Chapter 18

Mariah and all the other girls were laughing about nothing, some were sick.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING"

The woman had entered the attic looking stern. As usual she carried her bible. Andrea looked scared. Mariah was laughing her head off. All the girls ran towards the stairs. Linda grabbed Mariah's arm and pulled her along towards the stairs. Suddenly the woman grabbed Mariah preventing her from leaving.

Linda turned back. "Mariah, just pull away"

The woman turned to Linda. "I suggest you and your little friends go to your rooms, I will deal with Mariah, now leave us." The woman gave Linda a hard stare.

"Mariah don't let her scare you," Linda called to her running down the stairs. Linda didn't go to her room right away, she hid around the corner, waiting for Mariah to come back.

"Well young lady, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Mariah shrugged. "Oh yeah, I'm so sorry I drank some of your vodka, that's one quarter of a bottle gone, you still have another ten"

The woman was angry. "You are not worthy of the Lord's forgiveness, acting like a common drunk"

"Oh don't you mean you are the common drunk, you old trout"

The woman grabbed Mariah's hair and pushed her against the wall, making Mariah scream in pain and a loud thud to begin with. Mariah's back had landed hard against the wall. The woman looked on in pleasure. She then went to the corner of the room and grabbed some rope.

"Here at Oakwell we don't treat those who behave badly well, I'm going to show you what happens to naughty girls"

Mariah gulped, still unaware of the full situation because of the alcohol.

The woman slapped Mariah hard across the face, and then she twisted her arms around her back making them click. Mariah was in pain, the vodka helped numb it a bit, wasn't a lot of help though.

"Now Miss Sinclair, you are going to take your punishment now"

Mariah was confused; she thought that she just had her punishment.

"You see I have read a lot about psychology over the years, one subject has fascinated me, sensory deprivation, I trust you know all about that, and I am going to test it out on you"

Mariah was totally lost, she hadn't a clue what the woman was talking about.

The woman grabbed the rope and tied Mariah up really tight.

Mariah started to scream.

"You sadistic old cow"

The woman put her bony hand over Mariah's mouth. Mariah bit hardly into her fingers trying to escape. Then the woman raised her hand and slapped her across the face.

"Young lady, you will learn to behave, perhaps this should help"

The woman then gagged Mariah so she couldn't scream. Mariah kept making muffled sounds through the gag.

Then the woman walked to the other side of the room and unlocked a door. Then she went back over to Mariah and dragged her along. The rough floorboards increasing Mariah's pain.

The room seemed to be a small closet, there was no light. The woman then pulled Mariah into the closet.

"You might feel fine now my dear, but after you wake up in the morning I trust you won't. You won't have a clue what time it is, will you"

The woman looked on in pleasure. Mariah gave her a filthy look.

"Perhaps I can make you repent, I shall pray for you."

Mariah rolled her eyes. The woman said a short prayer from her Bible.

Then she was busy doing something, the woman turned around and held a tissue, she came up to Mariah and put the tissue up to her nose. Mariah soon passed out. The woman laughed evilly and left. She locked the door behind her leaving Mariah in the dark.

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Linda was still hiding then she heard footsteps, hoping Mariah would be there, she wasn't. The woman had returned alone and securing the panel.
Linda knew Mariah was still in the attic, the woman had locked her up there alone. As soon as the woman had left the corridor, Linda ran to the panel.

She tried to open it but there was no luck, it was jammed. Linda had to think of a way to get it open.

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The woman had returned to her office. She had to make changes to the arrangements for Mariah; she picked up the phone and dialled Grayson.

"Ah Mr Sinclair, this is Oakwell, there will have to be a change to Mariah's collection. You see she is not entirely ready to return home, perhaps you could return in 4 days, I guarantee she will be a changed girl"

The woman made her voice sound welcoming.

"Well that is settled then Mr Sinclair"

The woman put the phone down and began reading from her Bible. She then poured herself some vodka and began to drink.

The woman knew that Mariah was getting on well in that room, she would be all alone in the dark not knowing what day it was.

The woman gave an evil laugh.

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Mariah had felt herself drift off into sleep, she awoke some time later it was still dark. She had a pounding headache and remembered the drinking session. Mariah's arms and legs ached badly, her legs felt really sore and her face felt bruised. Mariah thought it was still dark, she tried getting up but failed, the ropes stopped her from getting up.

Mariah figured it was still night time; however it didn't seem likely, she remembered it was dark when she began drinking and she felt wide awake now. Without windows there was no way to tell, it would help if there was a clock of some sought but there was nothing.

Mariah tried to keep calm; there was nothing, not a sound, not a sight. Panicking wouldn't do anything; she would sit and wait it out.

It seemed like forever Mariah was locked up, and then she started to flip. Mariah couldn't take it anymore, she had run out of things to think about, then she started seeing things, Mariah saw her mum standing by her.

Mariah's eyes lit up, she tried to say something but nothing came out. Then she was gone. Mariah tried to pull herself together, the dark was driving her mad, she wasn't sure how long she had been like this, she hoped everything would get better soon. Then Mariah heard a noise, it got louder. Mariah was getting scared she figured it was one of the hallucinations.

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Linda had spoken to the other girls about Mariah's disappearance. It had been three days since they had last seen her. Linda knew she was being kept in that attic.

Andrea took a while to loosen the panel. Linda then got it open.

"Chrissie, Andrea, you girls come with me"

The three of them walked up the attic. They searched the whole floor and found nothing.

"I can't see her, there's nothing"

"Wait over there, a door, come on"

The three girls went over to a door, it was locked. Then Andrea picked the lock and opened it. Linda couldn't believe what she saw.

"Oh my god"

Linda ran over to Mariah, a look of fright over her. Andrea ungagged her, while Chrissie untied her.

Mariah was muttering something to herself.

"Not real, not real"

Andrea shook her. "Snap out of it, its me Andrea, we're here to rescue you"

Mariah started to realise this was not a hallucination.

"Andrea, thank god you're here, it was awful that woman locked me up here, get me out of here, please," Mariah pleaded.

Linda gave her a hug. "Its alright, you will be staying in Andrea's room tonight"

Mariah nodded.

"How long was I gone, what's the time?"

"You were missing for three days, it's now 8pm"

Mariah tried to get up. She was a bit stiff, but she managed.

"Let's get out of here"

They all took Mariah down to the safety of Andrea's room.

"What did she do to you Mariah" Chrissie said.

"Well its still a bit blurry but its coming to me. Well after she kept me back from you all, she hit me and tied me up, and then she dragged me to that closet room. She gagged me and locked me up in the dark. It was driving me mad, didn't have a clue what time of the day it was then I started hallucinating, and even thought I saw my mum. When I saw you burst in there I thought I was hallucinating then."

"What a witch," Linda said.

Mariah was wondering about Grayson.

"Did my dad arrive the other day?"

Chrissie shook her head. "Nobody has come or gone since your arrival"

"Strange" thought Mariah, perhaps Grayson had abandoned her here for the long term.

Andrea let Mariah sleep in her bed, being as she had a hard time in the attic room. She then got some biscuits and a cup of water for Mariah.

"Goodnight, Mariah, tomorrow we're getting you out of this place"

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