by Jamie Ott
She turned her eyes back to the floor.
By the time she’d done, orange-gold divided the sky. Abilene had fallen asleep in the chair with the sandwich in her hand. Maddie, not wanting to return to the basement, sat on a chair from where she stared out at the scenery.
Abilene woke when the last of the orange-gold faded. She, then, took her to the main kitchen to eat, without blind folding her again.
As they walked down the halls, Maddie stole glances inside a few of the rooms. The smell of cleaners wafted from them, along with mountain air that blew in through the windows.
In the kitchen, a dark haired woman worked among steam and smells. She wore a dirty white apron, and ran about grabbing things while another woman cut carrots.
“What do you want?” asked the woman. She had a light Spanish accent, but of the European kind.
“It’s time for her to eat,” said Abilene.
The woman grabbed a baguette, a small block of cheese, filled two bowls with simmering beef soup, and filled a carafe with red wine. She placed the items on the table for Maddie and Abilene.
After, Abilene took her back downstairs to the basement and locked her in. “Sleep,” she said before she left.
Maddie obeyed.
A week went by in the same fashion. Maddie woke, ate, worked, ate, and then slept. She did nothing but what the woman told her without question because she wanted her to trust that Maddie was subdued. Abilene was easy to trick into complacency because she, herself, was a bit simple.
After the seventh straight day of working around the mansion, she lay on the floor in the basement one evening, thinking. The other day, she got a chance to see the front gate. Although it was tall, too, there were little grooves in it, and she was sure she could use them to climb over. Additionally, she hadn’t seen phones or computers, or at least, not in the areas of the house that she’d been in. Everyone used cell phones as their main source of communication. This meant that she’d have to steal a phone because her chance of survival, even if she got outside the wall, was slim. She could die of starvation, thirst or be attacked by a wild animal.
That following day, Abilene did not come and get her until dinner time. Maddie was suffering from boredom, and was feeling especially angry that day. When Abilene came to get her, so she could clean the kitchen, Maddie resisted.
Abilene raised her arm to put the noose around her neck, but Maddie whipped her hand up and yanked it out of her grip. Abilene simply stood there with a look of surprise; then she turned and bolted for the door.
Right as Abilene swung the door, in an attempt to shut it, Maddie gripped the side and swung it back open. Abilene turned around and ran up the stairs with Maddie in tow.
Maddie was going to the front entrance where, as she’d observed, the door was never locked. People at the manor seemed to think it was unnecessary, even with her there.
Abilene must have been headed there, too, because she remained in front of her. She ran up the stairs and down the wide hall while screaming for help. Maddie, desperate to shut her up, tackled her to the ground, turned her onto her back, and punched her in the face.
The woman screamed even louder. She heard a door open from down the hall.
“Hey, what’s all the screaming?” asked a man’s voice.
“She’s trying to escape!” said Abilene.
Maddie got up and ran down the stairs, toward the entrance hall. Behind her, she heard loud footfalls coming toward her, but she was too scared to turn around and look. Instead, Maddie tried to step faster, but she tripped on her feet and rolled down the stairs.
Immediately, tears sprang to her eyes because the door was right there, and yet, she couldn’t get up because her whole body was stunned. Abilene shouted behind her, “You stupid woman! Even if you got out of the house, how would you get past the gate?” Then she kicked her hard in the back.
Maddie screamed in pain.
A man shouted, “Leave her alone!” Then there was a loud smacking noise, followed by a cry.
A second later, she saw that it was Michael, because he lifted her off the ground and carried her up the stairs, past Abilene who was holding her red and teary face. She wanted to fight but couldn’t. Pain shot up to her shoulders and neck as well as down through her thighs.
Michael turned down the hallway, where he opened a door to a room, and laid Maddie on a bed. And as he rose, a scent of musky lavender came from him.
They looked at one another for a moment; then he turned and left.
From down the hall, she heard screaming and shouting, and a few doors slam. Then things quieted down. The sound of a key in the lock came a moment later.
Maddie cried hard and loud. She missed Joe and wanted to go home. Why did she have to fight with him when they were in the desert? A lot of their problems were her fault, because she put work first, and if she got out of there, she was gonna fix things, she thought. Oh, how she wished she could tell him how much she loved him, and be held by him.
Then she thought about her father; the only other important person in her life. She wondered how he was doing, and was he looking for her?
Their relationship became strained when she married Joe. Dad hated him, passionately, and because of that, they now only saw each once in a while. But if she got out of there alive, she was going to fix their bond, too. Life was too short to be divided. Now that her life was threatened, she knew how ridiculous she was to let small things destroy their relationship.
New Quarters
Chapter 4
Except for meals delivered once per day, by another strange lady – she had no idea what happened to Abilene, Maddie was locked in the room for a few weeks without disturbance. She wasn’t given a change of clothes, but fortunately, the room she was shut in had a bathroom, this time.
At times, she thought she would die from the boredom. There was nothing for her to do except stare at the ceiling or outside her window. But from her window, she didn’t see chickens and clothing lines; she saw only a forest. She’d asked the lady, who brought her meals, if they’d at least give her books to read. The woman barely looked at her, and left without ever saying a word.
