The Stølen Girl

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

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"I heard what you were doing to her in the basement," Theodore said the moment Keith locked the basement.

Keith sent his older brother a nasty look. "Mind your own damn business, Theodore. She's my pet, not yours. If you'd like one, mother can find another one more suited for you."

Theodore bristled with anger and disgust. "You think I want a human pet? You're wrong. What I want is for you to release that poor girl!"

Keith tipped his head back and laughed. He reached into the fridge to pull out a beer, and then turned towards his brother. "You must be shitting me. You can't really feel bad for her, can you?"

Keith took a sip of his beer and leaned against the counter. "She's mine, Theodore. Don't even think about it. I just beat her because of you. I had to teach her whose pet she is. She'll never talk to you again, and don't you dare go downstairs."

Theodore glared at his younger brother. He wanted to ring Keith's neck, but even he knew it wasn't Keith's fault he was so messed up. It had to do with their parents and their need to please. They'd given Keith everything he asked for without a bat of an eyelash, and that had resulted in them kidnapping. And now Theodore was stuck in the very same situation. A situation he wasn't a part of.

He cursed his family. "This is wrong, Keith. Don't look at me and tell me you don't think the same. You know this is wrong. You're beating a poor girl you kidnapped!"

Keith refused to listen to his brother and downed the rest of his beer. He was irritated that Theodore had barged his way into his life and was suddenly demanding him around. "I'm an adult, Theodore. You will not tell me what to do. If I want to keep her, I will do so."

Suddenly, their mother walked into the house. Theodore wasted no time pouncing on her, ready to shower her with questions that he demanded to be answered. He couldn't believe this had been going on for twelve years! He couldn't believe how wrong this was.

"Mother, what are you doing kidnapping a girl!"

Mrs. Chambers dropped her bag of groceries at the question. She seemed momentarily stunned, then moved into the kitchen as if her son had never asked that question.

"Ignoring me? Really, mother?"

Mrs. Chambers spun on her heel to talk to her oldest son. "Listen. You will not tell a single soul. You're in this just as deep as we are, you hear?" She hissed.

Keith smiled smugly against the counter. "Don't worry, mother. I've already talked to him about what would happen if he phoned the police."

Mrs. Chambers nodded curtly before turning back to her groceries.

Theodore threw his hands up. "Are all of you in this house insane! Mother, why the fuck would you kidnap a girl? For a ten year old boy who just wanted friends, no less!"

Mrs. Chambers turned her cold glare on Theodore. "You have no place to ask about that."

"I do! You've put me in danger, mother! You've dragged me into whatever the hell this mess is, and I deserve an explanation! You will give me an explanation!"

Mrs. Chambers knew right then why she had sent her oldest son away when he'd turned eleven. She'd forgotten how stubborn and demanding he was. But, he was here to stay this time, and she couldn't get rid of him.

"Fine, you want to know why? Because your father and I love Keith. So much we want him to be happy. When he asked for a friend, we got him one. Nothing wrong with that."