~ oOo ~
So I officially suck at schedules - here's a new chapter, almost two whole
days early. I've had a great day with my spotty puppy and I'm in too good
a mood to hold out on you, especially as you've all been so nice and wonderful
to me since I started posting this little tale of mine!
Thank you again to everyone who is taking the time to read and review!
And a special thanks to those who have deemed this story worthy of recommendations
on your various platforms. It truly means so much to me.
PS I'm still aiming for a Friday update as well as this one :) Let's just call this a bonus LOL
~ oOo ~
Summary: When two little girls were allowed to walk
home from school one bright spring day nobody could've
predicted the events that followed. The way two families
were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man.
Nearly twelve years on, we'll watch as the two girls stolen
away from their homes at eight years old fight to take
back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. AU
Pinky Promises
Chapter Five
Rosalie hummed, stretching out like a cat with her arms overhead, toes pointed beneath the cover. The cool air in the room chilled her feet when they slipped from the protection of the duvet, so she quickly tucked them back under. With a huff of sleepy annoyance she turned her head on the pillow, blinking her eyes into focus so she could see if Scarlett was awake yet. She was very aware the day would be difficult for her even though she'd always acted as though the date held no significance, as though it weren't her beloved dad's birthday.
But she wasn't there.
"Scarlett?" Something akin to fear snaked into her gut as Rosalie shot upright, looking around for Scarlett only to finally spot her leaning against the wall across the room, eyes staring blankly out of the window, Marley draped over her chest with her bunny squashed between their bodies. "Scarlett, are you ok?"
Her question still unanswered, she clambered unsteadily from the bed, having to untangle her feet from the covers before she could reach her. Assuming something outside had unsettled her, she followed Scarlett's unseeing gaze, eyeing the barn lit up by early morning light. The snow was finally all gone, the clouds drifting off towards the mountains while the first rays of sun started to shine upon the ranch. There was a definite air of spring outside.
Inside, however, the air was practically vibrating with nervous energy. It set Rosalie on edge as she waited for Scarlett to show some sign of acknowledgement. She was scaring her.
"Are you ready?"
Rosalie's eyes widened at the sound of Scarlett's scratchy voice. She gulped.
"Rosalie, are you ready?"
Their heartbeats seemed to bounce around the room, loud and quick, their breaths shallow as the words sank in, took root.
"It's time," Scarlett added. The double meaning of the statement wasn't lost on either of them. Bright shafts of light filtered through the naked panes on Scarlett and Rosalie, their eyes meeting. Rosalie's were rapidly filling with tears she couldn't control. They were more hopeful than they'd ever been. Never had Rosalie ever wanted to read Scarlett's mind as much as she did in that moment. The moment she'd been waiting for Scarlett to initiate, because she wasn't brave enough.
Are you ready?
The words thundered around Rosalie's head without reprieve. Was she ready? How could she tell? And if she wasn't ready, should she say so?
Rosalie didn't think so. She sucked in a breath. "Y-yes. I'm ready."
Scarlett nodded, breathing deeply. "You pack up the essentials, I'm gonna get a few things from downstairs. I'll be as quick as I can. Don't leave this room until I come for you, ok?"
Within minutes of waking Rosalie found herself in an alternate reality. One in which she was getting the thing she most longed for.
Escape.
It was a word she and Scarlett\ had never allowed themselves to dwell on, so when Scarlett carefully transferred a still-sleeping Marley to her arms, Rosalie felt the adrenaline kick in.
With not a second to waste she laid Marley on the bed, changed out of her pajamas into a pair of worn jeans and a t-shirt, then pulled two old duffel bags from beneath the bed to fill with things they might need. Underwear, a few t-shirts and jeans, toiletries. Marley's tatty blanket, and a couple of hand towels so they'd have something, even they were small, to dry themselves with.
In her haste to get dressed she spotted a glinting silver locket atop the cabinet. With teary eyes and shaky hands she clasped it around her neck before hurrying around the room so that when Scarlett returned in a few minutes, they'd be ready to go. Despite not having a clue what she had planned, Rosalie trusted Scarlett implicitly, and after years of imagining this day she was adamant it wouldn't be through any fault of hers they were delayed.
