The Cellar

by Natasha Preston

  Could that be his reason for being so private? I slammed the doors and opened the ones next to them. If that was it, then he didn’t have Summer, and I had hit a brick wall again. I pulled a box off the shelf. No, he definitely wasn’t a cross-dresser. The box was filled with packs of tampons and maxipads. This stuff wasn’t his. I quickly pulled each box out and rummaged through it. Makeup, loads hair stuff, moisturizing cream, and tubes of toothpaste.

  “Lewis. ” My heart leaped, and I jumped around. I’d been caught.

  “Jesus, Henry, you scared the shit outta me!” His face was ghostly white. “What?” I whispered.

  He held up a bunch of newspapers. Well, a few pages from newspapers. All with Summer’s face on them. I took them and flicked through the papers, every single one was an article about Sum, dating back to the first headline in July.

  I looked up and saw Henry looking at the sanitary box still on the floor. “It’s him,” he said, and I nodded. My body went numb and the blood drained from my face. He’d done something to her. This stuff suggested that she was still alive, though. She would need these things. But where was she? Did he have her somewhere else? That would make more sense. “Where is she then?”

  A chill ran down my spine. We were so close to finding her—or finding out what happened. Throwing them back at Henry, I ran from the room. “Summer,” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Summer, it’s me, baby. Shout if you can hear me!”

  “Damn it, Lewis! What the hell are ya doing?” Henry shouted and pulled me to a stop on the landing.

  I shoved his chest to get him off me. She was close. “What does it look like I’m doing?” I hissed. “Summer!” I flew down the stairs and into the first room I saw. “Summer!” Henry followed me, looking around, lost and completely unsure of what to do.

  “Christ, Lewis, she’s not here. Will you stop?” he snapped. “You’ve lost it! Just calm down. We have to do this properly. ”

  I stopped and pulled my phone out of my pocket. “You’re right. ”

  “What are you doing?” he hissed.

  “Calling Michael,” I replied. The police dogs would be able tell if she was here or had been. They’ll find her. They will.

  His eyes widened. I grabbed his arm as he tried to snatch the phone out of my hand. “This is crazy. Lewis, hang up!”

  “Go, Henry. ”

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  “What?”

  “Get out,” I hissed. “Go. ” Henry shook his head at me as if I’d lost it. “Just go. ” Sighing, he turned and ran as Michael answered my call.

  ***

  I stood by the back door and waited. They couldn’t get here soon enough. Come on. My heart was in my throat, and I couldn’t breathe properly. “It won’t be long now, Summer,” I whispered, praying that she would hear me, although I knew she couldn’t.

  Michael appeared at the back door, making me jump. Why didn’t I hear the police car? He shook his head, his mouth pressed into a pissed off line. “What are you doing, Lewis?” he asked calmly.

  I held my hands up. The last thing I needed was another lecture. I needed him to listen. “Look, just listen to me, okay? He has all these women’s clothes and…products. He keeps old newspapers. They’re all of Summer. He’s kept them all. Why? Why would he do that?”

  Michael sighed. “Lewis, you can’t go around breaking into people’s houses. ”

  House. “Will you listen to me? Summer is here, or was here. ” I groaned and squeezed my eyes closed. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. But it’s weird. He is weird. Please just search the house for yourself and you’ll see. ”

  “The clothes could be his wife or girlfriend’s, and plenty of people keep old newspapers or forget to throw them out. ”

  “Ah, yes but he’s too much of a neat freak for that. Take a look around for yourself. ”

  Michael rubbed his hand over his face. “I can’t just do that. You need you to come with me right now. ”

  “Why?”

  “Because you can’t just break into someone’s house!” he hissed, exasperated.

  I held my hands up again. “You said you wouldn’t give up. ”

  “I’m not giving up, but you can’t do this. We can’t arrest and search everyone that keeps old papers, that’s not how it works. ”

  “Maybe the way you do things needs to change!”

  “I’m not here to argue that. ” He sighed. “I get it, Lewis. If I were in your position, I would be the same. Look, I’ll speak to him again, that’s the best I can do. ”

  “So this isn’t weird to you?”

