Hope everyone is enjoying these frequent updates, I am on break right now and when school starts I have to go back to stricter time management. Still review, follow, and favorite! Have a good read!
The next day, was like any other for Belle and Rose, saying good morning, stretching, track, breakfast, and limited TV. Rose never thought anything of it, for her mommy, it drove her crazy doing the thing, day in, and day out. As she was lying on the floor, Rose noticed something in the corner. It was mouse. It was the first, and biggest live thing the little girl had ever seen. She brought down crumbs from her lunch for the little rodent to snack on. He took it; not running away, and Rose was able to get a look at him. Suddenly, a book came out of nowhere, sending mouse away, the little girl realized it was from her mommy.
"You made him gone! He was an alive thing. He was real!"
"He would have stolen our food." Belle tried to explain how the mouse would not have done either one of them any favors. She hated mice since she was little herself to begin with.
"Mouse can have my food. I'm not hungry."
"He would have brought in germs, bit us in our sleep."
"Mouse is my friend, and you splattered him dead."
"No I didn't. He's hunky-dory."
"Are you tricking me?"
"No Rosebud, I swear. He's safe at home in the backyard with his mommy."
"What backyard?" The little girl didn't understand. It didn't make since from what she had known from TV and what her mommy taught her. "Mouse lives in a yard in TV?"
To avoid answering and having to take away her daughter's innocent, Belle gave her tin foil saying, "Here why don't you make a castle out of this?"
Rose was interested, but still had more questions. "Why you didn't tell Gaston it was my birthday?"
"Because he's not our friend."
"He said he bring me a present."
"Your not suppose to be listening that. You're supposed to be asleep. What have I told you?"
"I never had a present." Rose responded sadly. She loved what they were able make in Room, and using her imagination, her mommy said it was the best toy she had. It didn't change her wanting to have an actual toy.
"Well he didn't mean it." It was a lie. Gaston would get her something, but she didn't want that. Belle didn't want that monster giving her girl anything.
"But it might be my dog Lucky."
Lucky came into the picture about a year ago, after seeing dogs on TV, Rose had come up with an imaginary dog named Lucky. Rose believed he would come one day, and had plans to burst from room one day into outer space with him. Belle knew though, it wouldn't happen.
"Rose, we cannot have a dog. There is not enough space in here with the barking and the scratching." Belle told her.
"Lucky won't scratch. He promises."
"There is no Lucky!"
"Yes there is!"
"No there's not. You made him up in your head. He's not real." Belle shouted to emphasize her statement. Rose had never seen it before. Belle never tampered with her imagination before. Tears started coming down the child's face and her mother knew she went too far. "Rose I'm sorry. Come here, come here come here." Belle took Rose into her arms cradled her to calm her down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
The fight between mother and daughter was long forgotten. One of the beauties of children was if you apologize for fighting, they will forget about it soon. Later that evening, the girls worked more on thier string of roses while watching TV. It was to be a project that would continue on to the end of time. To never be done.
"Where do we go when we asleep?" Rose had been thinking about it in her head and then asked her mom.
"Right here in room." Belle answered vaguely.
"But dreams. Do we go into TV for dreaming?" Rose asked again.
"No, we're never anywhere but hear."
The next morning Rose awoken to find her mother already up, sitting at the table, with a new porcelain doll waiting just for her. Gaston had brought it last night, said he had got at a pawnshop for ten dollars. Belle still didn't like the idea of her daughter getting anything from that bastard, but knew her daughter deserved the best of what she could give her. If it meant swallowing her pride over Gaston, she do it. She would do it for her daughter.
"Can I open it?" Rose questioned so excitedly as she jumped from the bed.
Belle answered. "Mm-hmm."
Rose spent the rest of her day playing with her doll. She pretended she was her mommy, that they were going exploring, and danced all over the room with her. Rose had never had a toy before and now she had one forever. Needless to say Belle had grown sick of the doll after the first few hours. For how much it made her daughter happy, she would tolerate.
The next thing they played was called "scream". They would climb up as close to the skylight of room as they possibly could, screeching and screaming as loud as they could. Rose did very much enjoy the game, this one happen to be Belle's favorite. It was the chance they had of someone possibly being able to hear them crying for help. As Rose and Belle continued the game, Rose noticed nothing was happening.
"Why the aliens never scream back?" Rose had wondered.
"I guess they still can't hear us." It wasn't just the aliens Belle was talking about.
"We'll do it even louder okay." Belle was never more thrilled to hear her daughter's encouragement.
"Okay." Belle listened and they finished out there game. It seemed however they both lost the game this time.
While Belle was making grilled cheese for her and Rose, her daughter went back to playing with her doll.
"Mommy, Lily and I are going to a ball together." That was new name she gave her toy.
"Sounds wonderful love."
