Chapter Two
Summer
Saturday 24th July 2010
“Come on, Lily, it’s okay,” she said, still holding out her hand. I didn’t move, though, I couldn’t. She walked up the stairs towards me. My heart dropped and I pressed my back into the wall, hard, as I tried to get away from her. What did they want from me?
“I-I’m not Lily. Please tell him, I’m not Lilly. I need to get out. Please help me,” I begged as I found some strength and banged on the metal door.
“Lily, stop, let me explain,” she said, and held her hand out again. Couldn’t she see I wasn’t going to take it?
I turned back and gasped at how close to me she was. She held her hands up. “It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.” I couldn’t stop the tears that steadily fell from my eyes. “Please, come and sit down and we’ll explain everything.” She motioned me towards the leather sofa. I looked at it for a minute while I thought through my options, and I decided I had to know what was going on so I raised my shaking hand and placed it in hers.
My body was tense; I felt sick and was still shaking. Why didn’t I just go with Jess and Ethan? I should’ve never walked through the park on my own at night. I should’ve listened to Lewis when he lectured me on going out alone; I thought he was being overprotective. Kidnappings were something that happened to other people.
“Okay, Lily—”
“Stop calling me Lily! My name’s Summer,” I snapped. I wasn’t Lily, I just wanted them to realise that and let me go.
“Sweetheart, you are Lily now. Don’t tell him you’re not, he’ll get angry.”
My heart sank, what did she mean I’m Lily now? “What’s going on? Please just tell him to let me go.” I sobbed.
“I’m sorry Lily but you can’t go, none of us can. I’ve been here the longest, almost three years now. My name is Rose, it used to be Kayley. This is Poppy, she was Rebecca and over there is Violet and she was Jennifer before.” What the hell? This is fucking crazy. She’s been locked up down here for three years? Why had we never seen anything about any of them going missing?
“B-before what?” I croaked.
“Before Clover,” she replied simply.
I shook my head, trying to make sense of what was going on. “Who’s Clover? Please just tell me what’s going on. What’s he going to do to me?”
“We’re to call him Clover; we don’t know his real name. You need to do everything we tell you and you’ll be fine okay. Never disagree with him and do not tell him your real name. You’re Lily now, Summer doesn’t exist anymore,” she said, smiling apologetically. I started crying harder. I couldn’t stay here. She put her arm on my shoulder and massaged it gently. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I-I want to go home. I want Lewis,” I choked out between sobs.
She shook her head, “I’m so sorry Lily. You should forget Lewis, trust me it’s easier that way.” Forget him? How could I forget him? Picturing his face was the only thing that was keeping me together right now.
“We need to escape. Why don’t you try escaping?”
They all dropped their eyes to the floor. “Some have,” Rose whispered sadly.
The blood drained from my face. “What does that mean?” I already knew the answer but I needed her to say it.
“You’re the second Lily since I’ve been here, that’s why you need to do what we tell you. Escaping is not an option; neither is trying to kill him.” She shook her head slightly and stopped talking, I got the impression she wanted to say more though. Who tried to kill him?
They all seemed to have given up hope of getting out of here but I wasn’t going to. I will get out and be with my family again, I couldn’t think that I would never hear Lewis tell me he loved me again. Wait I’m the second Lily? What did that mean? “W-what do you mean, I’m the second Lily?”
She took my hand and squeezed it gently, “There was another Lilly, she was here a month before he found me. One night she tried to kill him but he overpowered her an...” she trailed off, taking a deep breath. “Just don’t try anything , okay?”
My heart was crashing in my chest. I didn’t want to give up hope but it was so hard as this girl, who couldn’t be older than twenty-three, was telling me there was nothing we could do. She’d been here for three years!
I gulped and asked the question I was most afraid of. “What does he want from us?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think he wants the perfect family. He chooses girls that he thinks are perfect, like flowers.” Flowers? Is that’s the reason he renamed everyone after flowers? “He likes things that are pure and pretty, he can’t stand mess or germs.” That’s why he was so disgusted when my head was bleeding and why this place smells like disinfectant and lemons. “We have to make sure the house is clean and tidy at all times, and we have to shower twice a day. He comes down to have breakfast with us at eight o’clock, we need to be showered and have our hair and make-up done ready.”
“What? What the hell is wrong with him? He’s fucking crazy!” I shouted, jumping up off the sofa. My legs felt like jelly and Rose easily pulled me back down. I didn’t have any energy left.
“Don’t ever swear in front of him, Lily. Please listen to what I’m telling you,” she pleaded. “He brings us fresh flowers when the old ones die...” She stopped and flinched at something. She looked me in the eye and took a deep breath. “When he falls in love with you he will want to make love to you.”
