I had risen my curtains for the first time in about a week. This depressive episode had hit worse than most. My voice was cracked half the time and my legs weakened as my weekly weight loss kicked in. I had decided today was a new day and I would push past my mourning to hopefully get a smile somewhere on my face. I dragged my numb feet out of my bed, odor stenching off me in all different directions. I headed my way to the bathroom, flicking the blinding light on to reveal makeup and dust bunnies covering my counter from my lack of cleaning. I turned on the sink, throwing cold water on my face mixed with my cleansing products. I let a comb go through my hair, it took a solid 20 minutes tops along with the rest of hygiene. I did not have to go today, my mom said I could have stayed home. The school would not have minded, I mean what are they going to do? Argue with a teenager whose father just passed? I stung those thoughts out of my head and proceeded to slide on my hefty jeans and top before switching to sweatpants and a shirt. I packed up all my stuff and attempted to smile meanwhile my mom called me for breakfast. I closed my door gently, still being sensitive to loud sounds. I walked down the dark wooden staircase, glaring at all of our family photos. My dads raging smile and my mom's gentle dimples resting in the center, their wedding photos were full of grace and so were our family photos. I reached the main floor, feeling heavy and tearful seeing the sunlight glistening into the kitchen glaring off the counter tops of marble. My mom seemed happy, throwing around what seemed to be a pancake with chocolate. My stomach howeled, I came to the realization that I havent really eaten in a few days. I set my bag down and myself in the chair beside it, I traced my fingers through each other and attempted to make conversation.

“Good Morning” I said, I spoke lowley to sense I didn't really want to speak.

My mom looked at me with a smirk.

“Good morning darling! How did you sleep?” She said enthusiastically. 

“Good,” I said sternly.

Soon she set the plate in front of me and I went to pick at the pancake and strawberries. I wondered how she could be so confident and eat so willingly after this death. I picked up my fork and attempted to stab the berry but I had no strength left. She had cut my pancake so I could eat little bits and I managed to down about three pieces. 

“That is better than nothing” She said in a calming voice, grabbing my hand and placing it with hers.
I nodded and pulled my hand away, not really knowing how else to respond.

“You do know you really do not have to go today. I completely understand if you change your mind and decide to stay.” She beckoned. 

I let out a sigh and said, “If I do not go now, I will never go. Can we get in the car now?” 

She nodded and we proceeded to clear the kitchen. I helped wash plates and forks, this gave me some energy to use today. I was not ready for the pity that is going to be thrown at me, especially by Donna. Donna had been my friend since birth, not once through this whole thing had I talked to her since the funeral. What was she going to say? Sorry? Yeah probably, but she would also take advantage of these hurtful feelings to cause some trouble she could and would benefit from.  Once everything was washed and put away, I grabbed my bag feeling a pull at my shoulders, not realizing how heavy my bag had once been and started to walk to the door. My mom was right behind me, she tried to hug me but I pushed away. Who would be ready for physical touch after you lose someone that important to you? I hate how she is acting like nothing happened, why is she not grieving? Something makes me uneasy when she is so calm and it makes my stomach curl. 

“Text me if you want to leave, I took today off in case you need it.” She said,

I nodded and hopped out the car not looking back. I shut the door and took a deep breath as I heard her tires squeal away. I walk up to the front entrance, bracing myself for everyone and everything in my path. I am met with flowers and so many dumb gete well cards. I pushed past everything and headed for the stairwell to my first class. That class was boring, the work overload was not as bad as I had thought it to be. That is about how the rest of my day went, when it came to the end I headed to the car lane. My mom insisted she pick me up, seeing I am “emotionally unavailable” right now. I always rolled my eyes in my brain to that, of course my emotions are all over the place, who wouldn't be? I walked out of the school with my bag taking over my body mass. Hopping in her car I smelt my favorite takeout and peaked a smile. 

“So, how was the day back?” She said with glee.

“Fine.” I muttered. 

The rest of the ride was rode in silence, I ate my food and soon raced to my room to lay in sorrow. I started to think, it was really all I had been doing in the past few weeks. I was on the subject of my moms work, my parents have never told me what they did. I would always hear a side door open at any part of the house but maybe that was the heat coming in? I pushed it away, dad would not want me thinking like this. Mom had called me to dinner, I treaded downstairs, dragging my fingers across the pictures. When I reached the table my mom rested my plate in front of me. She had not made one for herself, so I looked at her puzzled.

