(Lucy's POV)
1,2,3,4, my fifth time waking up in just a few hours. The house is deathly quiet and I can't stand the silence. The pills come to mind and I'm quick to jump out of bed and grab them from my desk. I pop off the lid and grab two of the pills. They slide down my throat with ease.
The time on the alarm clock reads 4:31 AM. I'm so tired, but my dreams keep me awake for what's to come next in my catastrophe of sleeping. I lie back down in the bed and wrap myself in the warm covers. I'm hoping the pills will kick in soon because I don't wan to sleep all day tomorrow, but I don't want to face the girls either.
After what seems like hours, I fall into a deep sleep.
When I wake up, it's dark out and I realize that I've slept through a whole day. I slept with no bad dreams and I slept for a long time too. The pills actually worked. I know I shouldn't take anymore right now so I decide to sit up and do something.
I stand up and unlock my door. I peek my head out and hope that no one else is awake. I tiptoe out of the room and down the stairs, trying my best to avoid creaking. None of the lights downstairs are on so I'm hoping that everyone really is asleep.
Heading into the kitchen, I mentally debate what I want to eat for right now. I just go for something simple, an apple.
The apple is a dark red and I wash it to clean it. When I bite into it, it has a juicy sweet taste to it.
I walk back into the living room and go towards the couch, grabbing the remote along the way. When the television turns on, I'm thankful that the volume is down low. I turn it down a bit lower before channel surfing. Nothing is really on so I look for something on Netflix.
I choose to watch a scary movie. The Possession seems to be the only thing captivating me so I choose to watch that.
The movie wasn't the slightest bit scary, but it was a good movie. When I look at the time, it's only 12:51. I choose to just stay up since I'm not really tired. Carla is an early riser so I think I'll watch two more movies and then go back up to my room.
The movie I was watching ends and I shut Netflix off and then the television. After everything is back to what it looked like, I quietly head back upstairs. When I'm safely in my room, I can't help the sigh that escapes my lips. It's 5:27 now and I still won't be able to sleep.
I want to take the pills again, but I don't want to get addicted or something. I choose to lie down and hope for sleep to come. When I see that I won't be able to sleep right now, I decide to take a shower.
The water gets hot fast and I'm quick to strip out of my clothes and slip into the shower. The water cascades down my back and over my shoulders relaxing my mouscles.
After I wash off and wash my hair, I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body. When I look in the mirror, I mean really look, I can tell how much weight I've lost. I'm looking a lot slimmer and I know that if I don't eat something bad will happen.
Ignoring the thought, I slip into my new night clothes and then clean the bathroom. When the bathroom is back in place, I leave with my old clothes and put them in the dirty clothes hamper.
There's a faint noise down the hall signaling someone must be awake. When I look at the time it reads 6:16. It may be Carla getting up and ready for another day. A sudden wave of tiredness rushes over me and I head straight for the bed. After a few more minutes, I doze off.
(Luke's POV)
"You can't just tell me that she's saying I can't take this to trial!" I shout at the lawyer.
"She didn't say you couldn't take it to trial, she suggested that you shouldn't. If you take this to trial, you're almost guaranteed to get the death penalty. If you just go ahead and plead guilty, then you would probably just get most likely life in jail. Die in jail or die now, the Judge is trying to help you." My lawyer huffs.
"I honestly don't give a shit if I get the chair, I'm going to fight!" I yell.
"Look, Luke! This will be my last time telling you before I quit and give you a refund. Don't take this to trial! You know you'll die and when the time comes, you'll wish you would have listened to me!" He shouts. His voice got really deep, but very forceful and loud.
I take a minute to process his words. As they start to register, I rethink this whole trial idea. I could still take a chance and go to trial, the Judge couldn't deny my rights for a trial by jury. My lawyer is right though, if I take this to trial, I'm guaranteed a death sentence.
I huff, "Fine."
"Finally!" My lawyer yelps triumphantly.
