Her outstretched hand was ignored. Mickey followed Rosemary into the kitchen, her eyes zeroing in on a drawer full of knives. Could she-?

The drawer was slammed shut, the tempting shine gone, Rosemary's hand in its place. "Don't even think about it," she whispered angrily.