Day 4        Charlotte POV            (December 20th 2013)

A little girl is skipping down the street, her lunch box swinging in her left hand. The sun is high up in the sky, the clouds are nowhere to be seen. A bright, eager summer sun is high up above the mountains like a cherry on the perfect sundae. A light breeze floats around, fluttering blades of thin grass. The sweet smell of last night’s rain is fresh on the pavement.

The girl with the purple skirt is on her way home from school. She gets distracted by a prowling cat as it walks by her. It ducks into a big green bush in her front yard. The little girl grins and follows it.

She never notices the rusty red pickup in the driveway.

The kitty runs away as she nears the front porch. The girl gives up her chase and jumps up the three big stairs. She catches a glimpse of herself in a mirror as she walks inside the house. She’s wearing one of her favorite shirts. She smiles into her reflection: satisfied with her day at school. Her teacher Mr. Mellark had paired her and Jasper together in PE. A little girl at recess told her she looked very pretty today. The door clinks closed and she fixes her braid by tugging on the end. The little white bow was crooked.

“Where’s your mother?”                                                     

Her father’s voice jerks her head to the kitchen. The smile she was wearing falls from her face. She sees the scary man leaning up against the fridge. He has a half empty glass on the peeling countertop. His daughter didn’t know he was home. If she had, she would have never walked inside.

“She’s not here,” The little girl’s singsong voice answers. But inside her chest her heart is beating nervously.

“Where the hell is she?”

“Gone,” She answers timidly. She crosses her arms over her chest. Glitter from the big pink heart on the shirt sticks to her sweaty skin.

 “Of course she is,” The father mumbles. He picks up his cup and chugs the last bit of his drink. And then in a fit of rage he crashes it against the counter. The little girl shutters as it breaks into a million little shards of glass.

“She took my money!” He slurs his words. The girl notices how red his eyes are. “I’m going to kill that fucking bitch when she gets home.” He starts to stumble to his bedroom door. Clumsily, he twirls to his daughter on his heel. “Just you wait and see,” He tells her with a pointed finger.

The little girl knows that her father always goes through on his promises.

She starts to panic.

Never before has she heard him threaten to kill anyone before.

She doesn’t want her momma to die.

“I took your money,” She says quickly.

Her father stops in his path.

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I woke up in the dead of night with my teeth locked on my lower lip. I sat up from where I lied on the cold hard ground. I ran a trembling hand through my hair, clutching the sweaty and dirty roots. Swallowing a lump in my throat I looked over to the young man next to me. Niall was curled up on his side, facing towards me with his feet on top mine.

I quickly but quietly stood up. My legs took me over to the metal door on the other side of the room. I paced back and forth, trying to distract myself from the nightmare that wasn’t only haunting me in my sleep.

I couldn’t get that last picture out of my head.

Buzzed and scared I threw myself on the ground. I pulled my legs up to my chest and rocked back and forth. A burning sensation started back up again on my entire neck.

I just wanted to go home.

My head lowered back onto the door behind me. It gave off a little clink that echoed throughout the room. The only noise in reply was multiple snores and a sigh.

Was all of this really happening? Because the last time I checked these things only ever happened on crime TV.

I stared up at the creepy wooden beams that made up a dusty cement ceiling. A spider stared back at me.

A cold chill ran down my neck.

Some loud noise was chiming upstairs where our predators lived. A round of laughter could be heard if I strained my ears.

My back ached from sleeping on cement.

Yep. It was pretty damn real.

While I hated to go to sleep after having one of those dreams I couldn’t help but close my eyes. I was just so drained. My body went slack. I leaned up against that cold door and started to fall back asleep. I couldn’t stop the nightmares that joined me.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

A little girl is skipping down the street, her lunch box swinging in her left hand. The sun is high up in the sky, the clouds are nowhere to be seen. A bright, eager summer sun is high up above the mountains like a cherry on the perfect sundae. A light breeze floats around, fluttering blades of thin grass. The sweet smell of last night’s rain is fresh on the pavement.

The girl with the purple skirt is on her way home from school. She gets distracted by a prowling cat as it walks by her. It ducks into a big green bush in her front yard. The little girl grins and follows it.