I instinctively roll my eyes and tell the guard that our meeting is over with. He grabs my arm and drags me down the hall back to my cell block and into my cell. He takes off my handcuffs and has another guard shut and lock the cell door.
I lied down on my bed and contemplated what to do next. I know that now I'm not taking this to trial, but I also know that I will most likely get life in jail with everything I've done.
An idea pops into mind and I'm quick to jump on it.
(Chloe's POV)
I pace back and forth in my room hoping to think of something to get Lucy to forgive me. How could I have ever done that to her, she went through so much. I'm not happy with myself. After I left her to fend for herself, I was at home beating myself up about it. Then there's the fact that I was kidnapped too, not just her.
Everyday thoughts go through my head about how I was raped and tortured. Lucy was raped, but so was I.
There I go thinking about myself and no one else.
That's why Lucy won't accept my apology, because I was being selfish. I have to make it up to her somehow. I can't just let her leave me.
A sudden idea pops into my mind and I dial a friend's number.
(Carla's POV)
I woke up this morning at 6:15 like every morning. I walk into the bathroom and fall into my normal routine. After brushing my teeth and hair, I stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is neatly pulled back and I almost look presentable.
I'm glad I could make my outside appearance look better than my inside appearance. Inside everything is jumbled and out of order. My thoughts are always scatter and I can't think straight sometimes. My thoughts always wonder over to my life since the past years.
Luke made me feel dirty. He made me feel like I didn't matter to anyone. My boyfriend says that it's okay and that I shouldn't think like that, but I can't help it. I felt like I betrayed him, even though I really didn't.
When I snap out of my daze, I slip on some fresh clothes, jeans and a t-shirt, something casual. I walk downstairs and walk into the kitchen.
The coffee pot is already turned on when I enter along with the cabinet lights. Katherine is leaning over the counter, sipping on coffee.
"What did I do wrong?" Katherine voice startles me even though I'm watching her.
"What do you mean?" I question.
"With Lucy... where did I go wrong?" She asks. When she turns to completely look at me, her eyes are teary.
"Well, I would guess from the day she ran out, it was because of the heels you were wearing. She kept glancing at them and cringing each time they clicked. I suppose it reminded her of Luke's wife," I cringe at the mention of her, "You know when she came to torture everyone further after Luke." I explain.
I can almost see the light bulb go off above her head. She leans her head down and then looks back up at the ceiling. She lifts her drink to her lips and I can see how bad she's shaking. I rush over and take the cup from her hands.
"How many cups of coffee have you had?" I ask her, glaring.
She takes a moment to count I suppose before answering, "Three I believe. Well and then this one," She sighs.
"Oh my gosh," I mumble before snatching away the hot drink, careful not to spill any. Katherine must ave realized how much she had to drink because she didn't put up a fight for the cup. "What are you doing up so early anyways?" I interrogate her.
"Couldn't sleep," Is her simple answer before walking away, leaving me to stand alone.
I brew a cup of coffee and make eggs while I wait, the coffee finishing in the middle of making them. I add my favorite condiments and then take a sip while continuing to make my coffee.
After I finish creating my miniature breakfast, I take it and my coffee to the licing room, sitting in the corner of the couch where I can set my coffee down on the table next to it. I grab the remote from the small table and turn the television on.
The news is already on so I set the remote backdown where it was. The first thing on the television is about us returning back from our "horrendous kidnapping". I don't think I'd hae used those words exactly.
Everything about what happened to us is repeated on there and when they show video clips and pictures of the burn pits and the cabins, I can't take it and I shut it off. My hands are shaking and my thoughts become scattered again.
Why would they do this? Why would they show stuff like that? The videos of the burn pits behind the Investigation tape. My head can't wrap around the idea of the reporter doing that.
Where we are now makes everything come to life, everything that happened to me, to us. Everything comes flooding back and it hits me like a semi truck. I can tell that I'm shaking really bad now and my breathing is becoming harder the longer I think about it.
"Carla!" Mandy's voice snaps me out of reliving my life these past years. Tears are streaming down my face and I'm shaking uncontrollably.
