*Please read the note at the end about uploads next week!



Chapter Four – The fate of Mandy

Clover’s POV

She thrashed around in my arms, trying to escape. They all try to run. “Stop it,” I growled in her ear. All I wanted was to clean myself up and get going again. “Where’s the kitchen?” With a shaking hand, she pointed to the door in front of us.

“I’m going to take my hand off your mouth. If you make one noise I’ll kill you, okay?” She sniffed and nodded her head.

Slowly, I peeled my hand from her face. Her breathing quickened but she didn’t scream. “Now, what’s your name?”

“M-Mandy,” she stuttered.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mandy. Do you know who I am?” The back of her head nodded against my chest. I thought she would, my face must have been all over the television and papers. “I’m going to need a few things and you’re going to help me, okay?” Again, she nodded. Her body was trembling in fear.

“Good, now, I need you to get me a backpack and fill it with food and water. I think you’ll know what I’ll do if you try to run or call someone. Go,” I instructed her, removing my arms from around it.

Mandy immediately jumped away from me and ran to the fridge, pulling out bottles of water. She worked quickly, laying out bread, crackers and packets of crisps on the kitchen table. “The bag is the in my bedroom,” she told me.

I nodded to the door, “I trust you.”

While she was getting the backpack I filled a glass with water and drained the cup. My body almost felt numb now, like I was used to the pain.

Less than thirty seconds later, Mandy returned with a dark green backpack and began filling it with everything she’d set out on the table. “I need a shower and clean clothes.” The idea of wearing someone else’s clothes was disgusting but not quite as bad as being in dirty clothes.

She nodded quickly, “My dad’s clothes should fit you.” I followed her to her parents’ room and picked out some clothes from the wardrobe, clothes that looked relatively new. “Here’s a fresh towel, and the bathroom is through there,” she said quietly, her voice shaking slightly.

“Now, Mandy, you don’t think I’m going to leave you all alone do you?”

Her mouth dropped open at the same time her eyes bulged. I wasn’t stupid, she would be out of the house, calling the police the second I turned the shower on. “I-I won’t do anything, I promise.”

Smiling in amusement, I grabbed her hand, “They all promised that too.” Mandy shrank back, holding herself as far away from me as she could.

“Please, I won’t do anything, please,” she begged as I pushed her into the bathroom and slammed her against the wall. ‘Stop begging!’

“Shut up, just shut up,” I shouted in her face, making her flinch and tremble. “Now, sit on the toilet and don’t move an inch.” I shoved her towards the toilet and she immediately sat down. “Close your eyes,” I demanded. As she did as I told her, tears rolled down her face.

‘Weak girl.’

Mandy bowed her head with her eyes squeezed tightly together. She was trying not to make a sound but her breathing would hitch occasionally. I stripped out of my clothes, watching her carefully in case she opened her eyes. Once I was naked I locked the door and switched the shower on. They had a generous amount of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. I was going to need a lot.

“How long are your parents away for?”

“Four days.”

“Do you have plans for those four days?”

She frowned and shook her head, eyes still closed, “No.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

Good.

Stepping into the shower, I clenched my muscles ready for hot water to hit my body. The water cascaded down my body, I hissed through my teeth as my skin turned red. It hurt so much but I knew that I would be completely clean after. I scrubbed my body until I couldn’t take it anymore, all the while keeping one eye on Mandy.

Once I was happy that my body was free from germs, I turned the shower off and stepped out, wrapping a fluffy white towel around my body carefully. Mandy hadn’t moved at all, apart from the shaking she looked like a statue.

“What are you going to do to me?” she whispered.

“I didn’t ask you to talk.” Fresh tears fell down her pink cheeks. She was a pretty girl but she wasn’t one of my girls.

Her father’s taste in clothing was similar to mine, and mothers, so apart from being second hand I was happy to wear the outfit. At least I wouldn’t look untidy.

I dressed quickly, used a generous amount of deodorant and aftershave, then carefully styled my hair. As soon as I’d finished I felt so much better. “I’ll need a change of clothes too, Mandy.” She still didn’t move. “Mandy, go and pack me a spare set of clothes, please,” I said politely.

Her eyes opened slowly and she forced her head up to look at me. I nodded towards the door and she ran out, almost tripping over her own feet.

I looked over my appearance in the mirror. The cut on my head was now bleeding lightly, probably because it had just got wet. Grabbing a clean flannel from the cabinet, I pressed it tight over the wound, wincing at the sting.

