Fallen
Eight: Follow the Yellow Brick Road
The small, rectangular window was the only source of light in the tiny room.
It was too high for her to reach, and when the sun went down, the room became very dark.
She hated it when the sun went down. She was all alone, and she couldn't see anything around her.
She wished her mom and dad would come and get her.
The woman that lived in the other room was nice, but she never let her outside to play, and she only gave her oatmeal, which she'd never liked, not even when her mom made it.
She really missed her mom.
At first, she thought that she was going to get into trouble. She knew that her dad didn't want to go shopping anymore, and she thought he would come after her when the Oatmeal woman pulled her out onto the street.
But he never came, and then the woman made her get into a car.
And she knew her dad would never find her in the car.
The door to the tiny room opened, and the woman came in with a bowl of oatmeal.
At first, the woman tried to make her eat, but now she just put the bowl on the floor, and left the room. When the door was closed, she looked over at the oatmeal, and then up at the little window.
The sun was going down.
…
"Jack, honey, you have to go to sleep."
"No!"
"Sweetheart, it's late, and mommy is very tired. Please, Jack. Just close your eyes for a minute."
"No!"
"Jack!"
"I don't want to be here alone!"
"Honey, your dad and I are right next to you."
"It's too dark! Don't leave me here, Mommy!"
…
She had a dream that she was walking down the Yellow Brick Road from The Wizard of Oz. She was walking down the road, and she met a Scarecrow, but it wasn't the man from the movie. The man looked like her dad. He danced around and he made her laugh. Then they met Uncle Joey, who was dressed like the Tin Man, and Uncle Ross, who was dressed like the Cowardly Lion. They all walked on the Road together, until they met the Wicked Witch, who was really the Woman in the Next Room.
The sound of a car, parking by her window, woke her up.
She sat up, and looked up at the window. She could see two sets of legs walk past the window, and she could hear them walk up the steps of the porch. She listened for the woman.
The people outside knocked on the door, and she heard the woman walk toward it, and open it.
She thought that maybe the people at the door were her parents. Or maybe they were policemen. She wanted them to hear her, but they were talking to the woman. She wondered if they would hear her. She wondered if maybe she could go home now.
She screamed, as loud as she could.
…
"What was that?"
"Oh, it's my daughter. She's just trying to get attention. She's in a bit of trouble right now," the woman laughed, and the officers nodded with a chuckle.
"My kid does the same thing," one of the officers offered.
"Anyway, if you see anyone acting suspicious, please let us know," the other officer said, as the two men turned to leave.
"I will, thank you for the warning. I certainly hope you catch whoever it is that you are looking for."
"We will," the first officer turned and smiled, as the men walked toward the patrol car.
The woman closed and locked the front door, and stormed toward the girl's room. She threw open the door, and grabbed the girl by the hair, before pushing her hand over the girl's mouth.
"You are a very silly girl," the woman said darkly.
…
Her eyes flew open at the sound of the scream. Her heart raced and she sat up with a start.
It was only then that she realized that Chandler was halfway across the room.
She scrambled out of bed and rushed after him.
The scream was…terrifying.
Chandler reached him first, pulling Jack into his arms without hesitation, letting the child scream and cry and thrash in his arms, holding him tightly, until he calmed down.
"Shh, it's okay, son," he whispered, when his cries reduced to whimpers.
"It's not," Jack whispered, "she needs me."
Monica felt her stomach turn, and she dropped next to them on the bed. She looked up to see that Chandler had gone pale—his jaw dropped in shock.
"Wh-who are you talking about, Jack?" he finally rasped.
"Erica."
…
The woman was really mad—she tossed her across the room, and now her shoulder hurt. She heard a loud noise from the other room, and then there were men yelling. The woman grabbed her, and dragged her out of the room. The yelling men had guns. They were yelling at Oatmeal woman. She was yelling back. Everything was so crazy.
So she screamed, as loud as she could.
And then everything stopped.
AN: Sorry this is so short. Obviously most of this is Erica's POV. More will be explained in the next chapter.