The room she occupied was very attractive in an early 20th century sort of way, yet mixed with contemporary additions. Cold dark gray stone separated the room from outside and modern papered walls, of gold and green leaves, bordered the rooms on the inside. There was an old fashioned canopied bed with dark green hangings. The floor was a dark cherry stained wood with a thick white fur rug that felt like heaven between her toes. From the ceiling, hung a miniature crystal chandelier and an even smaller more elegant one hung in the bathroom.
The bathroom had a strangely exotic decor with light green garden stone for floors. It was almost as big as the bedroom with green rugs and plants in every corner. There was a large fish tank that was about 60 inches running with the lights on but completely empty of fish. When bathing, it was almost like being in a swamp or water garden.
The spa bathtub was big enough to hold nine or ten people and took 30 minutes to fill. There was a miniature steam bath right next to the shower. Maddie told herself that, if she made it home, she would have one just like it. Never, had her skin been so healthy and glowing; never had her muscles been so relaxed.
Then there was the food, which consisted of little bits of bread and a few vegetables. They obviously thought that by keeping her underfed, she’d be less resistant. And it worked, because she spent most days trying to ignore the pain in her stomach. Week by week, her ribs became more defined.
One morning, the woman glimpsed her half naked body and ever-trembling limbs, and took pity on her. Maddie’s breath had become foul, and she’d lost considerable weight; both signs that she was emaciating. It was then that the woman started to bring her full meals.
Despite the woman’s pity, she was unbreakable in her silence. Maddie tried to express how grateful she was to her, for taking care of her, in the hopes of gaining an ally. Not that she real
ly was grateful. How could she appreciate someone who contributed to her imprisonment? She just knew that if she got of there, it would be because she’d fooled people into thinking she was their friend.
Her attempt to buddy up to the woman didn’t work. No matter what, she refused to speak.
Every day the woman wore dirty jeans and a baggy tee shirt to clean in. She looked to be in her forties and had the same sort of reddish skin as Abilene; in fact, she looked a lot like her.
A few days after eating full meals, Maddie’s strength mostly returned. Along with her strength, returned her restlessness. For many hours, she’d pace about the room, exercise, and talk to herself. Sometimes, she’d sit for hours and stare out of the window; a fantasy of being in other places and with people would play in her mind. Other times, she’d lie in bed for hours without washing up or going to the bathroom.
Then a strange, new compulsion took hold of her. She didn’t know if there was a psychological word for it, but whenever the woman came to clean, a light went on in her brain. She’d talk nonstop, badgering her, in a sense. Maddie’d talk about anything and all, from her work at the furniture company, her life with her husband, to how she wanted kids but didn’t have time. Other days, she’d talk about her father and wonder what he was doing; how she wished she could be getting her nails done, or how much she missed Joe; how she wished she could go home or outside for a walk. All the while, the lady cleaned without a word, and then left, sometimes closing the door on Maddie in mid-sentence. For some reason, this really hurt her feelings.
Maddie knew the woman simply didn’t want to be involved with her, likely for her own protection. Still, she couldn’t help but try to befriend her because she was dying in that room. A couple of nights, she woke, scared and crying because she was losing her life. Her world was moving on without her. Worse was when she’d notice the moon in the dark sky, and be reminded of dinners with friends, nights out at the clubs, or dates with her husband. Her loneliness was most palpable in those moments.
After many days like those, Maddie began to sink: Sink into a depression that is. One morning, she found that she couldn’t get out of bed, no matter how hard she tried. Her sheets became oily and filth scented, as days passed. The cleaning lady came and looked at her. Using her eyes, she tried to communicate, but Maddie refused to move. From morning until morning, she lay there. Each day, the cart of food left for her remained untouched.
Maddie sunk so low that she lost control of her bowels. Naked, emaciated and rolling in her own piss, she still refused to move. The cleaning woman looked, meaningfully, at her. Maddie looked back, but it took a few minutes to fully register her face.
The woman left with the untouched cart of food, from the prior day, and returned with a fresh one. She rolled the cart to the side of the bed, and then said, “Please, miss, let’s get you cleaned.”
The woman slid her arm under Maddie’s and heaved her up into sitting position. Then she tried to drag her out of bed, but Maddie was too heavy with her 5 foot 8 frame, as the cleaning lady was petite.
She gave up and, instead, forced Maddie into a sitting position.
“If you clean up and eat something, then we can go for a short walk.”
Maddie was so far gone that she didn’t believe the woman really spoke to her. Even though the woman stuck spoonfuls of hot cereal into her mouth, she still thought it was a dream. But after a while, her mind started to clear, and the fact that the woman was talking to her, and feeding her, was realized.
“Now, I need you help me get you into the shower,” she said as she set the emptied bowl onto the cart.
It took twenty minutes just to get her out of bed, as Maddie’s limbs had gone numb just like when she was tied up.
Upon removing Maddie’s garments, the woman held her breath fast.
