Help me...

Chapter 5

"Take this to Amelia. She better eat all of it" he ordered her without looking. He was reading an article about the stock markets on the computer so he was to focused. The plate had a chicken leg and a couple of pieces of lettuce on it. Layla slowly grabbed the plate and walked back down to the basement. For some reason, her body pushed her to go faster. She knew Amelia would be thankful for the bounty of food she was given since she was usually given just a small salad of some sort. Layla opened the door slowly and it made a loud creaking noise. She stepped onto the cold floor with her bare feet and scuttled to Amelia. She put the plate down beside Amelia, loosened the chains on her wrist a little and shook her gently. Amelia opened her eyes slowly and looked up to her mother. She looked at her then followed her mothers arm down to the plate of food that was nudged closer to her. She instantly sat up and grabbed the chicken wing, wolfing it down. Layla watched and her stomach roared like a lion. Layla hugged her stomach tightly as Amelia looked up at her mother, mid bite into the chicken leg. She pulled away slowly and held out the chicken wing to her mother. Layla shook her head and pushed it back to her daughter.

"No baby. You must eat it yourself. You're young and still need to grow. Your fathers thinking of bringing you back to the school. But you can't tell anyone about this...you'll stay here during the night, go to school, then come back here...I'm sorry this is just the way it is now" she spoke so quietly that Amelia almost didn't hear her mother. Although now she wished she hadn't. She didn't want to go to school looking how she was. Her hair was tangled, dirty and frizzy from it showering for about a week. She was full of dirt, her wrists were cut from the chains, she had bruises on her body still from when she fought against her dad to be brought to the basement. She also had bruises from when she'd try to pull away from the chains and she'd fall onto the ground. Amelia finished her food before she knew it and she had forgotten to savour the taste. Her stomach growled again but she ignored it. Her mother waited for Amelia to finish eating then got up fast in a hurry with the plate in her hands. She turned and walked back to the stairs. She put her foot on the first step but stopped when she heard Amelia.

"I just want to be free..." her daughter weakly mumbled before drifting off into a deep slumber. Layla watched her daughter then slowly walked up the stairs. She walked into the kitchen and threw away the money, starting to clean the dishes. Jackson looked to Layla and growled softly.

"Come here" he ordered, causing Layla to immediately obey. Layla walked up to his side and Jackson pulled her onto his lap. He growled at her softly and held his arm around her waist. He started to grope her aggressively and Layla held in every cry of pain.

"what took you so long down there? You try to get her out? You do realize you shouldn't be touching what's mine right? If you were to let her out id kill you" he snarled angrily and bit her neck. Layla closed her eyes tightly and tried not to cry from the pain. Once Jackson pulled away from her neck Layla let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Jackson smirked as he saw the blood fall from where his teeth had pierced the skin. The skin around the wound turned red and Layla whimpered softly. She glanced back at Jackson but Jackson turned her head back with the force that could have snapped her neck. Layla yelped and held onto Jackson's hands tightly. Jackson pushed her off of him and snarled. Layla fell to the floor on her side with her upper body still up. Jackson got off the chair and walked upstairs, to shower, Layla presumed. Layla rose from the floor with the help of the chair and she looked around. She started cleaning up Jackson's plate but stopped when she heard the door bell. She froze and started counting everyone that was in the house. She stopped when she reached 3 and tried to remember what came after but another ring from the doorbell snapped her out of her trance. She slowly dried off her hands and walked to the door. Jackson was showering and Amelia was asleep downstairs. She knew if she played her cards right, she wouldn't have to say much. Her steps slowed as she got closer to the door. She started to over think who it could be. Police? Social worker? The principal? Someone related to Jackson? A neighbour? Cloud...? She knew she'd be at least a little joyful if it was Cloud. She reached out to the door and slowly opened it. As fate would have it, she couldn't see a thing in the darkness. Layla frowned slightly and turned on the porch light. She screamed and suddenly jumped back, causing her to fall onto her elbow. She crawled backwards as fast as she could and she panted hard in fear. She could hear falling upstairs which means she might have accidentally scared Jackson from her sudden scream. At the door was a buff figure with a gruesome face. Their skin was droopy, the eyes were blood shot, the mouth was basically hanging open and it looked terrifying to her. Layla closed her eyes tightly, expect the creature to just walk in and kill her but she stopped when she heard a little kids voice.

"Trick or treat...? I'm sorry miss are you ok?" The little girl took off her Freddie Krueger mask and stared at Layla in concern. Layla laid there in a state of confusion and she frowned.

"H-how-wha-wha? I-I-" she stuttered in a state of shock as she heard fast thumping coming from the stairs. Jackson stood at the bottom of the steps with his hair still wet but he was fully dressed. He walked to Layla and pulled her up with a growl. He turned to the child and put on a smile.

"Hello little girl. Isn't that costume more for a guy?" He questioned and the girl just frowned. She gave him the best 'I don't give a fuck because I didn't ask for your opinion' kind of looks and she just shrugged.

"Maybe I feel like being a guy? So what? Not your decision" she sassed him and Jackson stood there with a deep frown. He rolled his eyes and stood back straight up.

"Alright I'll get your candy then give me a minute" he told the girl then turned to Layla.

"Go get the candy I bought yesterday. Today is Halloween sweetie" he spoke calmly to Layla but Layla could find hints of anger and knew she was in trouble. Layla walked off fast and came back with the big box of candy corn Jackson had bought the day before. Jackson grabbed a cup full and poured it into the little girls bag.

"There. Lots of candy corn for you and your fa-" he stopped himself when he heard foot steps approaching the little girl from behind. Jackson's eyes slowly trailed up the girl and above to the guy. He stood up when he recognized the male and held back a growl. Layla almost dropped the box of candy she was holding when she saw who it was.

"Cloud?" Layla spoke with a soft voice and with a little bit of joy.

"Cloud" Jackson spoke in a held back angry tone and glared at him.