“D-Do you want to put something on that?” Mandy asked timidly, pressing her body into the wall. I wondered if everyone would react in that way to me. Excluding the police and my girls, would everyone be afraid of me?

‘Weak.’

“No!” I pursed my lips and threw the flannel to the floor. I was not a weak person. Mandy jumped behind me; in the mirror I could see her gulping.

“Okay, sorry.”

“Are my things ready?” She nodded, her eyes lot leaving mine. The blood had stopped again although it left behind a light throbbing pain.

I walked through to the kitchen and Mandy followed right behind me. Grabbing the bag, I searched through it, making sure I had everything I needed. “Torch?”

“There’s one in the front pocket.”

Unzipping the pocket, I saw a small black torch along with a travel size first aid kit. I had everything I needed to get me through the next few days, including map. Hopefully it wouldn’t take more than a few days to get back home.

I picked the bag up and set it down outside the kitchen door.

“Thank you for your help, Mandy,” I said, smiling politely.

Gulping heavily, she nodded her head, “You’re welcome.”

The light glistened off a knife that was sitting in the draining rack. It was almost as if she was still guiding me along, showing me what I needed to do. Two short steps was all it took to reach the sink. The knife was within reaching distance.

Mandy’s eyes widened in horror as my hand wrapped around the black handle. “No, please.” She shook her head as she backed up and started crying. “Don’t, please.”

I sighed, “I’m sorry, Mandy.” I would never let myself have second thoughts again. Although, as far as I knew, Mandy had done nothing wrong, I couldn’t take her word that she wouldn’t call the police the second I stepped out of the door.

“I won’t tell, I-I promise,” she stuttered, cringing against the side of the fridge. Loose strands of her short brunette hair stuck to the side of her face where she was crying.

“That’s not a risk I’m willing to take.” She eyes shot around the kitchen as she tried to find a way of escaping but she was cornered. In her attempt to stay as far away from me as possible she had backed herself into a corner, the door was behind me.

“No! I beg you. I’ll do anything, please.” Her voice was raw from crying hysterically. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus her sight.

Stepping forward, I gripped the knife tightly in my hand. “No,” Mandy screamed, dropping to the ground.

I lowered myself until I was level with her, “As a thank you for helping me out I’ll make this quick, you’ll barely feel a thing.” My fingertips stroked her hair and she started shaking violently. She really was a pretty girl. It was a shame her parents hadn’t taught her not to just answer the door like that.

‘Just do it.”

Gripping a handful of hair, I gently pulled her head back, unravelling her slender body. Mandy looked at me with wide, pleading eyes. Dark black mascara stained her cheeks. She shook her head, “Please, I’ll do anything you want. Don’t kill me, please. My parents…” Her sentence was cut short by another round of hysterical sobs.

‘Now, do it!’

I took an uneven breath. Killing innocent girls was not something that I condoned and here I was about to do just that, but my options were her or me. I chose me.

“Sorry,” I whispered, pulling her head up further and sliding the knife into her chest in one quick movement. I’d followed through on my promise to her though. The knife pierced her hear as planned, it was over in a second.

Quickly grabbing a small towel from the pile of laundry on the washing machine, I placed it over the knife wound to stem the bleeding. I managed to pick her up, although it was slightly awkward and painful from my own injuries.

Mandy’s room was decorated nicely. Like a proper young ladies. There were no distasteful posters of half-naked men on the walls or inappropriate clothing thrown down on the floor.

I laid her down in her bed and lifted the quilt up so it sat just under her heart. “Goodnight, Mandy,” I whispered, smoothing down her hair.

After scrubbing my hands and picking up the backpack, I made my way out to the backdoor. No one was around as I crept back out to the forest, deciding that my best chance was to keep covered. The map showed that I was heading in the right direction. I smiled, soon I would be back with my girls.

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Okay so I thought I gave enough hints in The Cellar about Clover and his mum but obviously not 'cause I had LOADS of questions about them lol! Yes there were...err...closer than they should be, she was creating the perfect family after her husband cheated and when she died Clover carried it on, kidnapping the girls. Hope that cleared it up and shows why he SO messed up :)

The picture on the side made me chuckle, very Clover!!

I'm not going to be uploading next week :O I'm trying to get Silence edited so *fingers crossed* I can get it published! Anyway it's taking ages so next week I'm just concentrating on that. I'll upload the following week :)

There's only a couple days left to vote for your favourites in the watty awards *cough* ETC *cough* so go vote!

Please comment, vote, like, tweet and +1 if you liked the chapter <3