My heart stopped. I shook my head fiercely as my eyes started stinging. I jumped up again, this time I found the strength from somewhere. There was no way he was coming near me, I would rather die. “What? No! Oh God, I have to get out of here.” I started running back up the stairs.
“Lily, Lily. Shh, stop it,” Rose said frantically, grabbing my arm and pulling me back down the stairs. “You need to calm down before he hears.” I was crying so hard and gasping for breath. My legs gave way but Rose caught me before I hit the floor.
“I need...I need to go home,” I sobbed. My whole body was shaking with fear. I didn’t want him anywhere near me. I had only ever been with Lewis and I wanted to keep it that way. The thought of anyone else touching me make my skin crawl, especially him.
“I promise you will be okay but you need to do what I tell you, I’m trying to help you Lily,” Rose said firmly. It took me a few minutes but I managed to calm myself down a little thinking of Lewis. Rose was right; I did need to do what she said, just until I could figure out how to get out of here. There must be a way, it can’t be impossible so I just needed to play along for a bit.
I let her carry me back to the sofa and wipe the tears from my face with a tissue. I opened my eyes and saw they were all looking at me. “Are you okay Lily?” Poppy asked, smiling weakly. It was the first time she spoke to me. I shook my head, I was definitely not okay. “I’m sorry.” She squeezed my hand comfortingly.
The cellar door swung open making me jump, my heart rate instantly picked up and my body started shaking again. He slowly walked down the stairs and under the light. I was able to get a good look at him. He had short brown hair that was immaculately styled, not one strand of hair was out of place. He was quite tall but wasn’t that built, he didn’t look that strong at all even though I knew he was.
Rose took hold of my other hand and squeezed it reassuringly, I think she was trying to stop me freaking out and doing something to make him angry. “Hello flowers, how is Lilly settling in?” he asked, smiling at me warmly as if he hadn’t just kidnapped me. What the hell was wrong with him? How can he just pretend like that?
Violet stood up and walked towards him, her face was red with anger. “This is wrong Clover and you know it. She’s so young, you need to let her go,” she said quietly but her voice was firm. The smiled dropped from his face, his eyes tightened as he grabbed her arm roughly. She whimpered in pain, “Clover please no.” I pressed my body against Rose, cringing into her side in the attempt to make myself smaller so he wouldn’t notice me.
“You selfish bitch,” he growled and slapped her across the cheek. She held her cheek and started crying as she struggled to get out of his grip. “How dare you say that to me after everything I’ve done for you. We’re a family!”
Something in her snapped, her eyes turned cold and she raised her head, spitting in his face, “We’re not a family you psycho,” she screamed, trying to rip her arm from his grip.
He pushed her hard against the wall, making her fall down, and started gagging. “Get it off me now,” he shouted frantically. I cringed back further and clenched my hands into fists to try and stop them shaking.
Poppy instantly jumped up, grabbing the tissues and a bottle of sanitizer from the table. She wiped his face and handed him the sanitizer where he squirted it on his trembling hand and rubbed it where Violet had spat. Rose had tears in her eyes as she watched Violet carefully. They seemed to have a silent conversation and I really wanted to know what was happening.
He turned to face Violet; she backed up slowly until she was pressed up against the wall again. Poppy moved to my side again and put her arm around me while Rose tightened her grip on my hand. They both had the same terrified look on their face.
He pulled a knife out of his pocket, Poppy and Rose flinched at the same time. I froze and my blood ran cold. He was going to kill her. I didn’t want to see what he was about to do but I couldn’t look away.
“No please. Clover I’m sorry, please don’t,” she begged, holding her hands out in front of her. He shook his head, breathing heavily. His eyes were dark and cold, there was no emotion on his face other than rage.
He took a step forward, almost smiling at her; it sent a chill down my spine that someone could be so cold and evil. I couldn’t see the knife as his back was to me but I saw his arm push forward. Violet made a choking sound and fell to the floor. I tried to scream but no sound came out. Rose and Poppy put both of their arms around me as we huddled together. I was crying uncontrollably. I’d never seen anyone die before.
He turned around to face us. “Clean this up now.” He looked at the small pool of blood on the floor in disgust before practically running up the stairs and out of the cellar.
Rose and Poppy ran to Violet as soon as he was out of sight but I still couldn’t move. “Oh God, she’s dead.” Rose sobbed as she checked for Violet’s pulse. She lightly brushed her fingers over Violet’s face, closing her eyes and kissed her hand. “Goodbye Violet,” she whispered.
Poppy had her hand pressed over the stab wound, trying to stop the bleeding but it was no good, bright red blood poured out of Violet, Running down her body. The pool of blood was increasing the size by the second.
“Poppy, get a body bag and the cleaning supplies,” she said in a small voice. My eyes never left Violet’s face. He’d just murdered her in cold blood. My vision blurred as tears poured from my eyes. Could I get out of here?