Mandy takes my coffee and wraps her arms around me, trying to get me to calm down.
She rocks me in her arms and the small gesture gets me to calm down slightly. After a few moments of being in her embrace I'm still shaking but I've stopped crying. I pull away and try to smile at her but I probably just look broken.
"Why were you crying, what happened?" She asks me.
"T-the news," I stammer.
She nods in realization and hugs me one last time before turning the television back on, changing the channel.
She's so much stronger than the rest of us. It may seem like Lucy was the strongest of us all, but that was at another time, she's breaking. Everything she had built up is crashing down and she'll only build her walls higher in the near future.
Mandy is the only one of us who hasn't broken yet. I guess that Katherine hasn't broken down yet, but she has broken over Lucy and that's over us being kidnapped. I have so much pity for that girl, she lost her twin sister and she's only left with her little brother. She had been kidnapped and raped and tortured like the rest of us, but she lost someone.
Like Lucy did. Even if she never admits it, she liked David, maybe even loved. She lost him and she hasn't even talked to anyone about it. I know she doesn't really like to talk about what happened to her, but talking about it will most likely make her feel better.
My heart aches for the poor girl who seemed to go through so much more than the rest of us. She was right, Luke did have a thing for her. He would always go back for her and bring her back. Luke would have brought the rest of us back and killed us on the spot, I have no doubt about it.
I snap out of my daze when Mandy calls my name. "I'm okay," I assure her.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm just going to go upstairs and go to sleep." I move away from her and make my way towards the stairs. These past few days we've been here, I've always been up before 7 and asleep before 9. I have no idea how I've managed to keep this awake.
When I think about it, I assume that it's the coffee. I remind myself to call our lawyer later and talk about the trial. The note is mentally saved in my storage space and I climb under my covers. As I'm attempting to sleep, I think about what our lawyer will say about everything. Luke stays on my mind as I toss and turn in my bed.
(Luke's POV)
"Hey, Carter can I ask you a favor?" I ask the giant guy sitting at one of the cafeteria tables.
"Yeah, sure." His voice is thick, deep, and rough. He's been jailed for 12 years together and he's served 3 already. He was put in jail for raping two women. He hasn't said much else about it.
Carter is the guy you should look for if you need something. Drugs, firearms, cellphones, packages, and if you're the typical jailer, a tattoo.
"I need a gun," I bluntly tell him what I want and he looks at me.
"Easy, when?" He says it like he can just walk in and out with it.
"Before next week," I answer.
"Eh, that may be a problem, but I will try and let you know."
"Thanks man." I walk off without another word and go back to my cell block, led by an officer. My cell door slides open and I'm forced in as the door shuts.
(Lucy's POV)
When I wake up and look at the clock, I see that it's only 8:33. I sigh knowing I won't be able to sleep again considering how much I've slept already. I debate whether or not to take another pill. I decide against it knowing it won't do any good for me.
I sit up in the bed and stare at the pills wishing to just sleep forever.
After snapping out of my daze, I head for the bathroom so I can freshen up. Slowly, I pull out the necessities for making myself presentable.
When I figure I have no more time to waste, I leave the bathroom and stand at my door, telling myself to just open it. I need to go out there and get something to eat or I'll end up starving. I trudge down the staircase as slowly as possible and end up in an empty living room. When I enter the kitchen, it's empty, too.
Everyone must still be asleep. I was sure that I heard someone get up. Ignoring my somewhat insane thoughts, I move further into the kitchen and start brewing a coffee.
When I move back into the living room after my coffee is done, I'm surprised to see all of the girls on the couch staring at me.
"We were in the other room," Mandy mumbles.
I mumble a quiet 'oh' in response.
"Could we speak with you for a moment?" Carla asks, her eyes pleading.
"Yeah, sure." I can't really avoid it much more.
"We signed you up for a group speaking."
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Ohh, look at what they did. Haha. How have you all been? First update of the new year! I hope 2014 is starting off well for all of you.