Page 2 of The Caged Girl

“Marcie,” I started, but quickly pause, not knowing how to formulate the many things I’ve been dying to tell her. She seemed trustworthy—seemedbeing the key word.

She looked at me with her head tilted and a tiny, sleepy grin grew on her face.

“Yes, Demi?”

“How long have you worked here?” I asked instead of the original question.

“Hm…it’s been five years.” She shrugged and tiptoed over to the little basin in our room and hung the washcloth above it.

When I first moved into the room with Marcie, she hardly spoke to me. Then, when she finally decided to acknowledge me, the only thing we talked about was work. She’d always been extra kind to me when the night terrors happened, though.

“Why did you choose to work for La Gabbia?” I hoped she was in a chatting mood.

She smiled at me. “The same reason you did, silly.”

I shook my head. “I never gave you a reason why I was working here…”

She flashed her pearly white teeth at me. “Money. A home. A life of luxury?” She stretched her hands over her head and laid back down in her bed.

“You call this a life of luxury?”

“Yes, Demi. I call this a life of luxury compared to the…”

My heart raced as she stared at me for a moment and the smile across her lips was washed away.

“Compared to the what?” I choke out.

Marcie reached for the string hanging from the lamp and let out a long sigh. “Let’s hope you never find out.” The light went out, and we were plunged back into complete darkness.

I laid down with my eyes opened. Marcie didn’t know this, but I had to find out. That’s why I was here.

I had to end it all.

CHAPTERTWO

“I can’t believehe let your hair stay like this.” Kandi was trimming my hair that had, apparently, grown out too long. “We will have to dye it.” She shook her head as she snipped at it meticulously. “It’s so dull.” Kandi’s hair was a stark, shiny blonde, neatly cut into a bob. All the girls here had the same hair except for one difference—some had bright blonde and the others had shiny black.

“What color?” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Blonde.” My heart raced as Kandi’s hands moved quickly.

“Why do some of the girls have black hair, and the others have white?” I scratched around my shoulder. The tattoo Alister made us all get—a small raven—was causing some kind of reaction, but he didn’t care. My heart constricted knowing it was the way he marked us. Marcie had a dove on her shoulder, and so did Kandi.

Kandi looked behind her and then spun the small chair around. “Where did you come from, Demi?” She slanted her eyes at me and leaned in. Her hands pressed down against both of mine and squeezed them tightly against the handles.

“New York,” I lied.

“Mm-hmm…everyone’s from New York.” She spun me back around and aggressively brushed out my hair.

“I don’t want to dye it. I’ll do the wigs.”

“Fine. I guess we can try that. If there ever comes a day that Alister Ivory tells you to wear your hair black, then you should know life as you know it will be over. Anything left in that heart of yours will be gone, because you will go down into the darkness and never return,” Kandi said calmly as I stared at the girl in the reflection in front of me.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in and out. Today was my orientation day for the new position Alister had placed me in. I could do this. I could stay strong and play another one of the Ivory games.

A loud knock echoed against Kandi’s door. She stopped whatever she was doing, including aggressively tugging at my hair.

“Mr. Ivory,” she stammered as my eyes flung open and I saw Alister coming through the door. He was taller than his brother, and far better looking.Muchbetter looking. His hair was black, and he always wore a three-piece fitted suit. He stared at me through the mirror and smiled as he fidgeted with his cufflink.

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