The master came down to the basement in which I was counting the floorboards (It was the only way I could entertain myself), and jerked his head towards the stairs. Chimney cleaning time. I had an idea this time, an idea that could free me from the house forever, but I was anxious about wether it would work or not. He escorted me to the backyard to get my brush that was just outside the door. I had been working for him since my mother sold me which was five years ago and I knew the way like the back of my hand but he supervised me in case I tried to run away. I didn't have to risk them finding out I ran away if my plan worked. While we were walking I picked up a pair of scissors that were always on the countertop in the kitchen without him noticing.
'These will come in handy,' I thought.
As usual I struggled up the chimney when we got into the living room and he left me to it. I personally thought I was getting way too big for their chimney now that I'm ten but the master obviously thought not because there I was, brushing soots patiently. I had already gone blind in my right eye because I had been doing it so long and the embers damaged it. I never even got anything to cover it.
When I was finished cleaning I didn't go back to the basement. I just stayed up and didn't move. A bit later the master came to see what was going on.
"Berry?" he called.
He had called me Berry as long as I could remember. that's my second name. Nobody calls me Willow. His daughters, Wendy and Abigail call me all sorts of rude names. If I called them names I'd get a smack around the ear.
I kept absolutely quiet and breathed slowly. I had leant on one side of the chimney and pushed my feet against the other to keep me up. He called again. I didn't answer. I heard him leave the room.
About few hours later (a few hours feels like an eternity when your stuffed up a chimney) he came back in with his wife.
"Where's Berry at?" she asked.
"I think she suffocated," he replied. "We can get a new one tomorrow,"
"Light the fire to see if she's still alive,"
That was exactly what I wanted them to think, and I wanted them to light a fire. I was too far up in the chimney too be burnt and I put the collar of my shirt over my nose and mouth when it was lit so I didn't breathe in the smoke.
When there was no one in the room and the fire had reduced to a small flame I took the scissors I stole out of my skirt pocket and cut a reasonably large piece of cloth from the bottom of my shirt. I tried to slide slowly and quietly closer to the fire and I held the piece of cloth over it until it combusted. I chucked it and it landed softly on the carpet which also started to burn. I then hurriedly shimmied up the chimney, further and further, until I reached the surface and clambered on to he roof. Because the master was wealthy he had a big house and it was scary to be so high up. I shoved my brush of the side and crawled over to the drainpipe. I slid down and ran like the wind away from their house into the street.
The house was made mostly of wood which was a terrible decision. In about half an hour the whole house was engulfed in flames and fire trucks and ambulances were arriving. I have to say, it was really pretty. People on the streets were gathered around, staring in awe. I saw the family escaping one by one. The master, his wife, Wendy... But Abigail didn't come out.
"ABBY!" Wendy was screeching, over and over again. I didn't kill the family, apart from Abigail, which meant I would be found out for sure. I started to panic, and turned to run but I bumped into a tall man straight away.
"Eh... S-sorry," I mumbled and tried to run past him, but he grabbed me and pulled me back. I was shaking.
"You don't want to be found out, do you?" he said.
"I-uh-I"
"I can make sure you're not," he interrupted. "just come with me,".
He started walking and I had no choice but to follow him.
After what seemed like ages, we arrived at an old, abandoned-looking house. There were two signs. One said 'genius at work' and the other one said 'private property'. We went inside and I followed him up the stairs into a room filled with flasks and beakers holding mysterious substances and concoctions. There was a magnificent machine on one side of the room attached to a lever.
"Throw the switch," he said. "oh, but before you do take these,"
He seemed to magically conjure a teddy bear and a lighter from behind his back and handed them to me. I tucked the teddy bear under one arm and put the lighter in my pocket. I started to reach toward the switch but I stopped and turned around.
"What is this monstrosity going to do to me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Nothing, you have my word," he said.
"Then why do you want me to pull it?"
"Because it's going to help you!"
"why don't you pull it then?!"
"lets pull it together,"
I put a hand on the lever and he put his over it. I pulled... But he whipped his hand away just as I did. Before I could start fussing, two black, shadowy hands appeared from the wooden floor and grabbed my piggytails. I struggled and thrashed about but they pulled me down to the ground and everything went black.