Prologue
October, 1760
The room was crowded and loud yet that didn’t stop little August from pushing his way through to the end table. The ball was nothing compared to the previous party that his father had thrown. It was far more elegant and grand and there was barely enough room to stand as the masses danced gracefully on the floor.
When he finally caught sight of his target, his face turned from pink to red as his delight got the best of him. He rocked back and forth twice with the music before racing as the music speed up with him.
It was there, all the desserts that any child, man or woman could ever hope for and he had been chosen to find it through the body of dancing people. In five long and intense minutes he had made it and had only two more steps ahead of him.
He took in the great sight before walking toward the feast, taking the final two steps. His hand reached over and hovered as his mouth watered at the thought of a single crumb being devoured by himself.
It wouldn’t even go down. His hand was stuck and failed to obey his brain’s orders. Instinct caused August to look up after tugging his hand to no avail. Above him was the sly grin of one of his father’s many guards, several teeth missing and others turned brown and yellow. August grinned back shyly before allowing the guard to maneuver him through and away from the crowds.
“Back to your room we go.” The guard said and young August simply nodded. “Now what did we tell ye ’bout coming out of yer room?” The guard’s voice came down warm on August’s head.
“Never leave, sir.” August replied. He yelped as the guard turned down a new corridor, squeezing August’s arm in the process.
“Now let’s see what treasures await ye down here, shall we?” The guard’s voice went up and lowered and went up again as he broke out into a blood curling laugh.
With every step taken further into the depths of the tangled hallways and down to the basement, August’s fear became active again and he realized that after months, he was free and merely allowing himself to be dragged back into captivity.
He spun gracefully for a child starving and afraid, and ran. He barely turned two corners before he had to look back. Had he not done so then he might have made it away. He ran straight into another guard who gladly grabbed his right arm and dragged back to the first guard who took his left.
As the familiar door approached, August finally remembered why he had run, why he had made himself promise that he’d never stop to grab a single bite. He needed to get out of the basement. He needed to get a new life and a new home. He needed to get away from his father.
“Just wait ’til ’e sees ye, Ahgust.” Both guards chuckled darkly at the first’s comment.
Fear ignited in his eyes and shaking his entire body, August finally understood why he would never break his promises again. They were the only things that cared about him. They would free him.
The bulky guard in front of the dark door took the single large key from his waist clearly showing August that the locks had changed yet again. His chest became heavy when he saw the second door set up just after.
It was then that he frantically started to fight back. They would make sure he never step foot outside again. This was his prison now, not just the room he would stay in.
His voice finally found, he made the lasts shouts he would ever make outside of the heavy, bolted doors.
“No! No! No! Nooooo!”
♡♡♡•♡♡♡
November,2017
“Elenor? Are you asleep?” Abby questioned lightly outside the young girl’s door hoping that her work would be about done for the day. Young Elenor and her family had moved into the quiet neighborhood only one month ago and since their very second day had hired Abby as their own personal nanny. She tutored the eleven year old Elenor Winchester, did the cleaning and baking and even stayed at the old fashioned house with the Winchester family.
It had been late, nearly eleven when Elenor did awake and feeling rather thirsty, tried to catch the attention of her nanny dearest, except the young adventurous Elenor didn’t quite have the heart to yell. “Abby?” Elenor called once, then twice before rising off her bed and heading downstairs to get her own water.
She quickly bound down the stairs catching a glance of Abby stuck to the couch watching an ongoing daytime drama reruns. Shaking her head, Elenor bounced to the kitchen and filled her glass to the brim. She took a gulp before slowly approaching the stairs.
Just outside the kitchen, was the door right under the stairs. The door to the basement. Earlier on it had been closed but just then it was opened and the lower light was turned on.
“Ele.....” A soft voice called out to her.
She made her way to the door and looked down. Curiously, she started step by step. “Hello?” She asked aloud and continued on down though no one responded. On the eighth step down when she was smack center, before the landing, the basement lights shut off suddenly.
Standing in the light being emitted from the hallway was enough for her to realize that being where she was was highly dangerous. If she fell, it would be a long way down and with no one knowing she was even up, it would be a long time before anyone even found her.
“Elenor?” A soft male voice called from behind her causing her to spin on her heals, dropping the glass with shock.
“Wh- who’s there?” Again no one responded but this time she wasn’t planning on waiting for a response.
“Elenor!” On the fourth step up, a hand grabbed onto her shoulder as a voice screamed over her head.
Elenor shot a quick look over her shoulder. When she saw what was behind her, without hesitation she screamed louder than she had ever believed possible.
•••