Downstairs, Scarlett took a steadying breath before using the pilfered spare key to unlock the heavy black door to the forbidden room. The study.
The dark, wood-paneled walls held secrets and horrific memories. On the coffee table in the center of the room sat a half-empty bottle of amber liquid, an empty glass on its side inches away. Scarlett spotted an open notebook there too, but that wasn't her goal.
Her goal was the large desk on the other side of the burgundy leather sofa.
Her feet carried her with feline grace to the rear where the drawers were located. It was then that she really saw how sure of himself he was. The drawers were unlocked. Clearly he believed the locked study door was all the deterrent needed. For others, maybe it would've been. But for Scarlett this was her chance. Perhaps her only chance. She'd watched him drive away in his four-by-four an hour before, so she was well aware it was a now or never situation.
If he checked his cameras and there happened to be one in the study, if he caught her snooping…God only knew what he'd do to her. It didn't bear thinking about.
Only a miracle would save her.
Heart pounding, her mouth dry, Scarlett rummaged frantically through the papers littering the top of the desk as well as the drawers beneath. The task was harder than it could've been because she didn't know what, exactly, to look for. Some proof that she and Rosalie weren't his? A photo? A letter? Anything. It was all she allowed herself to hope for.
"Come on, come on, come on…" she breathed, slamming yet another drawer shut after a fruitless search.
About ready to give up and just take their chances running, she glanced up. A wayward beam of reflected light caught her eye. It looked like the latch of a box, but it was partially hidden by a book so she couldn't quite tell. A quick check of the keyring on the desk later had Scarlett stunned at his audacity. Resting innocently beside the key to the study itself was a tiny silver key, most likely a key to a safety deposit box or something similar. Inhaling, Scarlett stepped around the desk, reaching above her head for the wooden box to pull it down. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she slid the key into the slot, twisting it on an exhale that physically hurt. The muted click made her stomach churn.
Something about this box gave her chills. She had a feeling about it, and it wasn't at all pleasant.
None of that mattered a few seconds later. As soon as Scarlett lifted the lid all her breath rushed from her lungs. It was everything she could've wished for. Staring back at her with wide, smiling eyes was the photo of her, Rosalie, and Archie that was used in the campaign to find them. Beneath it were paper clippings, snapshots printed from the computer that had clearly been taken from newspaper websites, a wrinkled copy of the 'MISSING' poster that littered Sussex for months after the girls' disappearance, and a couple of blank CD cases with discs inside.
The sight made Scarlett's eyes fill with angry tears. All these years he'd been more than aware of what he'd been doing to them, and to their familiar. Yet he'd kept them apart. Kept them imprisoned. It lit a hateful match in her heart. One which could never be extinguished.
Abruptly Scarlett was furious with everything. The situation, him, and the authorities for not being able to find them. Everyone else for believing his lies. Her stomach rolled with nausea. Pain threatened to overtake her rational mind. Fear, betrayal, and agonizing fury worked together to pull her apart surprisingly effectively.
Then, she heard Rosalie's cries in her mind. Heard her sobbing for the loss of their homes, their families and friends, and she knew she had to hold herself together for just a short while longer. Just until they were out of here. Until they were free. Freedom was something Marley had never felt. She'd never experienced absolute freedom, the ability to be spoilt and cherished, to have cuddles with her family. To go to nursery, visit the park, feel the wind in her hair when she got to experience a swing for the first time. She'd had none of that.
But she would. Scarlett was determined to give her all that and more.
Forcing her body upright, she removed the contents of the box, swiping a plastic folder from another shelf before tucking the papers inside and sliding it into the front of her trousers beneath her jumper so she'd still be able to use her hands. After shoving the box back into place she grabbed the keys, and prepared to leave.
A dark, intimidating figure stopped her in her tracks.
"And where do you think you are going?"
No! No, not him, not now.
Scarlett's breath began coming in quick, quiet but harsh pants. She didn't hear his truck. Surely she should have? A lightning-fast glance out of the window showed the vehicle parked right out in the distance, a tiny dot on the horizon just before the bend in the hills that lead to the open road she craved.