As Rose kept getting ready for her ball with Lily, she got distracted by unordinary odder. "Mommy, what smells bad?"
Belle then became aware of the smoke coming from the toaster, "Shit." She quickly took out the sandwich, but it was completely ruined. Rose was grossed out by the smell and the now burned food. Belle just grunted in frustration. How the hell could they keep living like this?
Gaston came that night, bringing the usual items Rose and Belle required. The First thing he noticed too was the smell. "What's that smell?"
"I burned some cheese." She took his bag from him, then finishing the explaining. "I just wasn't thinking."
"Well thinking is not your strong suit."
Belle hated when he insulted her in that matter. Made her feel like a child's play toy than a person. She kept playing along; it was better in the long run. "I know. Why don't you sit down?"
"Thanks. So, how did she like her doll?" She didn't say anything, but her face showed Rose loved her new present. "Yeah. I know my women."
It was sexist comment, neither of them were his girls. Belle ignored it, something else was on her mind. "The vitamins." She stated asking why he didn't get them.
"Ah, it's a waste of money. There's nothing in them."
"Well if we had a better diet-"
"Oh, here we go again." He was beginning to loose his cool, Belle knew to try and be as nice as she could. "Maybe if you could stop complaining and be a little grateful."
"Thank you."
"God it's like pulling teeth sometimes."
"Thank you for everything." It was completely meaningless coming out of her mouth. She would never, be thankful, grateful, for anything this man gave.
"You just have no idea about the world of today."
Of course not I have been living in this dump with my kid for six years, Belle said to herself but said aloud. "No."
"No. Who pays the power bill? Who pays for everything?"
"You."
"Mm-hmmm. And how do you think, I'm gonna be able to keep doing that?"
Those words did not sound right to Belle. "What do you mean?"
Gaston tried to ignore the question. "Nothing."
"No, but what does that mean?"
"Six months I've been laid off. Six months. Yeah. If you had to worry your little head-"
"What are you gonna do about it?" He needed to do something. If he didn't, Belle and Rose would starve, and she feared he would do worse to them before leaving them with no food. "Are you looking for a job?"
"There are no fucking jobs! Jesus."
There was bang from the inside of the wardrobe. Rose was still awake, listening to the entire thing, again. Gaston had never had heard Rose awake, hadn't seen her in god knows how long. He tried to get her to come out of the closet, and began to walk closer. "Hey."
"She's asleep." Belle quickly said trying to get him away. The last thing she wanted was him anywhere near Rose. Even more so if she was awake.
"I don't think so. Do you keep her in the closet all day, as well as all night? What, does the little freak have two heads or something?" He tired the next thing he knew kids really loved. Candy. "Hey, hey Rose."
"Come to bed."
"Do you want some candy?"
"Let's go to bed."
"Do you like candy, huh? Come on out and get some candy." Rose was persuaded, but she carried with her mothers instructions, to not come out of wardrobe when Gaston was there.
"Come to bed. Please?" Her last plead got him away from the closet.
"Please? Didn't your momma ever teach you any matters, young lady?"
That was enough to get him to the only thing he ever came for. Lights were turned off and the only thing left for Rose to do was to count the familiar creeks in the bed.
Rose woke up again in the middle night. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she wondered out wardrobe. She walked out to Gaston, getting her first real look at him. She brought up her finger, slowly bringing it up to his face, but Gaston woke up on his own, seeing the little girl staring down at him.
He smiled up at her. "Oh hey sweetheart."
"Rose get away from him!" Belle became wide-awake and her maternal instincts kicked in to high gear. She threw herself over Gaston shielding him from her daughter as Rose shrieked running back into wardrobe. "Don't touch her! Don't touch her!"
"Quit the noise! Quit the noise." He slapped Belle bringing her down onto the bed and held her there face, down onto the pillow so she couldn't breathe. "Do you want to breathe? Yeah? Do you want to breathe? Then shut up." He got up off her as she finally calmed down and was no longer screaming. "If you ever touch me like that again, if you ever grab me like that again. I'll fucking kill you. Do you understand me?"
"Don't touch her."
"Yeah. Don't you, forget who let you keep her."
Gaston left in a storm of range, and Belle knew this was the start of a long change of anger. She could focus on the consequences of her actions later, right now she wanted to make sure her baby was okay. "Rose? Rose?"
She rushed out hearing her name. Going straight to her mothers embrace. "I'm sorry I came out of wardrobe. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." She cried out over and over again."
"It's okay. It's okay baby." Belle just sat there in the bed, hugging her daughter, while Gaston's words rung in her head. Don't forget who let you keep her. Things would only get worse from here on out. Belle knew she had to do something.
Hope everyone liked it, I know it is a sour note, but this chapter was intense. One of the most intense chapters you will see in thos story. Next Rose is gonna learn about the world! Hope to hear more reivews, and follow and favortie! See you all soon!