Truth of Dark Pasts by Serena Wood (free children's online books .TXT) 📖

She doesn’t want anyone to know where she’s going. I knew it, she’s up to something.

I follow her for a few more blocks until the rows of houses start to look more and more empty. Eventually she gets to this abandoned house. At first glance you wouldn’t know it was abandoned, there’s no overgrown plants and the house isn’t run down looking; it’s in surprisingly good shape. But you can tell just by looking at the outside of it that no one’s lived in it for at least a few years. She walks up to the front door and unlocks it, looking around briefly before stepping inside. How does she even have the keys to that house? Something’s definitely off with this girl.

Once she’s inside, I stand on the sidewalk nervously, not sure where to go from here. I sit on another nearby bench and try to come up with some kind of plan, looking behind me at the gloomy house every few minutes. The lights inside are dimmed by the boarded up windows. But one window seems to be free of any obscurities and cautiously I start walking up to it. I get to the window and stand on my toes, just barely tall enough to see inside. I find myself looking inside of a living room, fully furnished. For a second I start to wonder if someone does live in there, or if she had just gradually smuggled stuff inside. When I get a good look of the room, I don’t find anyone in there. In fact the lights are off, the only illumination coming from a room right beside the one I’m peering into.

I strain to look further into the house, trying to see the other room. The living room branches off into a kitchen of sorts. The only thing in the kitchen visible to me is a table, which Chloe is currently getting ready for a meal. She sets boxes of chinese food down before disappearing into the kitchen again. Someone else is sitting at the other end of the table but it’s too far away for me to see them.

Chloe comes back into view with what looks like a rope in her hand. She tugs on the rope lightly and whatever is on the other end walks closer, slackening the rope. My gaze follows it down until the thing tied to it waddles into view. A girl is on the other end of it, crawling on all fours and I can tell instantly it’s because she’s too hurt to walk normally.

A knot instantly balls up in my stomach as I realize that the rope is actually a leash and Chloe has the girl in a collar and tied to the leash like a fucking animal. All this time, I has suspected Chloe of something, but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined she was this sick.

A darker skinned hand appears from the end of the table that I can’t see, telling me it’s that person that’s hidden from view. Whoever it is brushes the girl’s long hair out of her eyes and I stumble back in shock when Ellie’s familiar face comes into view.

Oh my god. I was right, she was behind all of it… God, now that I know, a part of me wishes I’d never seen Ellie in such a terrible state. I wish I were wrong.

After a moment, I force myself to walk back up to the window. Ellie is now sitting obediently under the table, crawling out of the way clumsily every time Chloe’s or the other person’s legs block her path. The other person seems to have sympathy for her, sneaking her an eggroll when Chloe isn’t looking. A small part of me worries that that person is River, knowing in the back of my mind that it has to be her.

Chloe spots the hand sneaking Ellie food and hits River’s other arm, instantly going into some kind of speech. River gets up, her face finally coming into view as she grabs another eggroll from the counter. She looks terrified and I can only imagine the stuff she’s doing to protect herself and Ellie.

I have to do something.

I step away from the window, trying not to be seen as my thoughts race on what to do. After a few minutes, I know what I have to do. I just have to sneak in and get them out, easier said than done but I have to try. I sit down and lean against the wall, it’s probably better if I wait it out though.

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A lot of time passes and I think at some point I even fall asleep, at least two hours must go by before I see the lights flicker off out of the corner of my eye. I get up and peer inside, as I thought the house is pitch black. I start inching towards the front door, trying to remember all of the lock picking skills I had learned two years ago. Just as I get to the corner of the wall, the door swings open just before I turn the corner. I swing back around, pressing myself against the wall in hopes I can’t be seen in this lighting.

“Hi, daddy. I’m sorry I didn’t answer earlier, I was kinda busy.” Chloe’s voice rings out just as she walks into my line of view, holding a phone to her right ear.

“No, no, I was just at a house party… No, I wasn’t with a boy… I can’t really come home right now. Yes, I know I haven’t been staying at home very much. But I’m thinking of moving in with my friend… Okay, I’ll be home in a little bit.I have to walk back to Emily’s house, I left my car there.” A second after that last statement she hangs up and puts the phone back in her pocket before grumbling, “Fuck.” under her breath. She walks back inside and I hear her call out River’s name, a minute goes by before she storms back outside and starts walking down the driveway. I hold my breath as she passes me, she heads down the sidewalk without noticing me and I sigh out in relief. I might actually be able to do this.

