The Family (VOL. 1)

Chapter 10

Minutes turned to hours and hours to days, all the while I had been stuck in that hellhole of a house. Those same four walls I stared at day in and day out had became my prison. 

The best part of my days, believe it or not, were when Bubbas was with me. He kept me company and I actually felt somewhat safe with him. We read and practiced sign language. He seemed to love it when I taught him new words. To be honest, It was nice not being alone. It was when he left to do whatever the heck those people did that my thoughts started to wander to dark places and the fear and worry over what's become of Matt began to boil up.

Guilt washed over me in waves when I thought of him. I'm sitting here in clean clothes, with a full stomach, and a roof over my head and he's probably- I pushed the thought away. It was too morbid. I just hoped he was okay. 

"Where are we going?" I asked, tying the laces of my boots and pulling my hair into a ponytail to get it out of my face.

Bubba turned his face toward the basement door and pointed a finger in its direction.

"Upstairs? We're going upstairs?"

He nodded and grabbed his yellow apron off a chair, slipping it over his head and knotting the straps behind his back.  We ascended the stairs and stepped into the hall where the familiar sound of the record player filled my ears as it drifted through the house, muffling the sound of a conversation being held in another room. 

Bubba held the screen door open, allowing me to step out onto the porch. He's letting me outside? He actually trusts me enough to let me out of the house?  That means I'm making progress.

Goosebumps rippled across my skin when the hot sun kissed my body. It felt like ages since I'd been outdoors.  I followed close behind him as he moved further away from the house and toward the barn entrance. Just the sight of the building made my heart race.

"Why are we coming here?" I asked a little frantically, my mind vividly recalling the hunger, sleepless nights, and panic attacks I experienced inside. "I don't want to go back inside. Please don't put me back in there." I pleaded, my feet frozen in place.

"Safe"  he sighed, "No danger"  and pulled the heavy barn door open sending a sea of chickens rushing out and swarming around our feet. 

"Aww, look at all the precious babies," I gushed, kneeling down and petting their silky feathers.

He grunted and rapped on the door to get my attention, motioning for me to come inside. 

"Why can't we stay out here and play with the chickens, Bubs? They need to be loved on." 

He sighed and knelt down, scooping one up and thrusting it into my arms. It squirmed in my grasp, but I held it firmly.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, little chicken. Stop squirming and let me love you,"

Cuddling it in my arms, I hesitantly followed him inside. Sadness and fear overtook my emotions as soon as I crossed the threshold. The scent of hay and mildew along with the sight of my former cage drew my mind back to the traumatic weeks spent locked up inside.

My chicken friend wiggled out from my arms and flew off to the ground, taking me by surprise and drawing my thoughts back to the present. 

Bubba tugged on my arm, urging to keep moving as he led me down a narrow closed off hallway with various ropes and chains hanging from the walls and ceiling. The pungent coppery smell that seemed to permeate the barn grew stronger as we neared a dimly lit room at the end of the hall. A short wall and some tarps hanging from the rafters partitioned the two spaces off from one another.