Chapter 90
Charles let out a cold chuckle, ignoring Evelyn’s desperate attempt to hold her ground. Despite her fierce grip, he started peeling her fingers off the doorframe one by one.
Evelyn clung to the doorway with every ounce of strength, her nails nearly digging into the wood. But no matter how hard she tried, it was useless. Charles pried her fingers away and, right in front of her, slammed the door shut without a hint of mercy. As the door clicked shut, darkness swallowed her whole. Evelyn immediately reached for the doorknob, but it was already locked tight from the outside. A wave of long-buried fear surged within her, draining the color from her face. Panicked, Evelyn pounded on the door. “Charles, open up! You can’t keep me here without reason!” she shouted, her voice echoing in the silence. But there was no answer. “Charles, can you hear me? Let me out! You have no right to do this!” Only silence replied. Evelyn trembled, fear gnawing at her insides. She tried to stay calm, fumbling in the dark for the light switch. Her hands shook, but she finally found it and flicked it on.
“Click ” However, nothing happened. Darkness remained. The basement wires had been cut.
Evelyn’s knees buckled, and she slid down the wall. The hope that had flickered briefly was snuffed out, leaving her in sheer panic. She continued banging on the door. “Charles, open up!”
She lost track of time, unsure how long she begged and knocked. No sound came from the other side. This punishment was unbearably harsh. Gradually, strength left her, and she sank to the floor, curling into herself.
Her eyes saw only darkness. The
oppressive silence was broken only by her own breathing and heartbeat. Evelyn bit her lip hard, forcing herself to breathe deeply and calm down. She whispered softly, “Evelyn, it’s just dark. It’s just a power cut. Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
As time dragged on, the silence became overwhelming. The unfamiliar quiet, mixed with childhood fears, magnified her terror until it threatened to drown her.
Uncontrollablę trembles overtook
her. Tears of fear rolled down her cheeks, falling in large drops. Her mind drifted back to when she was eight, back to the Jenkins household with
Ser foster mother and Rosa.
Rosa treated her like a
granddaughter, but Sena couldn’t
stand her.
Sena had locked Evelyn in the Jenkins’ basement, taking advantage of Rosa’s absence. To frighten her, Sena had the servants release large rats into the room Evelyn had pounded on the door, screaming for help, but her cries went unanswered, and her fingers were bloodied and swollen.
Evelyn would get exhausted and huddle in a corner, too scared to sleep. The squeaking of rats in the dark frayed her nerves, and she sometimes felt them scamper over her. To her eight-year-old self, it was an unimaginable nightmare.
She endured a day and night of that torment. In her darkest moment, Charles had found her, opened the basement door, and carried her out. The twelve-year-old boy, still a bit scrawny, held her steady in his arms. She clung to him, inhaling his familiar scent. In that moment, Charles was her savior, saving her from the inferno. She had never forgotten that day.