"Answer me!" He bellowed.
Scarlett jumped. Steeled for a fight, the faces of her girls at the front of her mind, for the first time in twelve years, she made herself breathe deeply so she wouldn't pass out, forcing her body into a rigid stance that wouldn't totally give away her terror.
Garrett Smith stood in the doorway, thick arms crossed over a broad chest, feet set shoulder-width apart while one dark gray brow lifted slightly. It might have been a conscious movement, or it might have been involuntary. Scarlett didn't know. And to be honest, she didn't care.
The vein in his neck twitched ominously. "Well?" He snarled.
"Get out of my way."
"Excuse me?"
"I said," Scarlett heaved in a panicky lungful of hair, "get out of my way. This is over."
Adrenaline, anger, and a shot of much-needed courage shot through her veins, fighting back the fear snapping at her heels. This stance, his body the way it was in that exact moment, was sickeningly familiar. The sight of his hand rhythmically clenching and unclenching against his arm set her teeth on edge. The fine hairs at the back of Scarlett's neck stood on end. She struggled valiantly to keep her eyes locked with his small, ice-cold hazel ones. There was no warmth there. Just his selfish need to be in control. To be feared.
To own.
Two hearts raced, but for very different reasons.
"And who says it's over, Scarlett?" An icy fist squeezed her chest. He took a step forward. "The way I see it, you're still the same child you were twelve years ago. Weak."
Another step.
"Pathetic."
Another.
"Useless."
He hit on every self-criticism she'd ever had. It always killed Scarlett that she hadn't been able to protect herself and Rosalie all those years ago. A little voice in the back of her head insisted you were eight years old, defenseless children. That's why he chose you.
His thin lips pulled upwards into an evil sneer. "You and Rosalie aren't going anywhere, and you know it."
It didn't escape her notice that he didn't mention Marley. He rarely did, though. He didn't acknowledge her existence if he didn't have to.
"We're leaving. Y-you can't stop us."
"On the contrary, I can."
He was just a few feet away, now. Close enough for her to feel the faint wisps of his breath as he battled to keep his tone in check, not knowing where Emmett might be. "What makes you think I'd let you go now, huh? Why would I after everything I've done for you two ungrateful brats?"
"Done for us? Are you crazy?"
Years of pent up emotion came tumbling from Scarlett's mouth.
"You kidnapped us! You bundled us in the back of a truck and took us away from our family, our friends! Hell, away from England! You expect us to be grateful? Get real, jackass."
Idly, Scarlett considered that if this were a cartoon, which it unfortunately wasn't, there would've been steam coming from his ears. As it was, his eyes widened in time with his flaring nostrils in a way oddly reminiscent of a bull about to charge. Scarlett utilized the burst of bravery she'd been given to continue, maybe foolishly.
"For twelve goddamn years you've kept us trapped out in the middle of nowhere as your slaves. The only reason we even know where we are is because the guys talk about it sometimes. You just bring these random men out here and don't even—" The thoughts that overtake Scarlett's mind stop her. She chokes on her words, swallowing hard. "You don't even care what they do here. You're an evil, vindictive, psychotic asshole and I can't wait to see you get your—"
Before she could say another word, he was upon her. With one hand he gripped her shoulder, the other clasping the base of her neck. She cried out when her back hit the wall but the little breath in her lungs was expelled by the force with which she was slammed backwards.
"Enough out of you! Enough!" He growled. "You don't know a thing! Nothing!"
Whether it was bravery or stupidity Scarlett didn't know, but she managed to choke out "why?" He loosened his grip with the expression of a man who'd been struck, allowing her to suck in a small amount of air. Broken, painful breaths rasped through her lips as she inhaled greedily, eyes watering, throat burning. His mood-swings had always given her whiplash, but this was something else. The man towering over her stared, but he didn't move either of his hands. For an eternity the only sound in the room was Scarlett's coughing.
"He stole her from me, you know." This was said in a strange tone. Eerily soft. Dangerously upbeat.
Wide, terrified blue-green eyes flicked upwards for a second as she clutched at the grip around her throat. "Who?"
