Kidnapped By Cannibals- Leah Marshall

Chapter Twelve

When Lindsay had done, she handed Leah a new shirt, set up the shower for her and told her to come downstairs when she was done. No matter how injured Leah may have been, Jared still expected her to help his mother clean. Saying that, if Jared had to go out on the farm all day with his wounds, then so did Leah. She had to remember that.

When Leah stepped inside the shower, she immediately let the scolding water burn her skin. No matter how much it attempted to cleanse her, everything was still immutable for Leah. She sucked in air through her teeth in pain as the droplets ran across her sliced back, causing her to start acting writhed. She just wanted to get out. It was pointless.

When she dried herself- leaving her stands of hair dripping down her shoulder as she doubted they had a drier, Leah made her way downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, Lindsay offered Leah breakfast, but Leah declined. This caused Lindsay to just view Leah's figure up and down as if to say you need to eat.

So instead of force- feeding Leah, Lindsay got out the soap and washing up bucket and Leah began to mop the floor whilst Lindsay placed dishes into the sink and began to rinse them through with warm water.

The girls spent most their day in silence- cleaning. The place was rather messy, which was odd considering all Lindsay ever did was tidy up. Leah felt awkward, like Lindsay was being off, but maybe it was just her mind overthinking as usual. She tried to remind herself that Lindsay may be upset about the trauma that Leah had caused the other day, but it didn't hurt any less.

Lindsay handed Leah a dish cloth and told her to begin scrubbing the kitchen side. Leah was beginning to feel strangely isolated. Lindsay wouldn't even look in her eyes, and her mouth was pressed into a thin line. Each wrinkle on her face seemed to hold each stressful problem Lindsay had to worry about. Leah just felt distant from Lindsay right now. From everyone in fact anyway.

A stranger in her own home.

The two of them hadn't been best of friends of course due to Leah's behaviour here, but Leah surely got along more with Lindsay than anyone else here.

Leah had spent two days in that basement, the smell of human flesh invading her nostrils, causing her to try and hold her vomit back in her throat. Leah couldn't remember the last time she got fresh air- not even the breeze from an open window, and the pungent stink in the basement didn't help. It made her sick; she was revolted by the area she named her living condition, and her stomach was finally beginning to untwist whilst back upstairs.

She wanted a conversation. Leah was desperate to just speak to someone like a normal person. All these years of feeling so alone in a crowded room caused her to crave attention. A few days ago, Leah actually had people who wanted to talk to her. People who wondered about her- wanted to know how her day had been and even invited her to join them for dinner. Derek had never done that. He wouldn't allow Leah within an inch of his parents and friends, so eating food together was never a option.

But now, they couldn't even look her in the eye without feeling disgusted and pure anger, and she felt like Lindsay was feeling that way. She just wanted to resolve what had happened.

" I heard Theo's not too good," Leah said, finally attempting to make small talk with Lindsay to break the awkward silence- her eager eyes staring at the back of Lindsay's head.

But it only made it worse, and more tense; Lindsay didn't even turn to look at Leah when responding, and just continued rubbing harshly at the sink. It took her a while to reply.