The boys were still up in their rooms, sulking in their misery when the power went out. But the girls didn't let their anger get in the way of making their own plans. Collin didn't fuss much in the dark, he was too tired to even notice the sudden change in light. It didn't faze the three girls, and the moment it was out, the meeting began.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Margaret asked, checking the window for the umpteenth time. In her defense, Chloe wanted to do the same thing, even though she knew the results weren't going to change. There was no keyhole, and to them, the others, there wasn't even a key. Chloe needed to keep her mouth shut long enough to figure it out for herself, or else things could get bad, really bad. How far was he willing to go to make sure she kept quiet about her secret? He'd already beaten Melanie. What more could he possibly do?
The walls seemed to close in around them as the time ticked on, it wouldn't be long and then the power would come back on, and they would have to act normal, pretend to be happy, convince him that they weren't going insane. But more importantly, convince themselves that they still were in the right mind, which was the hardest task of them all.
Collin started screaming and none of them had proposed a good idea; then the lights came back on and they all stared at the crying baby on the table. Melanie reached over and picked him up, rocked him back and forth, soothingly lulling him. "He wants me to put him to bed," She told them before excusing herself and disappearing up the stairs.
Margaret looked to me and asked, "Is there really any hope?" It was clear what she was trying to avoid, tipping him off wouldn't help them. He needed to think they were happy and content with their so called lives. They needed to give him what he wanted, a family, the kind that loved one another and would stop at nothing to ensure one another's safety. Maybe, in a way, they were like a family.
Chloe was determined to escape at any cost. She was not one of his toys, she was not his doll, and at the least, she wanted to bring Collin along with her. The others too, if it was possible.