Even in the state she was in Scarlett had the wherewithal to try to understand, to find out as much as possible. In case I get away alive, she thought with determination, keeping Rosalie and Marley at the forefront of her mind. They were her reason for carrying on, for pushing through the agony of his beatings. Every day had been a battle but for Rosalie, her best friend, and Marley, sweet, innocent little Marley, she'd do anything.
"Penelope Wallis." Hazel eyes met Scarlett's shocked gaze for a beat. "Your mother," he added as though she might not recognize her dead mother's name. Still unable to speak above a whisper, she didn't even try, simply staring at him with a knot in her brow.
Mum? She thought with panic. He knew her?
"She was the most beautiful woman in the whole world, I was sure of it."
Scarlett had become increasingly suspicious of his mental health over the years. He'd lost it, she realized as he gazed unseeingly at her face. Vaguely, she fathomed that he probably never 'had it' in the first place.
"She was mine." A rumbling, animalistic growl reverberated in his chest. Scarlett's heart skipped a beat at the sound, at the possessiveness saturating his tone. "If it hadn't been for James she'd have been mine. He didn't give anyone a chance at school a chance to get her. Didn't give me a chance."
The venom in his voice was new. She was so used to his anger that never before had she found the courage to see the jealousy in his eyes, in his words. It was so obvious when she looked for it.
"She was supposed to be my wife. You were supposed to be my daughter. Mine!"
"No…" Scarlett breathed, suddenly seeing the reason for all this. For the ranch, their kidnap, the pain she'd watched Rosalie suffer with, and the caged life Marley had experienced in her few short years of life. The reason for it all?
Garrett was jealous.
The past twelve years were a result of a lifelong, one-sided vendetta because her dad won her mum's heart. All of this…the agony and the heartache, it was a schoolyard battle gone wrong.
A hysterical snort burst from her lips, causing hazel eyes to flip instantaneously from unseeing to alert, locked onto hers like a ball and chain.
"It's all his fault!" He roared, grasping Scarlett's jacket to better pin her against the wall. Fury reignited, the flush of anger spreading in a bloody hue across his lightly tanned and sparsely wrinkled face. The air flooded from Scarlett's body in one long whoosh, bathing his face and rustling the greasy gray strands either side of his head.
An explosion of tears streamed down Scarlett's cheeks, wild blonde curls sticking to them. Looking at him now through blurred eyes, seeing the craziness in his gaze up close with his shaking hands wrapped tight around her neck, Scarlett realized that she, Rosalie, and Marley had never really stood a chance.
He'd snapped a long time ago.
The last thought to grace her mind before blackness enveloped her into its welcoming embrace was of her dad's face as she mouthed a silent, "happy birthday, Daddy."
~ oOo ~
Rosalie was panicking. She was growing desperate at Scarlett's prolonged absence, and Marley had woken up after a nightmare expecting to be able to snuggle Scarlett, so she was upset to say the least. Rosalie had seen the truck in the distance but not Garrett walking back, so she hadn't known to warn Scarlett.
A low whine in the back of Marley's throat had Rosalie spinning halfway through the circuit she was pacing. She forced a shaky smile, crouching in front of the doe-eyed little girl perched on the end of the bed. "It's ok, Marley moo, Scarlett will be back for us any minute, and then we're going to go on a little trip. Doesn't that sound fun?"
Marley shook her head vehemently side-to-side, big eyes wide and fearful. The sight made Rosalie grimace as she reached out to pull Marley against her chest. The child snuggled into her, reaching back for her beloved Mister Eddie.
"Marley moo, I know you've only ever lived here, but there's a big wide world for us to explore together, ok? And we're finally going to show you it. We're going to go on an adventure, wouldn't you like that? There's lots to see and do, lot more people. Nice people, like Emmett. You like Emmett, right?"
Marley nodded against Rosalie's shoulder, earning a smile.
"So there's lots more nice people like Emmett for you to meet, and all kinds of amazing things for you to do and see. We've just got to wait for Scarlett to come back, then we're gonna go, all right?"
With a heavy sigh, Marley nodded once more, settling down against Rosalie with her arms wound tight around the older girl's neck, small body tense but more relaxed than she had been.
