Chapter 19

The woman had ordered Andrea to make her a cup of tea. Andrea took her chance, it was now or never. Andrea took some pills and dropped them into the tea, she stirred it around a few times making sure it was properly dissolved then she served it to the woman. She wasn't suspecting a thing.

The woman snatched the tea cup out of Andrea's hand causing the hot liquid to splash across Andrea's hand. Andrea jumped.

The woman looked at her. "Well, girl, get on with your work"

Andrea turned and left the room, the woman just sipped her tea. Andrea watched her from around the corner, in no time at all the pills had taken effect. The woman drifted into a sleep causing the cup to fall to the floor making a huge stain on the rug.

Andrea nodded satisfied, now she had to help the others get Mariah away from Oakwell.

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Mariah had everything ready. All of the girls: Chrissie, Linda and Natalia were saying there goodbyes.

"I'll miss you Mariah," Linda said giving her a hug.

"Me too," was Chrissie's reply.

"And me," said Natalia.

Then Andrea came through the door.

"Right everything is set, the old witch is out of it for a few hours, come on Mariah we best be getting you out of here.

The girls all hurried down stairs with Mariah to the front door.

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Back in Emmerdale the King's and Gabby were frantic. Matthew had arrived.

"There's no sign of them, his car is not at the Mill"

Jimmy had been to the holiday village. "Well he's not in the camp, I've searched all over, there's no sign of them"

"Oh you don't think he murdered her, like he did to her mom?" asked Gabby awkwardly.

Matthew shook his head. "No I'm quite sure he hasn't harmed her, I know he's capable of anything, but I don't think he would kill his own daughter, besides he is very protective of her"

Tish was listening, shaking all over. Gabby went to calm her down.

"It's alright Tish, we'll get her back, don't you worry"

Then Carl spoke. "Hang on, what about that place he used to live at back in 2006 with his brother and mother, what was it called....oh yeah Oakwell Hall"

Jimmy seemed interested.

"I remember that place, why would he take her there"

"Jimmy, I went there for dinner once with Sadie, its quite a way away, really isolated out there, come on lets go"

They all followed Matthew out to his car, they all just about fitted in. Matthew drove towards Oakwell Hall, trying to remember the way.

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All of the girls had gotten outside. They all wished Mariah the best and told her to take care, wherever she was going. Mariah started walking up the long driveway towards the gates, she was halfway across and she gave a final wave back to the girls. They all went back inside and closed the door, they watched from the living room window.

Mariah was almost at the gate when something unexpected happened. A red Range Rover was coming her way.

"Oh no," Mariah gasped. She knew that car right away it was Grayson. Mariah had to act quickly she couldn't keep going to the gate; she would have to go back inside. Mariah began to run, she couldn't go fast, and her legs were not in top form.

Mariah knew Grayson was too fast, he would catch her pretty soon.

The girls all watched what was going on.

"Quick open the front door, she seems to want to get away from that car," Linda shouted out.

Chrissie ran to the front door and opened it, the other girls joined her.

"Mariah, run, quick, he's gaining on you," called Andrea to Mariah.

Andrea could make out the driver. He was definitely male and was dressed smartly. She figured it must be her dad, judging by Mariah's behaviour.

Mariah tripped over and got herself up quickly. It didn't help her falling; it made her closer to the car. The front door seemed miles away, she was hoping she would make it. Then the car was right next to her, the door swung open.

Grayson leaned over and violently pulled her inside. Mariah screamed, she saw the look of horror on the girls faces. The door swung shut and Grayson locked them.

"Princess, it's so glad to see you, I missed you, you know"

Mariah started making a fuss as the car drove out of the gates and down the main road.

"Now princess if you can't behave, I will have to make you, you don't want that do you princess?"

Mariah just slid down into the seat, wondering when the nightmare would end.

Back at Oakwell the girls were horrified. Mariah's dad had snatched her and there was nothing they could do. They all went back inside to the living room.

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An hour later Matthew's car had arrived at Oakwell. They parked out the front and everyone got out.

The place sent a chill down Gabby's spine.

Matthew rang the doorbell. A young girl answered.

"Can I help?"

"We're looking for a girl, she's 16 her name is Mariah Sugden"

The girl gasped. "You best come in, sit in the living room"

She showed them to the living room, they all sat down.

Minutes later the girl returned with some other girls.

"My name Is Chrissie, this is: Andrea, Linda and Natalia,"

They all shook hands. Matthew spoke.

"My name is Matthew King, these are my brothers Jimmy and Carl, this is Gabby and Tish"

Chrissie spoke.

"It seems everyone wants to see Mariah today, about half an hour ago a man in a red Range Rover had snatched Mariah and drove off"

Matthew and the others knew who it was right away, Gabby spoke.

"Grayson Sinclair, her psycho father," she said it through gritted teeth.

"Oh my god Linda, it was him," Andrea said.

Gabby was interested to know what this place was.

"Um, what is this place anyway?"

Linda decided to tell her. "It's the Oakwell Home for Girls, it's a place that well to do families dump their children, when they have had enough of them"

Gabby was horrified. "That's terrible"

The girls nodded in agreement.

"So do you know where he was headed?"

Andrea nodded, "He headed left at the gates, from what Mariah told us he sounds really horrible"

"So why are you girls in here?" Gabby decided to say.

Chrissie gave her story first. "My parents like to socialise with the local society, they attend many parties, I hated it, so I refused. They dumped me here, said they couldn't have a daughter that wouldn't socialise"

Linda was next. "I didn't get the right GCSE grades, I was disowned immediately. I got 11 A grades, they wanted me to have 11 A* grades"

Gabby was disgusted.