  He shook his head. “Not really. You need more than this to obtain a search warrant. Now, did you find anything of Summer’s?”

  My heart plummeted and shoulders slumped. They weren’t going to do anything. “No, I didn’t. ”

  “I will question him. You need to come with me,” he repeated.

  Michael led me outside and closed the back door. I walked to his car with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What did this mean now? Would Colin know we were there? He opened the back door, and I got inside. Staring back at the house, I wondered if Summer would ever be found. She wasn’t in there.

  Michael got in the front and turned the engine on. “You’re arresting me?” I asked.

  “No, but don’t let this happen again. I mean it. Next time I won’t just pick you up. Understand?” I nodded and looked back as we drove off. I’m so sorry, Sum.

  31

  SUMMER

  Thursday¸ March 3rd (Present)

  I stood in front of the bathroom mirror applying concealer to my black eye. The bruise on my arm was fading quickly, and you could barely notice it anymore; there was just a light yellow mark left. Clover was getting worse. His mind was always somewhere elsewhere, and his hollow eyes were even more emotionless than ever. Something was weighing heavily on his mind, and I wasn’t sure what. With him, it could have been anything. I hoped it was because the police were getting closer to finding me—finding us. I clung to that with everything I had.

  My hopes of being found increased as his nervousness increased. I wanted nothing more than to feel safe in one of my dad’s hugs, to smell my mum’s sweet perfume, to hear Lewis tell me he loved me, and even to hear Henry yell at me because I was annoying him.

  I turned my head so I couldn’t see myself anymore and walked back into the room. Rose, Poppy, and Violet sat on the sofa reading books. “You okay?” Rose asked, putting her book down and standing up to look at my eye.

  Not really. “Yeah, it’s a lot better today. ”

  She gave me a sympathetic smile and pulled me down on the sofa. It was a tight squeeze with all four of us, but it made me feel safe. He hadn’t been down for dinner, and it was now half past eight at night. His dinner sat in the cold oven, waiting to be reheated if he made an appearance.

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  Rose looked up at the clock. “Where is he?” she muttered to herself.

  “Maybe he’s not coming,” I said and prayed I was right.

  She frowned. “I’m going to clean the kitchen. ” Keeping busy was what took her mind off things. I could always tell when something was weighing on her mind because she would clean and then reclean. Poppy got up to help like she always did now. Violet turned to me and mouthed “bedroom. ” She wanted to talk in private.

  I followed her and we sat down on her bed. “Something’s going on. What if something’s happened to him?” Her eyes widened in horror. “Shit, Lily, what if he’s dead?”

  If he was dead, we were screwed. I hated him more than anything, but we relied on him. “I don’t think anything’s happened,” I replied. “He probably just forgot to tell us he had something else to do, that’s all. ” I sounded calm and convincing when inside I was terrified of the thought of something happening and us dying down here. “Maybe he’s polishing his crazy of the year tro
phy,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “But…” She shook her head.

  “Violet, don’t panic. He’s only missed dinner. ”

  “He was distracted at breakfast. ” That’s because he’s a sick psycho. “Lily, something is wrong. ”

  I nodded. “I know, but we need to stay calm, okay?” She took a deep breath. A few months ago, it was me panicking and Poppy and Rose trying to calm me down. “Whatever’s going on, we’ll be all right. ”

  “If he’s gone crazy…”

  I snorted. “If?” Violet half smiled, not allowing herself to laugh. “The crazier he gets, the better for us. ”

  “How’s that?”

  “He might start making mistakes. ” She nodded, and I smiled. “See? We’ll be fine. Now don’t say too much to Rose or Poppy. If he’s losing it even more than usual, then we have a chance. ”

  “To bash his head in?” Violet asked.

  Whoa, okay. “Um, if we have to, I guess. ” She was deadly serious; her expression showed no emotion. Could I kill someone? The thought made me sick, but if it was a matter of life or death, I think I could. Him I could.