Rosalie wished she could say the same. Waiting anxiously for Scarlett, she was more tense than she'd ever been.
After another twenty minutes of pacing she'd had enough. She managed to loop the two duffels over her arm, carrying them and Marley down the stairs on feather-light feet. She faced a conundrum then. Should she carry Marley with her, not knowing what she might come across? Or try to leave her in a safe spot?
Marley made up her own mind, as it turned out. Rosalie had barely taken a step towards the hall she never ventured down when Marley began to squirm and wriggle to get down. Hesitating, Rosalie scanned the area desperately, huffing when she spotted it. In the foyer there was a cupboard, small but perfect – if Marley would let Rosalie make use of it. She walked closer, pulling her head back to look Marley in the eye. She stared at her, confused and not at all happy about being downstairs without Scarlett.
"Ok Marley, I need you to stay right here for a minute. I'll be back for you really soon, I promise."
Marley whimpered, clutching her bunny tighter.
"You hold onto Mister Eddie and I'll be back before you know it."
Rosalie hated to do it, but she shoved the shoes in the cupboard to one side, settling Marley in the new space with her bunny before running a hand over her head. Scarlett had plaited it the night before, so it hung in loose curls down her back and over her shoulders. She looked adorable. Terrified, but adorable.
"I love you, Marley moo. Stay right here, all right?"
Marley nodded, squeezing her toy and shuffling backwards a few inches as Rosalie pushed the door to, making sure to leave it open a few inches so light could still get inside. Then, she mustered up all the courage she could and edged down the hall towards the study. When Scarlett told her that she needed a few things Rosalie assumed paperwork was what she meant and was confused about how she would get into the study in the first place, as it was always kept locked. However, she was also under no illusions that Scarlett could do whatever she wanted if she set her mind to it. That's just the sort of person she'd always been – a fixer.
A sudden, muffled yell made Rosalie's entire body lock into place. She took a hesitant step closer to the door so she could see inside. In all her life Rosalie had never seen anything so disturbing as the sight that greeted her when she peeked around the doorframe.
Garrett had Scarlett pinned against the wall, his hands holding her there by the neck, heaving breaths overpowering her small cries. The air was thick with tension, fog-like and growing considerably more unbearable as the life poured from Scarlett's body.
Rosalie pressed her shaking form to the wall, forced to admit Garrett was more out of control than she'd thought. It killed her a little to think that maybe Scarlett had known, but hadn't told her. Rosalie's mind whirred with the thoughts and things she'd seen or heard that made it impossible for her to know what to do. It was always Scarlett who saved them from situations like this. She always stopped conflicts before they could escalate and reach Rosalie, especially when it came to their kidnpper.
Panic-stricken baby-blue eyes searched the hallway in desperation, hunting for anything that ould get them out of this mess.
Time was running out.
Sitting innocently on a cabinet shelf a few feet away was a golden statue, its metal dimmed by years of sitting in a darkened hallway without care or attention. Rosalie's eyes swept over it but reversed, the answer to their prayers coming to her in a flash of clarity. She scoffed internally when reaching up with an unsteady hand to pull it down. The dusty statue was clearly meant to be a likeness of Garrett. In her small hand, she gripped it tight. Tight enough to create indentations in her palm but not enough to detract from her determination to do what had to be done.
Her tattered black trainers were silent as she crept into the study for the first time. Her eyes were set unwaveringly on the broad shoulders of Garrett Smit, the man who stole her and Scarlett from everything they'd ever known.
Garrett Smith, the evil creature who had tormented her strong, brave, resilient Scarlett for almost as long as Rosalie could remember.
Garrett Smith, the vile excuse for a human being who deserved to pay dearly for what he'd done to the once happy-go-lucky best friend she'd always thought of as a sister.
Garrett Smith…the man who was about to get his long-overdue comeuppance.
A loose floorboard creaked loudly when Rosalie's toes pressed it. Her breath hitched. He began to turn, his grip on Scarlett shifting just enough for her to inhale a shallow breath. Rosalie noted with a pang of distress that Scarlett had slipped into unconsciousness.
The inhuman snarl on Garrett's face when his profile came into view was the last straw.