“I have a work emergency, it might be like this for a while.” 

She pulled herself near me and set a kiss on my forehead before hearing her clicking heels walk down the hallway and out the door. While I was eating, I heard a bang come from my mom's room. I was curious because only I was home. I had decided to investigate. I grabbed a knife, a relatively big one and slowly made my way down the hall. I have never really been near my parents room, they never went in mine so I stayed out theirs. I tried the door handle but it was locked, I scanned around for a key and lingered my fingers on the top door frame feeling a metal hit my pinky nail.I grabbed it and proceeded to unlock it slowly. Dust, wind, and more bangs all hit me at once. 

“Wow.” I had said out loud, my parents room was astonishingly bigger than I expected. 

I started to walk around, there was a huge safe laying out as well as three doors next to the open walk in closet. I turned away from them to notice a collection of wedding photos and my mother's ring laying on her jewelry case. 

Why is she not wearing it? I wondered.

I stopped my thoughts and heard another thud. Thud, thud, bang, clash. I turned my attention to the third door close to the closet. I went for the handle and nothing, it was locked. I started to search for the key around my parents room. Under the bed, in the cabinets, even in the built up dust bunnies. That was until I saw a pelican in the corner, we lived in the UK so I knew that was out of the ordinary. I walked over, running my fingertips over the whole bird until I felt a slip of fur lift from the left wing. I looked and there lay the shiny gold key, but there were three. I grabbed them and checked the time. 7:00 PM, I had a few hours until mom came home. I walked over to the door and tried the first key, no response, tried the second key and I heard a click as I turned it to the left. By this time any banging I heard had stopped, I proceeded to push through the door to show a pitch black hallway. Sweat drips as I check my phone once again, 7:34 PM. 

Stop being so nervous, what are you afraid of? I whispered to myself. 

I wandered down the hall flicking on the switch to reveal a staircase leading left and right. The left was a safe covered in padlocks and the right was a cracked door with a sign that said “YKWWH”. I had no idea what that meant, surely I would find out but this made my heart rate spike. I cracked the door some more to reveal more darkness, I turned on my phone light and stepped carefully down the steps. The noises it made were creepy for sure but nothing out of the ordinary. When I reached the bottom I had noticed some spills and a hard metal floor surrounding me, I turned my light upward and what I saw was terrifying in the least explained words. Cages Hard, metal, scracky cages. Each had signs that said “SHOCK WARNING” on the entrances. I walked closer to the sign to get a closer look when in the corner of my eye I saw something in the cage. I saw something, someone, people. There was a woman, bruises lined her legs and elbows. Blood gushing from the back of her head leaving a visible dent as she must have been banging it. My heart sunk, the bangs, that had to have been her. She looked no older than 21, cheekbones making her small figure appear thinner than ever. Her hair was messed up to the extent of chunks being ripped out. 

Who was she? What is she doing in our house? 

I had never stopped once to realize this all came from my mother's room. Is this her job? What the hell is my family hiding from me? I felt the urge to puke and drifted away from these thoughts and towards the electric cages. Gasping between pukes to the shocking waves hitting my body. I felt weak and disgusted with myself and for having this poor woman at the bottom of my basement that had been in existence since now.  I looked at my phone, I had not looked at the time. 8:46 PM. I panicked, my mom would be home any moment, I rushed up the stairs. Careful to make everything look the same as it had been. I left the keys in the pelican and locked her door, I had enough time to sneak back to my room. Moments after I crawled in bed the front door opened. Hearing the alarm I set my head down, pretending to be asleep. I heard my door open and my mother sit at the end of the bed, she kissed my head and ran her fingers down my arm. Goosebumps set in, had her hands always been that rough? I shushed these thoughts when I heard voices.

“Is she ready June?” 

My mother’s presence left after this sentence, as I felt the pressure release from my bed and her heels continued clicking as she walked out the door. I passed out soon after from mental exhaustion. Hoping when I woke up I would be in a terrible nightmare. Instead I sat up in my bed, looking around to find no sunlight. I was still in my room with my lamp and my books with just no sunlight which I found strange because the clock read 7:30 AM. As I analyzed my surroundings more I realized what this was, I touched my walls gently when a shock like feeling spiraled down my whole body. The feeling did not set in till my thoughts came together. A single numb tear rolled down my cheek as I knew I was in the same cage as the girl I had seen.