  “Wanna watch The Notebook?” I asked her, trying to change the subject. It was Violet’s favorite movie, and I hoped it would take her mind off everything. I think I knew it word for word now.

  She nodded her head, smiling a sad smile. “Yeah, sure. ” I stood up to go back in the other room when she grabbed my wrist. “Do you think Lewis is still looking for you?”

  Her question surprised me. “I hope not,” I replied.

  “But you love him. ”

  “I do, and that’s why I hope not. ” She looked at me as if I was crazy. I wasn’t crazy. I loved him. He couldn’t be happy if he was still searching for me. Deep down, I had a feeling he was, though. I knew I would if it were the other way around. I walked out of the bedroom so she couldn’t ask anything else. I didn’t want to talk about it.

  Rose and Poppy were wiping down the counter—a sparkling clean counter. I was about to ask if they wanted to watch the movie too when the cellar door unlocked. I stood still and my heart took off in a sprint. He was late. What did it mean that he was here now?

  “Clover, is everything okay? We have your dinner in the oven if you’re hungry,” Rose said and pulled off her yellow rubber gloves as he walked down the stairs. My eyes flicked to the cellar door and widened. It wasn’t shut. My heart leaped. There was about an inch gap. He hadn’t closed it. Did he even realize?

  He kissed Rose’s cheek and turned to face us all. Violet walked out of the bedroom and stopped beside me. “Something has happened, but I don’t want any of you to worry about it. I’ve thought of a way to keep us together,” he said, looking at each of us. What? What’s happened?

  Violet’s hand found mine and she squeezed me tight. I could sense her fear. She was terrified of what he had planned. What did it mean, a way to keep us together? He was going to try to run with us? My heart leaped. They knew about him.

  He looked around and waved his hand. “There are some people that want to split us up, but I will never let that happen,” he said far too calmly. He was too calm, as if he was discussing the weather. “We won’t be separated. We can’t be separated,” he muttered. It was a promise, and it sent chills down my spine. His eyes were dark and distant. In that moment, I knew that he wasn’t going to try to run with us. He was going to kill us. All of us.

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  My blood ran cold and heart plummeted to my stomach. Were they coming for him now? Was that why he needed to do this now and break his precious routine? Keep him talking. My throat was tight, but I knew I had to speak. “Clover, no one can separate us if we don’t want them to. ” Violet’s hand tightened into a viselike grip.

  His eyes snapped up to me and he cocked his head to the side. “No, Lily, they’re going to. ”

  “But we can tell them we want to be here. ” He frowned, as if that was news to him. Did he really believe we wanted to be here? Surely, he wasn’t that delusional. I started to question if he even understood right and wrong anymore, or if he lived in his own world where he was always right.

  “Lily, you’re not listening to me. I’ve told you, they want to split us up. Now, I need you all to be good girls. I promise this will be quick and it won’t hurt too much. ” He pulled out a knife from his pocket. The air left my lungs. He didn’t react. He was dead inside already. Defeated.

  Violet whimpered and pulled me back with her a step. Poppy also moved back, more toward us, but Rose stood still. Move, Rose. Damn it, move! I needed her to get out of his way. As much as she frustrated me sometimes, I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to her. Over time, she had become like family too. Like an older sister.

  “C-Clover,” Rose whispered and shook her head. Her hands trembled with fear, and I heard her gulp.

  He smiled at her. “You understand we can’t be apart, don’t you? I can’t live without you and you can’t live without me. It won’t hurt, I promise,” he repeated and took a step closer to her. She didn’t even flinch. Shit, she wasn’t going to try and stop him. I could see what was going to happen play out in my head just like a movie: Clover stabbing her. Rose falling to the floor. I couldn’t let that happen. I jumped forward, grabbed the top of her arm, and pulled her back. She slammed against my chest, and I yanked her behind me.

  Clover glared at me. His face turned hard as he realized I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. If I was going to die down here, it was going to be trying to escape with Poppy, Rose, and Violet. “Clover, please, don’t do this. We can find another way. No one is going to do anything if we tell them we’re a family and we’re here because we want to be,” Poppy said, trying to reason with him.

