OUT OF THE DEVIL’S DEN

At the table, it's as quiet as a graveyard, Jessie doesn't know how to approach her daughters and what to even say to them as a matter of fact. The meal before her looks so good and smells nice but she still can't figure out the taste. She forces herself to swallow the little potion in her mouth. "Is it me or does the food just taste bad generally?" She asks no one in particular and picks up the glass of juice before her, gulping the entire Juice at one go. "The juice tastes so good."

Cecelia grabs the glass of juice in front of her, to check if it will taste good in her mouth too, but her sister's suspicious cough distracts her. She releases the glass and looks at her sister.

"Don't touch it." That was what Linda was telling Cecelia with her eyes.

Understanding the eye language, she forces some potions of food down her throat. "The food does taste good but it's so difficult to just eat and enjoy."

"A lot have been happening in this house, so I guess we all don't have the appetite to eat." Jessie whispers trying her best to enjoy the food.

"We need therapy." Linda says bluntly.

"We just need peace." Cecelia adds ands stands. "I will leave First, I don't seem to have any appetite."

"At least, eat little." Jessie insists.

"I am filled." she whispers and walks out.

***********

The first and second knock was soft and gentle, but the one after? Dangerously harsh. Cecelia jumps out of the bed and walks briskly to the door. "Linda?" she calls softly as she sees her sister holding a small black bag. "What are you doing here?"

Linda forces herself in and tosses the bag to her, "This should be more than enough to help you out with a clean start."

"Clean start?" Cecelia repeats and opens the bag, she gasps loudly. "What is this? Where did you get this amount of money from?"

"That doesn't matter now, just take that money and leave this place right now."

"How is that possible? That gates are locked and we can't leave the house without mom's orders."

"I have already taken care of that, I druged that fruit juice. They are not waking up anything soon."

"Are you sure?" she asks again and her sister nods. "It is still very risky, what will happen to you when I leave?"

"Then, will you continue to stay here and be used as a tool to achieve someone else's crazy dreams? This is the only time we have to do this. It is either now or never."

"Alright." Cecelia holds her hands and smiles. "Let's leave here together."

"No." Linda retorts and withdraws her hands. "It's not possible, we can't be seen together or move around."

"Why is that? Aren't you my sister?"

"It's dangerous to do so. What if people get to know about our relationship? Think of your father's reputation."

"Was that why mom locked you up here while I follow her around?"

"Yes." Linda nods. "Even our so called mom, can't take the risk of having both daughters be together."

"I am not leaving you here! Never!"

Linda grabs her sister by her shoulders. "Get a grip! If you don't leave now, I can guarantee that both of us will die of depreession. So please, it's either you run away or you go over to Ella. She is your sister, I am sure she will protect you."

"But she doesn't know I am her sister." Cecelia whispers and tears drop from her eyes. "Even if she gets to know, do you think she will accept me? My mother killed our father." Linda's hands holding her shoulders tightens in pains, and she can feel the pain. "It's painful, right?"

"Yes." Linda nods and her hands drop. "But we can't end like this, even though she doesn't accept you, I want you to be happy." she smiles. "It's so good to have someone as beautiful and well trained like you as my older sister." she hands over a phone and and envelope to her.

"What is this?"

"That is a burner phone, you can use it to make any calls without being trailed or traced." She pauses and continues. "Give that envelope to Ella, if you ever get to meet her."

"But still, I can't leave you here, mom won't spare you when you wakes. She will be very sure you helped me out on my escape."

"Our mom...." Linda exhales sharply. "Is a psychopath that me and you must escape from."

"Watch your mouth!" Cecelia cautions.

"Don't try to take sides with her." Linda persists. "I am the one who lived with her for years, she started off by telling me to bully Ella and her friends when we were in primary school then poisoning my mind towards my father. Because of her stupid emotions, she even killed your father and his family."

"That is not enough reason to call your mom a psychopath, she is still your mom, no matter what."

"Our mom had her terrible and shameful act written as a novel." Linda whispers.

"What?" A novel?"

"When you settle wherever you are heading too, read the novel 'The Heart of a Lucifer by Esakome Mariam' you will get to understand what I mean by then."

"The heart of a Lucifer? Isn't that the novel mom is so fond of?" She asks again.

"Enough of the chat, start going." Linda sighs.

"How do I communicate with you?"

"My contact is saved on that phone, so as Ella's. It's left to you whether to call her or not."

"I shouldn't take my cell phone along with me?" Cecelia asks.

"Obviously" Linda replies dragging the last syllable of the word. "I will accompany you to the gate."

Cecelia turns and faces Linda. "Please be safe for me."

"You should get going now." Linda whispers holding the standing by the gate.

"I will come back for you, I promise."

"Just make sure you live a good life." Linda bends her lips to smile. "And if you ever come across my Father. Please, take good care of him for me, he is one of the most affected people in this whole situation." She closes her eyes and a tear drops. "I just hope he is alive."

"Do you really still think I should go? We should have a second thought about it, you know?"

Linda grabs her sister's hand firmly and pushes her out of the gate and immediately locks it, just as how the gate keeper would have locked it with the control remote. She wilted wearily on the gate, hoping her sister would have anything to say.

"I will come back for you Linda, just hang in there a bit longer." Cecelia whispers calmly, bust as it is very late and everywhere is quite, Linda can hear her well.

"Please, start going and reconcile with your sister." She says and walks in briskly fighting the tears in her eyes.

Cecelia looks at the surrounding, so quiet and peaceful, and very chilly too. She wraps herself up with her arms and walks gently away from the house, with no slightest idea of where she to head to. "I shouldn't have come here In the first place." she whispers to herself and suddenly trips over a huge stone and falls. "How come there is such a stone on the road?" she tries to stand but can't, "what's wrong?" she looks at her leg and sees a very deep wound, she is bleeding profusely too. "Oh my God! What is this? How did I get this? What do I do now, I can't move, yet I have to leave this place."

At that point in time, she is already considering calling Ella.