“I guess I must be pretty ripe,” Maddie said.
After the shower, the woman led her down to the entrance hall and out onto the front grounds.
“It would be foolish to try anything,” the woman said to her as she closed the door. “Even if you do get away, there are no towns for days. But if you can show that you’re not going to make trouble, then you’ll be allowed out regularly.”
Maddie nodded, thinking she could learn more about her surroundings and figure out how to escape and survive, despite their remoteness.
After only a moment of being outside, Maddie got dizzy and short of breath. Sitting in her room without movement for days on end had taken a toll on her body, naturally, but looking at things was also an issue. The bright blue sky could have burned a hole in her retina, or so it felt like.
“Just a moment,” Maddie asked. “My eyes need to adjust.”
Maddie loved the property.
The manor was all grey stone, like the wall that encircled the property, and resembled an old castle. Seeing it made her think of historical romance novels she’d read. They loved to depict dreary and mysterious castles where tales of great struggles and loves were spun.
At the front of the property was about 600 feet of fresh cut grass. It was divided into two sections by a wide gravel road that led from the gate up to the steps of the house. On the left section, a large Grecian man was depicted, lying on a mat while, behind him, a waterfall shot up a dozen feet into the air. Various statues and stone benches were situated, randomly on the right side, for observance. Beyond the gate, Maddie saw miles of trees and hills that made up the skyline.
The woman led her to the side of the manor, which gave her a greater view of the house.
Grey lanterns not only lined the wall and the gravel road, but were placed along the sides of the house. Maddie counted approximately seven levels, with one-or-two attics on the top, and one-to-two underground levels.
“This place is breathtaking,” said Maddie. “I don’t understand how criminals could have anything to do with it.”
The cleaning lady didn’t respond.
Around the side of the property there were vine covered posts. Mid sized trees, planted in terra cotta pots, lined a cement walkway that led into an enormous greenroom.
The greenroom looked to have hundreds of varietals. And at a large work bench, an older man sat, fixing a flower she’d never seen before.
They walked along the many rows of tables. Maddie read all the labels, and looked, closely, at all the plants and flowers. She had always wanted a garden.
At the other end of the greenroom was a door that led into a small labyrinth of large honeysuckle vines and more exotic plants. This section was lined in coniferous trees, and when one followed the little walkway, it led to the center which had a small courtyard with a table and chairs.
The woman and Maddie went beyond the courtyard, through the other side of the labyrinth, and continued on a walkway that led them into an enormous garden. Herbs and aromatics scented the air, thickly, and made her nose tickle, though in a good way. Electronic water fountains and koi ponds fed themselves as well as the garden.
For the first time in weeks, Maddie was happy; being in the beauty of the garden made her feel peaceful. Maddie recalled that her own house had a stone lawn and a pool. She hated them, but hadn’t time for anything else.
The back of the property was home to chickens that grazed openly along with four horses. There were clothing lines that divided the large grassy area. No one seemed to mind how the horses walked among the sheets that blew in the wind.
Five purebred looking Mastiffs played wildly and chased one another. Occasionally, one would go after a chicken and get close to catching one, then would relent and go after another. Maddie, who hadn’t much experience with animals, was intrigued at how they all got along, together.
Across from the house’s back door was a large empty garage. It looked as though it could’ve housed about 10 vehicles, but instead, contained hundreds of weapons. When Maddie asked why, the woman told her she didn’t know.
Most of the guns looked like they were vintage and were dusted, rusted and falling apart
. Two guns caught her attention immediately, as one was a baker rifle from the 19th century and the other was a musket. Not that she was into guns but her father had taught her a thing or two about French rifles.
Briefly, she considered whether they could aid her in escape, but then thought better of it. What if they backfired or exploded on her? The last thing she wanted was to be in a shootout with ancient guns.
Behind the garage, a fenced off area contained a emptied swimming pool. There were several diving boards; the highest sitting at approximately eight feet. Next to the pool was a drained, ground hot tub. Green water and leaves rested at the bottom near the drain hole.
On the far end of the pool area there was a wall with silver shower heads poking out. Right next to the shower heads, there was a wet bar.
They walked past the pool, through a small gate into basketball and tennis courts. There was even a small baseball field and playground.
In the short distance, there was an old guest house. As they got closer, Maddie saw that it was falling apart. It was two stories high, and its white lattices were rotting out.
Inside, the house was covered in dirt and leaves. The fireplace still had the blackened remnants of the last fire it held, which must’ve been years ago, thought Maddie. There was a small rotting couch in the living room. Despite the mess of the little house, it was very lovely: The floors were hardwood and completely intact, the walls were a fresh white, and the large windows allowed lots of sun in.
Upstairs there were four rooms and two bathrooms. In one of the rooms, they found a family of little blue birds nested in an old rocking chair. They scattered when they walked in.
After they circled the property, they stopped and fed the chickens some seed. Then they rinsed three bags of apples for the horses and carried them out in bowls; then dumped them into their troughs. Maddie refilled all the water bowls for the animals, then the woman took her through the backdoor into the kitchen, and made her lunch.