WHEN BELLA slowly opened the door, she noticed that the kitchen upstairs was an absolute mess. There were clothes strewn everywhere, needles on the counter top, pills spilled on the floor and empty alcohol bottles scattered around. The walls were grimy and patchy with different shades of paint and large holes broke a majority of the drywall. The lights were dim and flickering, much like the basement, and the lamp buzzed on the small dining table beside her.
The stench of the area was just as horrifying; it reeked of vomit, and Bella wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if there really was vomit littering the furniture.
Bella disregarded the foul odor and closed the door to the basement quietly behind her. She instantly ran over the pile of laundry on the floor and started straight towards the large, wooden door right in front of her eyes.
Her fingers latched around the doorknob and she pulled, and pulled, and pulled, but the door did not budge. She searched around hastily for a way to unlock the door, praying under her breath as she did so, but noticed that the only way it could be unlocked was with a key that she didn't have.
She began to panic as she looked back at the closed basement door, before she noticed a skinny, tiny mail slot in the center of the front door. She lowered her blood-stained knees to hit the cold, ripped tile of the ground as she opened the mail slot and allowed a strip of sunlight to enter the room.
Her eye pressed to the opening as she searched for somebody outside, but all she could see was a ramshackle house directly in front of her, an uncut lawn and a lonely road.
She pressed her lips to the slot and screamed as loud as she could, hot tears staining her heated face.
"Help!" she cried out into the air, her fingers struggling with the doorknob as she screamed. "Somebody help, please! I was kidnapped! Please!" Her breath was heavy and her heart was pounding in her ears as she continued to bellow. She put her eye to the slot again and noticed that nobody seemed to be near.
Bella jumped when a dog, a large golden retriever with a red collar around his neck, pounced up onto Mommy's yard and sniffed his way towards the front porch.
Bella's breath grew into heavy pants as she nodded, urging for the dog to come closer.
"Come here, come here," she cooed quickly.
The dog stared at her, his dark eyes blinking at the door as his lip curled in defense.
"Please, please go find somebody! Please! Go on, please!" she pleaded, her lips to the slot again. She knew it was absolutely crazy of her to be asking a dog for help, but at this point, she was way too desperate to miss an opportunity.
The dog began barking at Bella, raising the bottom half of his body into the air and lowering his chest to the ground as his tiny, white teeth bared. His deep bark startled Bella and pierced her ears, as he continued his rough barking.
Bella heard the sound of somebody's voice from far away, probably calling for their dog to come back, so she instantly screamed into the slot.
"Please help! Please, it's me, it's Isabella! I was kidnapped, please!" her voice cracked in extreme desperation as the dog immediately obeyed his owner and bounded out of sight. Bella wondered if he was going to fetch somebody or not, but knew that she would have to be lucky in order for that to happen.
She stood to her feet and looked around the kitchen, running to the first window she saw which was above the kitchen sink. She sprinted up to it and just as she brought her leg up to stand on the sink, she saw a dark figure in her peripheral vision.
Bella gasped and looked over to find Mommy standing there with a knife practically the length of her body, her elbows on the table and her eyes narrowed as she watched Bella with amusement sparkling in her gaze.
Bella swallowed and stepped down from the sink, searching for a weapon she could use as well but to no avail - there were only pills and bottles. She tried to mentally prepare herself for death - this was it, this was the end of her life.
"Kill this ugly fucking whore, right now," Mommy deadpanned, handing her boyfriend the sharpened knife that had been clutched in her fist.
Her boyfriend hesitantly took the knife from her, facing her with his shoulders tensed. "Are you sure?" his deep voice asked, and Bella shook her head, holding her hands out in defense.
"Yes, I'm fucking sure, you idiot," Mommy spat, and her boyfriend stared at the floor.
"But what about..." her boyfriend refused to make eye contact with Mommy as he trailed off, and Bella was curious to know what he was about to say.
"Wait, wait," Bella spoke, her voice shaking as she took a step closer, staring at Mommy's sadistic glare. "Mommy," she spoke softly, "I love you. Why are you doing this to me?"
Mommy snorted and shook her head, grabbing the nearest, half-empty bottle of alcohol and taking a long swig of it. She finished the remains with a few gulps before chuckling under her breath.
"You tried to leave me. Saying you're kidnapped, really? How could you possibly claim to love me? Especially after you ruined the dress I bought you," Mommy spoke, rolling her eyes before looking at her boyfriend. "What are you waiting for, you imbecile?" she asked him.
Her boyfriend took a few slow steps towards Bella, the knife raised to his shoulder, and Bella backed into the kitchen sink, her shoulder blade hitting against the hard faucet. She swallowed in fear but she straightened her posture, trying not to let any more tears fall from her eyes.
"I didn't mean to ruin the dress," Bella kept her voice calm, but it was extremely difficult. "It was my first time getting my p-period," she lied, "I... I thought you would be happy for me." Her voice was an attempted warm whisper, and her shoulders relaxed as she noticed Mommy's eyes gradually softening.
"Why should I be happy for you? Now you can get pregnant while you fuck every guy under the sun, dirty whore," Mommy said, though her voice did not seem as cruel as before.
"I will not touch another boy again if you don't want me to," Bella promised, her eyes wide as she stared at the shimmering knife in Mommy's boyfriend's fist. "I will not touch my brothers ever again, either. I want to be sweet like you. I want to be just like my beautiful Mother."
Mommy pondered her decision, her hand holding her head up as she eyed Bella curiously. "Really?" she whispered, and Bella noticed her voice broke - almost as if she was about to cry.
Bella nodded quickly. "You're beautiful, and I'm hideous. I want to be pretty like you," Bella whispered as she slowly, and very carefully, reached out to touch Mommy's hand. Her small fingers gripped around Mommy's long, wrinkled knuckles.
Mommy looked over at her boyfriend and lifted her shoulders. "Put the knife down. I want you to give my daughter the sandwich in the fridge, and bring her back down to her brothers," she ordered.
Mommy ripped her hand away from Bella's, eyeing her carefully as she turned away and walked towards the small television at the corner of the counter. She pressed the button to turn it on, messing with the long antennas as she looked over at Bella with her harsh, tiny eyes.
"If you ever," Mommy shook her head, "ever think about pulling a stunt like this again, there will be no talking me out of killing you. Do you hear me?"
Bella nodded as the loud static from the television filled the small area of the kitchen. "I hear you. I will never do that again, I promise."
Mommy smoothed her dress down. "Do not share your sandwich with either of your brothers."
Bella nodded obediently, gently taking the meat sandwich from Mommy's Boyfriend's hands and keeping it at her side. She felt his large hand touch her lower back, and she tensed a little bit as he guided her towards the basement door and down the steps.
Bella almost feared that he would still take her to that punishment room and do whatever he wanted to her. She swallowed her fear and remained calm as she walked with him, his hand on her back the entire time.
Much to her surprise, he brought her to the door of their room, and stopped at it, looking down at her.
Bella still couldn't make out any of his facial features beneath his dark hood, especially in the darkness of the corridor. His large hand touched her small shoulder and he rubbed it gently as he spoke.
"You are a smart girl," he told Bella suddenly, his deep voice surprising her.
Bella watched as he turned and walked up the stairs, slowly, each step creaking beneath his weight. He then walked upstairs without taking a single look back and slammed the door shut, locking it from the outside.