CHAPTER 7

Horror coated my face as I realized who I bumped into. Genevieve. Well, she was the lesser of all the evils in this house but still.

"Fu…Sorry miss. It was my fault. I apologize."

I quickly composed myself and acted like one of the staff, bowing my head to show submission and guilt. Also I covered my face so that I wouldn't be remembered. Her hand rested on my shoulder before I heard her voice.

"It's fine. I'm okay. Just be cautious next time."

I nodded and wringed my hands subconsciously at the thought of being caught so early on in my plan. Genevieve's palms engulfed mine and stopped them from shaking.

"Don't be scared, especially not of me."

I looked up and she sent me a warm smile. Her eyes hid hurt and fear. The eyes of a victim. Just like me.

I smiled back and answered.

"Yes ma'am."

She walked away after hearing my reply. Now I stood there in a trance, alone in the corridor shocked that I had this encounter. I snapped out of it when the clanging of pots reached my ears.

I gingerly dragged the attic stairs down and climbed up as quietly as I could. Once I got inside I shut the door behind me straightening out to walk across the room.

"Ow! Jeez. Stupid beams every time."

I rubbed my bruised head as I reached my bed, well a mattress on the ground but beggars can't be choosers.

I changed out of the uniform and into my pajamas before I sat crisscrossed on my mattress so that I could eat all the food I took earlier.

While I ate my phone dinged. A text from Xavier.

XAVIER: JUST SAW MY ROOM. THANKS.

BE CAREFUL ALEXIS. DON'T DIE.

I chuckled at the last part. He sure knew how to show he cared for me. I switched from the text and opened up the live footage.

The Carriers were still having dinner. I was about to turn off my phone when something caught my eye. George excused himself from the table, stood up and left. He had never done that before.

Suspicious. I got up to follow him. Who knew what I could find out.

By some luck I snuck out of the attic and still didn't get caught amidst the busy dinner. My dark brown pajamas helped keep me incognito too since it was almost the same color as the walls.

I checked my phone and saw where George went. He was standing in front of a wall at the east wing of the house.

It was weird since he wasn't moving but I quietly sprinted over to where he was. I got there and I peeped to find George but he's not there.

Confused, I looked at my phone and rewound the footage. He stared at the wall a bit and then walked straight through it. I rewatched it again and thought to myself that George was a wizard but then it clicked in my head. Secret passages just like mine.

So there were more. I walked to the wall and placed my hand on its rough exterior feeling for a trick stone. After a minute or two I pressed one and it actually clicked. The stone wall silently moved into the cavern before opening inward like a door.

That explained why I saw him walk through a wall. I couldn't see exactly how it opened because of the placement of my camera. I walked in and tried to find the closing stone but the door instantly closed on its own. I took a step back and scratched my head.

"Creepy but appreciated."

At least I didn't have to waste time trying to cover my tracks. The hallway was lit and splitted out into different directions. I looked at them completely stumped.

I didn't have cameras here so I had no idea which path he might have taken. Just when I had given up, I heard a muffled scream. It was faint but if I strained my ears well enough I could hear it. I wanted to turn back but curiosity won me over and I walked towards the sound.

I navigated through twists and turns letting the screams that were getting louder by the second guide me. It was unnerving but I had to know what was going on. Finally, I saw a large wooden door at my next turn.

The door was slightly open and I saw a shred of light pouring out. I creeped to it and peered inside. I saw George knock on a dead end wall three times. A door slid open.

What was with this man? Secret tunnels inside secret tunnels? Really?

He walked in but the door didn't close all the way so I crawled over to it and held my position. I looked through the slit and noticed a windowless stone room but what I saw inside the room horrified me.

Chains hung from the ceiling and the sides of the wall. Hooks extended from above. What looked like torture tools were on display on the right side of the room in all their horrific and gory glory. Some still looked like they had blood on them.

I turned my gaze to the middle of the room and I gagged.

A naked black woman was suspended in the air by chains that gripped her wrists. Her body was a mosaic of open wounds, bruises and scars. She was covered in so much blood that it was hard to tell where all of it came from.

Her head was bowed and she didn't move. I looked away in disgust and shook my head to try and remove the sight that was now burned into my mind.

It seemed my body refused to follow my commands because I almost puked my guts out on the floor behind the door. I retched as tears pricked my eyes.

Then I heard George speak.

"Hello Rose. I know it's been some time since I came in here but I'm stressed and you know only you can help."

He took a casual stride towards his torture wall and picked up some pliers. He stalked over to her and caressed her face. She whimpered and tried to shift away.

George dragged her back by her hair and slapped her.

"Good, fight. Just how I like it."

I watched in agony as he reached for her fingers with the pliers and twisted one of them off. She let out an ear curdling scream.

George laughed at her.

"Scream all you want. Not a soul will hear you. You already know that"

George repeated his form of fun over and over again until Rose stopped moving. He tapped her face and called out her name but she didn't respond.

He scoffed.

"Didn't even last a week. Fucking negro."

He pressed a button on the wall and two people wearing plague masks walked in from another secret door. They unchained Rose from the ceiling and were about to take her body out the way they came.

I had seen enough. I stood up to leave but unknowingly shuffled my feet which caused George and the men to turn in my direction.

"Whose there? Show yourself!"

I froze. Shit. Did I just get caught?

I squatted back down wanting to disappear into myself. I heard footsteps getting closer to where I was hiding and I squeezed my eyes shut.

I prayed to God, begging him to spare me. This was not how I wanted to die.