She never notices the rusty red pickup in the driveway.

The kitty runs away as she nears the front porch. The girl gives up her chase and jumps up the three big stairs. She catches a glimpse of herself in a mirror as she walks inside the house. She’s wearing one of her favorite shirts. She smiles into her reflection: satisfied with her day at school. Her teacher Mr. Mellark had paired her and Jasper together in PE. A little girl at recess told her she looked very pretty today. The door clinks closed and she fixes her braid by tugging on the end. The little white bow was crooked.

“Where’s your mother?”             

Her father’s voice jerks her head to the kitchen. The smile she was wearing falls from her face. She sees the scary man leaning up against the fridge. He has a half empty glass on the peeling countertop. His daughter didn’t know he was home. If she had, she would have never walked inside.

“She’s not here,” The little girl’s singsong voice answers. But inside her chest her heart is beating nervously.

“Where the hell is she?”

“Gone,” She answers timidly. She crosses her arms over her chest. Glitter from the big pink heart on the shirt sticks to her sweaty skin.

“Of course she is,” The father mumbles. He picks up his cup and chugs the last bit of his drink. And then in a fit of rage he crashes it against the counter. The little girl shutters as it breaks into a million little shards of glass.

“She took my money!” He slurs his words. The girl notices how red his eyes are. “I’m going to kill that fucking bitch when she gets home.” He starts to stumble to his bedroom door. Clumsily, he twirls to his daughter on his heel. “Just you wait and see,” He tells her with a pointed finger.

The little girl knows that her father always goes through on his promises.

She starts to panic.

Never before has she heard him threaten to kill anyone before.

She doesn’t want her momma to die.

“I took your money,” She says quickly.

Her father stops in his path.

“You took my money?” He asked slowly, like he was talking to a stupid little baby.

The girl gulped nervously. But she couldn’t back out now. “I took your money.”

“From my wallet? You just took one hundred dollars from my pocket?”

She nodded, even though it was a lie. She knew that he had spent the money himself. Her father would get drunk and spend all of his money and never even remember doing it the next morning. It had happened many times before.

“You’re even stupider than I thought,” He laughs cruelly. “This is all your mothers fault.” His eyes grow dark and mean. She knows what’s coming next.

Her father starts to walk towards her.

She knows she’s going to get hurt. But her Sketchers stay planted on the dingy carpet bravely. She knows her mother should be home anytime. She wants to get it over with as fast as she can. He could get it out of his system before her mom got there. That way she would be safe.

But the girl doesn’t understand how serious her father is this time.

Not until she sees the reflection of fluorescent lights in his sharp blade.

Her breath hitches.

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Liam POV 

I had only been awake for a few minutes. I sat there on the ground like always, staring at the wall in front of me. Zayn and Harry were cuddled up together. Louis was at my own feet. I looked across the way to where I knew Charlotte and Niall had been knitted together the night before.

My brow rose when she wasn’t there.

Straining my back to twist around I searched for her. I started in the far corner and worked towards the other…

And there she was.

Lying with her back against the door she was fast asleep. One of her legs was pulled to her chest. The other was flat on the ground. Some of her hair was pulled out of her braid; like she had been yanking on it by the roots.

The first thing I noticed though was her hands. They were clenched into little fists. Her eyes were shut unnaturally tight. A worried knot formed in my stomach at the sight of her chest raging up and down at panted breaths.

Charlotte was having another nightmare.

“Charlotte!” I called her name in attempt to wake her up.

No such luck.

“Charlotte!” I shook my head in frustration when she started to stir even more.

Louis rolled over on my leg to get comfy. I violently jumped my legs up and down.

“SHIT!” Louis woke up and mumbled. He looked up at me dazedly.

“Go wake her up!” I told him, using my right leg to push him towards the door.

“What?” Lou sat up and whined. When he saw Charlotte all by herself his face shifted. “Dammit,” he mumbled. Then he took off to her side.

I watched on as he knelt beside her. He reached out to grab both of her dainty shoulders. A lot harder than I would have, he shook her back and forth.

“Charlie the Unicorn! Charles! Chaplin! Wake up!”