Now came Natalia. "Well my parents wanted me married off, It was only earlier this year, I told them it was nonsense, then when I found out they tried to pair me with some stupid stock broker, I was physically sick. Come on the guy was old enough to be my father. Then when I told them absolutely not, they dumped me here"

Finally there was Andrea. "My parents always enjoyed the high life, were always busy, I had been put in boarding schools from a young age. I never saw my parents when I came home on holidays. I never knew my parents. Then one day they told me I wasn't needed any more, so I was dumped here"

They all had extreme stories; they were all unwanted by their families.

"And who runs this place?" asked Jimmy.

Linda spoke. "This nasty middle aged woman, she's asleep at the moment. She's one of those strict religious people, if you ask me she's really sadistic. She takes pleasure at our suffering. Then there was what she did to Mariah"

Gabby spoke. "What"

"Well Mariah was always outspoken to her. Her religious ways didn't affect Mariah in any way; she stood up to her whenever she abused her. Then one night she locked up Mariah in a dark room for 3 days. When we found Mariah she was a nervous wreck. She hadn't a clue what day or time it was."

Matthew and everyone were horrified. Then they remembered they had to go and track Grayson down.

They all thanked the girls and left, heading the way that Grayson had gone.

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Mariah was so miserable; she wished she never met her dad. Mariah remembered back when her mom was alive, how she always used to fight and how she once wished she could meet her dad. Mariah had heard the famous saying be careful what you wish for. This was true in her case. Mariah had said nothing to Grayson for most of the journey.

"I'm glad you have calmed down"

Mariah ignored him and stared out of the window, there were only trees on the side of the road, it looked like a forest road.

"Princess I wish you would cheer up," then Grayson gasped at what he saw. Mariah had a cut lip and there was some bruising on her face.

"Whatever happened, princess, tell me"

Mariah snapped. "Oh like you care, that old hag you dumped with me, did this to me, you happy"

Grayson looked hurt. "I'm so sorry"

"Oh save your apologies, your no father of mine"

The forest had ended and the road started to go down a hill. Grayson pulled up to a picnic area and stopped the car and got out. Mariah followed.

"Princess, don't be like that"

"Oh what do expect me to react like, all happy"

"You're my daughter, my pride and joy, I only want the best"

"And what is best for me, all these lies and deceit. First you murder my mum, so you can take me in, then you abduct Tish, so I have no friends, you force me away from dance, have me in a car crash, drug me, dump in some home and you keep your stay in a mental hospital secret,"

Grayson looked worried, he headed to the end of the picnic area and to what looked like a cliff top, he stood and admired the view. Mariah marched up.

"Dad, why did you do this to me, why can't you just be honest?"

"Princess, please you have to understand"

"Understand, understand, what. I only wanted a dad; instead you turn out to be a monster"

Grayson looked sad. He wanted Mariah to understand.

"See even now you can't be honest, can you, just tell me why you did everything"

Grayson sighed. "Princess, your mom didn't want me to see you, I had to do something"

"So you took the easy way out, you could have gone to a court, you're a barrister it would be easy for you"

Grayson carried on. "Then there was your friend Tish, you were always with her, there was no way you would be interested in me"

Mariah rolled her eyes. "Look, you're my dad of course I would be interested in you, so why did you lie about Perdita?"

Grayson was finding this hard. "Perdy and I, well it was a hard relationship; those things happened a long time ago, it wasn't relevant.

Mariah nodded. "Why didn't you tell me about your time in a mental hospital, then dad?"

"I didn't want you to think less of me, I'm your dad, you're meant to look up at me, not be ashamed"

Mariah couldn't forget that. She stared over at the view, they were close to the edge, and it was a steep drop, if any of them were to fall.

Grayson then put his arm around her. Mariah jumped to the side.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING"

"Princess, please don't be like that"

"You thought I had forgiven you didn't you?" Mariah was saying in a low voice. She didn't want that man near her.

"You have to understand I did those things for you"

Mariah laughed in his face. "For me, you had me in a car crash, think how I must have felt, then you drug me, countless times, I can't forgive that, and this, look," Mariah pointed to her face at the bruises and cut lip.

"Princess, I, I don't understand"

"You, don't, understand" Mariah said through gritted teeth.

She continued. "You dumped me in that hell hole, with the devil herself. She beat me, locked me in a dark room for days. Do you know what that feels like, do you? Not knowing what day of time it is, complete silence and seeing things"

Grayson looked terrible. "I'm sorry princess, I never meant to"

Mariah turned her back to him, just about an inch from the edge. Then Grayson approached her.

"Keep away from me; you did this to me, you satisfied"

"Princess, please, I never knew"

"Oh save it, you ruin Perdita's life and now you have ruined mine"

"Listen, Princess, why don't me and you go away somewhere, we could go south to London"

Mariah couldn't believe this, she turned to face him.

"I'm going nowhere with you, I hate you," Mariah spat.

Grayson looked hurt, he grabbed hold of her shoulder. None of them noticed a car coming across the road and parking on the grass.

"Get your murdering hands off of me"

Grayson tried to calm her down. "Listen to me Princess, you will like living in London, you can put all of these memories out of your head"

Grayson wasn't listening to Mariah; he still had hold of her.

"I told you, I'm not going with you, now GET OFF"

Suddenly Mariah broke away, Grayson fell back. Mariah gasped and tried to stop him. It was too late. Grayson flew backwards over the cliff edge, fog had appeared. Mariah looked over in tears, she heard him cry out and that was it. Grayson had gone over.

"OH MY GOD," cried Mariah in tears. She never noticed a group of people heading towards her.