Emblems

Chapter 1: Take the Bait

“But he was such a good neighbour, his daughter too. She’s pretty, isn’t she? Lucky he had the sense not to touch her face.”

“Speaking of daughters, mine told me that that Starling girl—the one living with that hag Emily, you know?—bullies her at school. How could she do that? My baby has never done anything to her!”

“Oh yes, I’ve heard. My son told me that she picks pockets and steals from shops!”

“Children nowadays… they should send her for counseling, talk those bad ideas right out of her head!”

“That’s if she has a head. It’s no wonder, it’s ‘cause she lives with that hag! She’s not right in the head either, always ranting about her dead sister. Look what’s happened now!”

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[four years later]

It was way before dawn. Emily didn’t wake up this early. She would probably only realise she was gone at about noon, or maybe earlier, depending on her luck. Or she could wake up now, and Amber would never escape this house till the next day.

As if on cue, a floorboard creaked under her foot. She winced and moved even slower. She had to get out of here. Soon. She could feel it clawing at her insides again. Dinner the night before had been a boring, cold affair, dragged on longer than necessary. It could have been a new torture technique that Emily devised. Her aunt despised her, and the feeling was mutual—perhaps that was why she remained only a barely tolerated presence in the house.

However, unneeded as the extra time was, it gave her no chance to steal away to be alone for a while. So she had been unable to let herself go yesterday, and she dreaded to think what the consequences would be now. She had to get out of this damn house, or she - no, it wasn’t her - it would tear the walls to shreds.

And then she was in the living room of the old house, her feet carrying her to the front door. Amber reached up, groping in the dark for the key. Emily always kept them on a hook fixed to the wall.

It wasn’t there.

Squinting in the dark, Amber reached up again. It had to be there. It couldn’t not be there. She sucked in a breath. Her rising fear and frustration weren’t helping her at all. She turned and fumbled at the cabinet on her right, peering inside. Where was the damn key? Her hand hit something and it landed on the floor with a loud thud. She cringed.

The living room light flicked on.

With a gasp, Amber whirled around. Emily stood in the hall, still clad in her nightgown, her hand on the light switch. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Um…” Amber searched for a good excuse. “Nothing. I just needed some fresh air…” She trailed off, “or something.”

Emily raised both eyebrows and advanced on Amber. She backed away instinctively, groping for the doorknob behind her. Gripping the cool metal, she twisted it desperately, but it didn’t give. Emily smirked. “Looking for this?” The key dangled invitingly between her fingers. Amber swallowed. She needed that key, but Emily was holding it, and Amber knew better than anyone that the key wouldn’t be released till she let it be released.