Chapter Fifty Four

Esme

My heart broke when I saw the state of the young girl in Carlisle's arms. She was sleeping but I understood that was Jasper's doing not her natural state.

"Did you find Bella? Is she coming?"

"For now we need to concentrate on this young girl. Jasper found Bella but he ran off with her and Peter's gone off to find him."

"Thank God he found her. I was terrified that something might have happened to her...you know what I mean."

Carlisle nodded and carried the young girl upstairs laying her on one of the beds and I got my first close look at her.

"Oh Carlisle, she's just a child. How long has she been with him?"

"No idea, or what her name is, but she's going to be extremely agitated when she wakes up and I think she'll be better if there are women around her."

"I'll stay with you Esme"

"Thank you Carmen, I appreciate it."

Carlisle nodded,

"Best ring Eleazar, tell him the good news. I know he and the girls don't like being away from home too long. It was good of them to help but I think we can let them return now. You can give them the news, keep them up to date."

"Carlisle you need to ring Alice and Garrett too, they took Charlie to Peter and Charlotte's place when I told them we needed the house for the girls."

"I will my love and hopefully when we find out who this young girl really is we can reunite her with her family."

"What if we can't find out who she really is?"

"Let's get her well again before we think along those lines Esme."

Carmen and I sat watching the girl sleep horrified by the state she was in, her clothes were rags, filthy and stinking and her exposed skin was grimy and mottled with bruises. Her hair was thick with grease and tangled so badly I thought we might have to cut most of it off.

"How could anyone treat a child like this Esme? She's innocent."

"I don't know Carmen but if Peter and Jasper have anything to do with it I doubt he's going to get away with it."

"Good."

Neither of us were violent or aggressive people but I really hoped the boys would make the man who had done this suffer.

It was an hour later when the child woke up and it was sudden, she jumped to her feet looking around wildly and calling for daddy.

"Don't worry, no one is going to harm you. I'm Esme and this is Carmen, you're safe here."

She shook her head and cowered down in the corner closing her eyes and calling "daddy, daddy" over and over.

"What's your name child?"

She opened her eyes and looked at me suspiciously,

"When daddy finds out you stole me he's gonna be real mad. He loves me, he does."

"I don't think that man will be coming to look for you child. What's your name? What can we call you?"

She shut her mouth stubbornly and I thought we needed to try a new tack,

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? We have milk or perhaps you'd prefer hot chocolate? And maybe a sandwich or some cereal?"

She swallowed convulsively,

"I don't think anyone would mind if you had something to eat and drink do you?"

She thought about this and I could see she really wanted to say yes but something was stopping her.

"Well, I'll bring something up and leave it on a tray for you in case you decide you are hungry."

Carmen stayed with her while I went downstairs and made up a tray with a pitcher of cold milk, some sandwiches, cookies, and an apple cut into slices.

When I got back upstairs it seemed nothing had changed, she still remained in her corner so I put the tray down carefully in front of her.

"There, I'm sure there must be something there you'll enjoy. Come on Carmen, lets leave our guest for a little while."

We waited outside and after a while heard a clink as she picked up the pitcher of milk then giving it another ten minutes we knocked before going back in so as not to frighten her. The milk was half gone along with the sandwiches and cookies. She was chewing on a slice of apple but still squatted in the corner and I noticed she had wet herself but then from what I'd seen that was probably the norm in her captivity.

"Feeling better now?"

She didn't speak but she did look at us which was an improvement so I decided to try and build on it.

"I have some clothes that belonged to my daughter, they'll be too big for you but would you like to take a bath and try them on?"

She looked down at herself,

"Daddy got these for me."

"Did he? Well maybe I could wash them for you while you take a bath? It would be nice to be clean wouldn't it?"

"Clean? We can't waste the water washing, its for drinking. If you use it to wash you'll be thirsty."

"Well we have plenty so you can do both."

She shook her head,

"Daddy says not to waste it."

"OK, well how about I bring in just a little and you can wash your face and hands. I'm sure you're very pretty under all that grime."

She touched her face and then looked at her hands and it struck me that she hadn't seen herself in a very long time.

"Shall I fetch a mirror?"

I went to fetch it anyway and Carmen kept talking to her but didn't ask any personal questions, we both knew it was too soon for that yet. When I came back in I squatted down before her ignoring the stench coming from her clothes and hair and the urine soaked carpet and held out the mirror so she could see her reflection. She peered at it and I could see she had no idea who she was seeing, the face was alien to her, she'd been in captivity for a long time and she had grown and matured in that cellar. She touched the mirror with a dirty finger then touched her cheek and we saw tears trickle down her face.

"Who is that?"

She pointed to the mirror,

"That's you child. Do you have a name we can call you?"

"Me? That's not Kat, I don't look like that."

She shoved the mirror as hard as she could but I kept hold of it,

"It's all right Kat, its been a long time since you looked at yourself. Once you wash that face I'm sure you'll recognize it. Would you like to?"

Carmen

Listening to Esme I understood just how good she was with children, she had such a kind and gentle nature that put people at ease, made them feel loved and important. The child Kat had been locked up for a very long time and she didn't even know her own face any longer. I knew I wouldn't get through to her like Esme was so this time I left them and went downstairs to get a bowl of warm water and some cloths and towels. I met Carlisle in the kitchen,

"Is everything OK? I can smell urine."

"The poor child wet herself but we think that was the norm in the cellar. Did you see any toilet facilities?"

"Only an over full bucket so you are probably right. Is Esme getting through to her?"

I smiled,

"She will I'm sure. How can anyone resist Esme Carlisle? Any news on Bella?"

"Yes, Jasper is in a motel room with Bella and the baby, Rose and Charlotte went to help Peter who is hoping to get the baby away."

"And the monster who did this?"

"Darius and Emmett are on that now."

"Good, lets hope they make him pay for this. He deserves to die hard and painfully."

"Oh I don't think there's any doubt about that Carmen and much as I abhor violence I agree with you on this occasion."