Her red and water brimmed eyes flew open.

“There we go,” Louis breathed. “Come here doll,” He said as he pulled her into his embrace. Charlotte sat there in a state of shock and eventually stuffed her face into his neck.

“He was so angry,” She mumbled inaudibly. Her hands shook as she reached around Lou to hold onto him.

“You’re okay. It was just a dream,” Louis said. I could hear the reassuring smile in his voice.

Charlotte lightly shook her head back and forth. “But it wasn’t.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Seeing her like that was putting us through hell and back.

“It’s okay buddy. I’ve got you now,” Louis said softly. He rocked her back and forth. She put her face in front of his and gave him a thankful, trembling smile. He grinned in reply and then pecked her on the forehead, putting his hand at the back of her head.

A shuffling noise sounded from a few feet away. Harry woke up on top of Zayn with a yawn. He rubbed his face tiredly. The movement of his human blanket caused Zayn to flitter his eyes open. He stared up at the wooden beams on the ceiling with a look of disappointment.

Harry started to say some sort of hello when his eyes rested on Charlotte and Lou by the door. He glanced to me and then back to the two again. His brows furrowed.

Then Hazza smiled.

Suddenly I heard Charlotte start to giggle. I turned and saw that Louis was tickling her tummy. She tried to swat him away with her eyes squeezed shut. Her contagious laughter echoed throughout the entire room.

“LEEW-EEE!” She squealed. “STOP!”

“Umm…NOPE!”

Charlotte rolled onto her back as Louis’ fingers kept tickling her sides.

Zayn ran over to join in on the fun. He took both of Charlotte’s wiggling wrists and pinned them above her head where she wouldn’t be able to swat Louis away. Charlotte started to laugh even harder. Her nightmare was long forgotten about.

Niall came up beside me, woken up by all three of their hoots and laughs. With a smile he planted himself down on the ground next to my pole. He ruffled my short hair goodheartedly.

We both watched on as Charlotte finally broke away. Her bare feet patted against the ground. She ran to the other side of the room; as far as she could get from her two pursers.

Zayn and Louis chased her in circles. Each of them was laughing earsplittingly loud.

Just as she was coming close to door again Harry jumped in her way. Charlotte yelled while he wrapped both arms around her tiny body and flung her over his shoulder.

“NIII-AAALL!” Charlotte hollered. Harry was bouncing her up and down.

“Yes love?” Niall answered, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“HELP!”

Niall made a thoughtful face before replying, “Okay.”

Then he jumped up from the ground.

I let out a loud laugh.

“I surrender!”

At this point Zayn, Louis, Harry, and Niall were all teaming up against her.

“Surrender!”

Her calls went ignored.

“PLEASE!”

Niall was laughing so hard he dropped her from his hold. She took her chance at escape, crawling away as fast as she could. Charlotte came up to me and used me as a barrier against Louis, who was trying to catch her back.

“Come here Charles…” Louis cooed.

They bounced around each other like cage fighters.

While I sat in the middle.

Charlotte glanced over at the three other boys who waited by the metal door. She was considering her options.

“I’ll make you deal,” She started.

“I don’t think so,” Louis replied with a smirk. He was having a blast with this game.

Charlotte held up a finger. “Hear me out.”

Louis narrowed his eyes playfully. Finally he gave her a curt nod.

“I’ll share Niall,” She offered. “Two nights, he’s all yours.”

“Three nights. And then I call off the tickle monsters.” He gestured back to the boys behind him. They stood together with pained expressions, trying not to buckle down onto hands and knees with laughter. “AND I want four of your red M&Ms.”

“FOUR?”

Louis shrugged. “Okay then.” He turned to look at the boys. “HARRY! ZAYN-!”

“OKAY!” Charlotte said quickly to interrupt him. “It’s a deal.”

“Three nights and four red candies in exchange for your surrender?”

Charlotte nodded dramatically, not unlike that of a little girl.

Louis stuck out his right hand for a shake. She did the same, clasping her hand around his.

“Aww man,” Zayn whined. “I liked that game.”

“Peace has been reached, my friends. And I will share my newly won candies with you.”

The three of them started hooting overdramatically.