☯River☯

After dinner and a movie, we get to stay up a little bit later than usual for my birthday before finally Chloe decides it’s time to go to bed. She brings Ellie down to the basement on her own tonight, before dragging me to the bedroom. It only takes seconds before I’m on the bed and pinned underneath her. Her phone vibrates on the nightstand and I mutter a quiet ‘thank god’ as she moves off of me to grab it.

“Shit, my dad called twice during dinner, I’m sorry, I have to answer this. I’ll be back in a few minutes to give you your birthday present.” She winks at me before disappearing out of the room, locking me inside. I flop back into the surface of the mattress, wanting nothing more than sleep right now. She walks back into the house quicker than I had expected, calling out my name and giving me no chance to fall asleep.

She unlocks the door and rushes inside, heading straight for the closet; grabbing a jacket as she starts to speak.“I have to go visit them, I’m sorry. I know I usually do that on sundays but he insisted. I’ll try to be back as quickly as I can. Half hour, max.” She walks over to the bed and kisses my forehead before grabbing her shoes and slipping them on. “Don’t fall asleep on me, okay. I still owe you your birthday present.” She smiles as she walks out the door, locking it back into place behind her.

As soon as she’s left the house, I get more comfortable on the bed. I know she’ll probably just wake me up and force me to go through with sex like usual, but maybe tonight she’ll just let me sleep; it is my birthday after all. And she did say I could do whatever I wanted today.

Not five minutes go by before I hear the front door opening again and I turn to bury my face in the pillow, dreading her early return. I hear footsteps start to wander all over the house, opening and closing doors. Eventually the sounds get to the hallway and start opening doors; getting closer and closer to the end of the hall where I am.

Curiously, I listen in as she nears my door. What on earth is she doing?

The doorknob rattles and she mutters something under her breath. I sit up as I listen to her struggle to open the door. Eventually she wanders off, coming back a minute later. Suddenly a loud thunk sounds out on the other side of the door as she smacks something against the door knob.

I get up and walk to the door, curious as hell now. “Chloe, what are you doing?”

“River??” The hitting stops and the girl on the other side sounds relieved to know it’s me. “River, it’s Kathy. Are you okay?” Suddenly, I remember who this person is when I hear the name; god I must have forgotten everything that exists beyond these walls.

“Kathy? What are you doing here?” I press myself against the door to hear her better, worrying this is some cruel dream.

“I followed Chloe, I came to get you out of here. Step away from the door.” I do as she says instantly, so use to following orders by now. She hits the door one last time, with more force than before and suddenly the door swings open; smashing into the wall beside it.

When I see her standing there, the realization that this isn’t a dream sets in and I let out a sigh of relief; relief that I’ve been waiting on for months now. I don’t get time to do anything other than that because as soon as our eyes lock, she’s attacking me with a hug.

“God, River, I was so worried. I thought I’d never see you two again.” She tightens the hug before pulling back to look me over. “Are you okay?” She asks again and I manage a small nod in response. It starts to set in that we could be getting out of this hell we’ve known for so long. But Ellie isn’t with her and instantly my mind kicks into overdrive.

“Did you get Ellie? Come on, we have to get her, she’s in the basement. I need you to help me find something to break in, there’s a metal door with a lock on it and I don’t know how to get in there, can you get in?” After a moment of rambling and dragging her down the hall, I stop to turn back and look at her expectantly. She looks at me with this saddened expression.

“I already checked the basement, there’s no way I can get in there. I don’t have enough time, she’s going to be back soon.” her statement only sends me into a more panicked state.

“But she’s down there, I have to get to her. Come on, there has to be something we can do.” I pull on her arm and start leading her to the basement, she protests the whole way; trying to get my attention and pull her arm free. But I make it to the first basement door before she finally manages to pull away, “River!” She raises her voice and it grabs my attention, delaying my panic just long enough for her to get her point across.

“River, we need to leave. Now.”

“What are you talking about? We can’t leave yet, Ellie’s still down there. Come on.” I grab her hand but she makes sure to stand her ground this time, not budging an inch when I try to pull her down the stairs.

“River, there’s nothing I can do right now. Look, I don’t want to leave her either, but