  “You do not beg, Poppy!” he shouted, and I jumped back in surprise. The door wasn’t locked; we could all make it out of here. I kept that thought in my mind. His breathing was heavy and ragged. The way it was when he killed. I looked around the cellar for anything at all we could use to hurt him or distract him long enough to get out. Nothing!

  He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Violet from beside me. A silent scream pierced through my head. I tried to pull her back but he was too fast, he slammed her into the wall and raised the knife. Poppy and Violet screamed so loud it rang in my ears. Through their cries, I could just about hear Clover chanting something, but I couldn’t make out what it was. Everything happened so fast, I was powerless to stop it. Violet tried to grab his wrist but he was too quick—he plunged the knife into her stomach and she slumped to the floor.

  “No!” Poppy screamed. I dropped to the floor and tried to look at the wound. Would she be okay or had it gone too far in? My vision blurred. I fought to swallow the lump in my throat but it was no use. I cried, my chest heaving with sobs.

  Looking up, I gasped. Clover very quickly stabbed the knife into Poppy’s side. Poppy stumbled, one hand clutching the wall for support and the other holding the knife wound. Blood seeped through her fingers and she started hyperventilating. She looked so scared—scared to die.

  Jumping up, I grabbed Rose and pulled her with me. We ran behind the table. He was between the stairs and us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Poppy hobbling toward us, her face twisted in pain and tears streaming down her terrified face. I swiped the tears from my cheeks quickly and stared at him. His menacing face looked like pure evil, like there was no humanity left in him at all.

  I didn’t want to leave them behind, but I had to do something or we would all die down here. If I could just get into the house, then I could find something there to stop him. His face softened and he smiled. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t be afraid. We’re doing this together, as a family. ”

  “We are not a fucking family!” I snapped and gasped. What have I done? Keeping him on my side was harder than I thought. He turned his whole body to face me, and I knew while his attention w
as on me, Rose had a chance. “Run,” I whispered under my breath. Go, Rose!

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  He walked around the table slowly, and I stood my ground. I planned to kick him between the legs when he got close enough. That was what Henry used to tell me I should do when guys came up to talk to me. “Kick them hard and don’t slow down. Follow the kick through. ” Those were my brother’s words, and I planned to follow them—for once.

  Clover moved in front of me. I’d never been in a fight before, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be any good at it, but I felt strong now. My hate for him was busting from every pore in my body. I clenched my jaw, determined. He retracted his arm, and I knew he was about to hit me. I stopped breathing as I flung my own arm out, successfully blocking his blow.

  I couldn’t believe I’d blocked him, but I didn’t have time to gloat. I pictured every horrible thing he’d done to me and all the other girls, and with as much strength as I could muster, I shoved my fist in his face.

  Gasping as pain shot through my hand, I jumped back. Clover stumbled to the side, shooting his arms out to steady himself. I knew I was going to die, and I wanted it to be while I was fighting back, showing him I didn’t want what he had done to me. I wanted him to know how sick and evil he was.

  “You little bitch,” he spat in a voice that was so angry and aggressive it didn’t sound like his own. I took a deep breath, positioning myself better, ready to follow Henry’s instructions and kick with everything I had left.

  Adrenaline pumped through my body, and I went to raise my leg. Rose grabbed me and pulled me back. Shit, no! Why was she stopping me? Why hadn’t she left when she had the chance? My eyes widened as his fist raised and slammed down on my face.

  My vision blurred, and I blinked hard. I was shoved backward hard and slammed into the wall. My head smashed against the bricks, and I fell to the floor. A black mist fell over me, and I couldn’t see. I rubbed my eyes and ignored the throbbing pain in my head. Where is he? Where are they?

  Pushing myself up, I narrowed my eyes to try to see what was going on. I felt like I was falling. This time it was peaceful. There were so many voices around and loud screams, but I couldn’t focus on anything. The only thing I could smell was the usual lemon, but it wasn’t that strong anymore.