The Stølen Girl

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

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Keith dropped his father immediately and turned towards the police, fear eating away at him. This couldn't be the end, it just couldn't. They were going to take away his precious pet before he could even tell her how he felt, which he wasn't even sure of.

Keith put his hands up, still outraged at his own father. How dare he touch his own pet? It made Keith angry and possessive.

"What is this about?" Mr. Chambers had the gall to ask, as if he wasn't just pressed up against the wall by his own son. He was completely calm, as usual.

"You." Was all the head cop said as he grabbed Mr. Chambers. "You're under arrest for the embezzlement of funds."

Keith's mouth dropped. Not once had he thought his own father would do something like steal money. It shocked him to the core.

"Nonsense. I've never taken money from my own company!" Mr. Chambers wrestled in the grasp of the policeman.

The cop shook his head. "No, not of your own company. Does the company Jay & Co. ring a bell?"

Mr. Chambers went ghostly pale, and Keith noticed it. Immediately, he realized his father had done just what the cops were accusing him of, and the sudden hatred towards the man filled him once more. First, he raped his Meredith, and then he got caught stealing money.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mr. Chambers continued to try and lie, but the police knew better. They handcuffed him right as Mrs. Chambers walked into the house, and she dropped her keys in surprise.

"Honey, what on earth is going on!"

Mr. Chambers glared at the police. "These scumbags are accusing me of embezzlement!"

Mrs. Chambers went pale. "No, you wouldn't." She barely whispered. She knew her husband to be an honest man, with the few exceptions. One of which was still downstairs, where she prayed the police wouldn't look. She had no way to explain the girl in the basement. She clearly wasn't their own child.

"I'm afraid he would, Mrs. Chambers. I'm going to have to bring your husband downtown. You may not be seeing him for a while. I suggest calling all relatives to tell them they news."

Mrs. Chambers just stared at the policeman and nodded her head. Then, he said something into his walkie under his breath.

"We have a warrant to search the premises. We're going to bring him out into the car, and then we want everyone out of the house. Go round them up."

Mrs. Chambers just smiled and nodded as they filed out of the house. She didn't even have to turn towards Keith before he was flying down the stairs and into the basement. Almost twelve years and they'd never been caught but this could be the day.

Meredith was in the corner, rocking herself. Keith didn't have time to console her, even if he wanted to. He simply pulled her into his arms and picked her up. She didn't put up a fight - she never did.

"Meredith," He started, and this got her attention. Keith never addressed her by her first name. This meant things were serious.

"There are policemen here to search the house. Not for you, but for something my father stole. I need you to be on your best behavior, understand?"

Meredith didn't even blink. She just stared at him.

Keith tried again, sensing it wasn't enough for her to not start yelling and screaming. "Meredith, you're my only real friend. You've always only been my real friend, and I can't lose you. Really, I can't bare it. I know you hate it here, and you hate me, but I need you. And I need to you behave. For me."

Meredith continued to stare. She'd always imagined the day Keith would announce his undying love for her, but this felt different. Wrong. And she wasn't sure she wanted it anymore, but there was nothing she could do as she was yanked outside.

Keith was panicking. "Even if you said anything, they wouldn't believe you. You're our maid. Plus, you aren't even from this state. No one here is looking for you."

Meredith continued to be silent. She didn't know what to say, if she could say anything. She was rendered silent from earlier, and she was still in pain. And as much as she wanted the freedom, Keith was right. No one was looking for her. She'd been taken twelve years ago, from a different state. She didn't even remember her last name, or her date of birth. She remember nothing except for her first name.

If she did escape, where would she go? To strangers who called her family? Or, maybe to no one. Maybe she'd be an orphan, out on her own.

She'd been gone too long, and that was what made it impossible for her to leave. The Chambers were her family, whether she liked it or not.

When the police came back outside empty handed, the took one look at Meredith, and warning bells went off in their heads. She was dirty, and wore nothing but a scrap of cloth pretending to be a dress.

"Who is she?" The head cop pointed to Meredith.

Keith felt panic well up inside of him. He wrapped his arm around Meredith's waist and pulled her into his side. "My girlfriend."

The police didn't look convinced, so Keith began to spew up more lies, burying himself deeper. "We like to uh, roleplay. You know. She's my pet, hence the collar and the dirty dress. It's just something we do."

The cop raised an eyebrow at Meredith, who nodded eagerly. She was staring freedom in the face but she couldn't bring herself to leave. Keith was her family. The only family she could remember. And family stuck together.

That, and the danger of too much freedom was terrifying. What would she do? Where would she live? She didn't know how to deal with options. She didn't know how to deal with choices, or how to take care of herself. She knew nothing except the basement.

Besides, she wasn't sure she could talk. She was still quivering from earlier, where Mr. Chambers had raped her. The action had made her cry for hours over the pain of the action. She wasn't sure she could even talk without crying all over again.

After the police left, Keith led Meredith back inside. She was shaking and still hadn't uttered a word. Keith hated to think she was afraid of him, but he knew better. Of course she was.

Once she was back downstairs, his mother intersected him in the kitchen. She had the phone in her hands and she was rubbing her forehead.

"What is it?"

"Your brother is coming home. He wants to visit your father and you."

Keith felt his throat close up. He hadn't seen his brother in years. Of course, that wasn't his fault. It was their parents' fault for sending him to military school. And then, once that ended, he'd nearly run off of the map. He'd only visited them a few times, and they were always brief and less than a few days.

"For how long? The weekend?"

She shook her head. "No, he's coming home for good. He's done running."

Keith could only shake his head. "Yeah, well what about my pet? How will he take that?"

Mrs. Chambers could only stare at her son, the weight of her actions twelve years ago hitting her full force. "I don't have any clue."

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A/N: Hey guys!

I'm dedicating this chapter to my good friend Porcupie! Go check out her AWESOME book Dark Tides. It's not horror, but it's a REALLY well written book and it's AWESOME. Go show her some love :D

As for your love for this story, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! LOVE YOU ALL, XOXO