Summoning every bit of strength in her petite body, she swung the statue through the air with all her might. The impact of the metal hitting his skull was stomach-churning, the force shaking Rosalie to her core. The lump of metal fell from her trembling hand, hitting the floor with a clang just feet away from the prone body at her feet leaking blood from a gash at the temple of his head.
Scarlett fell to the ground beside him, the lack of her breathing the only thing capable of diverting Rosalie's attention.
"Scarlett! Scarlett, wake up!" Rosalie sobbed over Scarlett's body, sinking to the floor. She pulled her shoulders in a weak attempt to sit her up. With the way her body was, slimmer than it should've been, it would be impossible for her to move Scarlett by herself. With freedom so close, almost close enough to touch, Rosalie had no option but to consider getting help from the only other conscious adult on the ranch.
Emmett.
Another sharp, choked breath from Scarlett's lips was all it took to make Rosalie's mind up. She gently placed her head on a cushion from the sofa before leaping up to run towards the front door. The thump of it banging against the wall when she threw it open was audible out in the barn where Emmett was busily rearranging the hay stores.
Rosalie skid into the barn seconds later, wide-eyed and snow-white, sliding on the damp floor right into Emmett's arms. Inhaling sharply with embarrassment and a little fear, she clamped her eyes shut. Even though the pair, along with Scarlett, had established a good friendship over the past month or so, the unexpected touch set her nerves on edge.
"Sorry," he mumbled once he was sure she was steady on her feet. Emmett peered down at her worriedly, his curiosity and fear spiked by her sudden entrance. The worry was only made worse when Scarlett didn't appear behind her, like usual. The young man's chest ached with sorrow as he silently urged her to get herself together at least enough to explain what was wrong. His hands itched to reach up and smooth away the tears staining her pallid cheeks.
"I need your help," she eventually choked.
Emmett's eyes widened. She never asked for help.
"Garrett-was-holding-Scarlett-by-the-throat-so-I-hit-him-and-I-think-he's-dead-and-Scarlett-needs-help!"
Stunned silence followed Rosalie's hastily blurted statement. She exhaled a heavy breath, unable to look at Emmett at all, instead focusing her eyes on a saddle resting on a stand behind him. Emmett simple took a few long seconds to soak up what she'd said, his heart racing a mile a minute. His eyes cast around as though checking for eavesdroppers before he remembered there wasn't anybody around. Emmett handed her a clean handkerchief from his pocket, then sighed.
"Ok, I need you to try to calm down. Breath. Go sit in the hayloft where we hide the guitars." He spoke softly but firmly, not allowing for any misinterpretation on her part even though he wanted to scream and yell at himself for not doing something sooner, guilt twisting his stomach. "Wait, where's Marley?"
Rosalie's cheeks flushed pink. "She's in the cupboard in the hall. I need to go get her."
"Ok, get Marley, then come back here and wait for me. Look at me, Rosalie." Their eyes locked. "Take these."
Emmett handed her a bunch of keys. "Don't use them yet, I'll be right back for you and Marley. What have you got to do, Rosalie?"
She stood stock-still, overwhelmed. It wasn't even eight a.m.
"Take the keys, get Marley, don't use them. Go to the hayloft. Don't move 'til you come back."
"Good. Anything else you need to grab?"
Rosalie nodded wearily. "A couple bags, I'll get them. Scarlett's in the s-study."
Needing a distraction, Rosalie glanced down, catching sight of Emmett's leg. The bandage beneath his loose-fitting jeans made the injury location easy to spot – she hoped it wouldn't hinder him. Seeing where her worried eyes had wandered, he assured her he'd be ok before ushering her towards the house so she could fetch Marley. Only once he'd watched her lift Marley from the cupboard, and helped load her up with their two duffels, did he make his way down the hall to the study, leaving Rosalie in the barn to soothe a very upset little girl.
Tears soaked Rosalie's already-streaked cheeks as she rocked her body side-to-side in an attempt to comfort herself as well as Marley. Her body ached, her heart hurting with the knowledge of how badly this morning had gone, and how hopeless their situation suddenly seemed. With only one ending to this mess seeming likely she couldn't help but feel the hope leaking from her into the hay below.