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

“I am pretty hungry,” Niall said with a frown.

Harry and Louis agreed. They all went to the little brown bag to grab their treats.

Charlotte sat down on the ground beside me. She smiled, her eyes sparkling like two brown jewels.

“Do you want something to eat or drink, Li?” She asked me.

I shook my head back and forth. “I’m fine.”

“But you haven’t even taken a sip of water yet.”

“I’m not thirsty.”

Charlotte eyed me doubtfully.

She could tell I was lying.

“I’ll go get some water,” She stood up and said matter o’ factly.

“We should sing a song!” Louis hollered around a mouthful of bread.

Harry groaned loudly. “I don’t wanna-”

“Aren't you somethin' to admire? Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror!” Louis started to sing.

Niall took a turn with a grin, “And I can't help but notice, you reflect in this heart of mine.”

“If you ever feel alone and the glare makes me hard to find, just know that I'm always parallel on the other side,” They both sang together.

Charlotte came back and sat beside me as Zayn joined in on the chorus.

“Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul

 I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go

 Just put your hand on the glass

 I'll be tryin' to pull you through

 You just gotta be strong

 'Cause I don't wanna lose you now

 I'm lookin' right at the other half of me

 The vacancy that sat in my heart

 Is a space that now you hold

 Show me how to fight for now

 And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy

 Comin' back here to you once I figured it out

 You were right here all along!

It's like you're my mirror

 My mirror staring back at me

 I couldn't get any bigger

 With anyone else beside of me

 And now it's clear as this promise

 That we're making two reflections into one

 'Cause it's like you're my mirror

 My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me!”

Charlotte rolled her eyes as the song continued. I think Harry joined in after that, but I wasn’t really paying attention.

“I’m not thirsty,” I told Charlotte again. She was unscrewing the water bottle for me.

“You need to drink something, Andy.”

Well… she knew how to work the system. I always broke down when she called me that.

She smiled up at me sweetly.

“Fine,” I sighed. “But you have to drink some first.”

“I already did.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes I did! Maybe you just didn’t see me, but I did.”

“Don’t argue with me, Charlotte. Just drink the water.”

She mumbled at me under her breath. I watched on as she slowly brought the bottle up to her lips. Charlotte barely even got half of a drop into her mouth before she took it down.

“There,” She smiled and said.

I scowled. “Don’t be so difficult,” I sighed.

“I’m sorry. But if you’re going to be fasting to try and save it for the others, then I’m going to do it too.” Charlotte watched my blank expression. “I know that’s what you’re doing, Liam. Don’t deny it.”

I smiled at her and shook my head. “Okay. You’re right.”

“Well of course I am.”

Charlotte edged closer to me. Using her left hand to hold my face still she put the water bottle to my lips. I finally swallowed a bit.

“There!” She said as she took the water away. “Wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Ha-ha.”

She smiled at me cheekily before taking a sip herself. Her face grew solemn as she stared at the bottle in her hands.

“Can I ask you something, Liam?”

I nodded slowly.

Charlotte flipped the bottle from one hand to another, listening to the way the plastic snapped at her touch. “How long do you think we’ll be in here?”

“…I don’t know.”

She knew that would be my reply. All she did was stare at the floor in response. I think some part of her was hoping that I would have the answer, even if she knew I had no way of predicting that sort of thing. Charlotte wanted me to make her feel better. But I couldn’t. And it killed me to know there was nothing I could do.

“Hey,” I said softly. A tear was working its way down her pale cheek. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Charlotte briskly wiped it away with the back of her hand. “I’m just a little scared, that’s all.”

“I am too,” I said honestly. I forced a smile. “But we’ll be okay. I promise it’ll all turn out okay.”

Charlotte looked up at my face. Her eyes searched mine, looking for some sort of hope to grasp onto. “Okay. I believe you.”

“Good,” I said. “Now come here.”

Charlotte slid onto my lap, resting her tired head up against my chest. I leaned my face forward to press my lips against the top of her head. Her thick lashed eyes flittered shut.

“When they get their money for ransom it’ll be over with. All six of us can go home.”

I prayed to God that I wasn’t lying.