Page 7 of The Caged Girl

It was the most beautiful home I’d ever seen. The Ivory estate back in Charlotte was sterile, but this…this was evil. This was living in the shadows. Part of me felt safer in the dark than in the light.

Passing a gold-encrusted mirror, I caught a glimpse of the girl in the reflection. I stood out against the décor with my bright blonde hair and white sheath dress.

I missed my long black hair that was tucked under this itchy wig, I missed wearing anything but white, but I didn’t miss myself. I didn’t know who I even was.I’d always been an idea or a thought of what someone else wanted me to be.Perhaps that’s why I was called to the darkness so much more. I could hide the various versions of myself I was forced to be.

“Turn right,” Alister’s voice called out. I froze in my spot, knowing that he was watching me. Glancing around, I could see cameras, in each corner, and I knew there were hidden ones everywhere.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I made my way into another hallway with small lanterns lighting the way.

My eyes widened as I walked into the library space. But it wasn’t a library filled with classic novels; it was a room filled with black-and-white paintings of naked women and leather-bound books, all with tiny lettering I couldn’t make out.

Alister was sitting in an oversized chair by a fireplace. The fire crackled as he lit a cigar and looked at me carefully. Waving his hand to the empty chair across from him, he motioned for me to sit down.

“Demi, do you know what the most underrated, yet lucrative, business in the world is?”

I was staring at an image of a woman who had the same short bob-styled hair cut I had, and I could tell by the light contrast, she was blonde. Her eyes were smudged with makeup as she looked over her shoulder. Her spine and thin waist protruded while her body was bare.

“No,” I answered while crossing my legs and staring at Alister, who had now spread his legs apart with his elbows resting on his knees.

“Fantasies.” He leaned back into his chair and snapped his fingers.

Not even a moment later, Kandi, the woman who did my hair, showed up in a white gown, pushing in a clothing rack. Her lips were in a tight line as she looked at me with concern.

“Smile, baby.Smile.” Alister chuckled before standing. I sat there frozen as I stared at the rack of dresses. They weren’t white…they were all black.

Kandi’s lips quivered as Alister approached her. “Turn around.” Alister leaned into the side of her face, brushing his cheek against her hair.

“Please, Mr. Ivory, I’m begging you.” A small tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at me pleadingly.

Alister sighed loudly before snapping his fingers again. Within seconds, another young woman appeared in an identical gown to Kandi’s. “Turn around, Megan.” Biting her bottom lip, she glanced at Kandi with envy.

“Unzip her,” Alister barked at Kandi as Megan winced and slowly rotated.

“Please, I can bring you an ashtray,” Kandi pleaded.

“Demi, stand up,” Alister ordered as my stomach flipped.

“Stand up!” he shouted at me. I gripped the armrests and pushed myself up.

This is it. This is the moment, the pivotal moment when I’m about to be sunken into Alister Ivory’s sick and twisted games.

I stood next to Alister as he towered over me. Running his hand through his shiny black hair, he grinned at me before taking another puff of his cigar and then pulled my lips apart with his thumb. Blowing the cigar smoke into my mouth, I immediately started to cough at the repulsive taste.

Kandi and Megan were trembling as they watched.

“I’m going to save kissing you for the day I spread your legs apart and feel you everywhere.” He smirked as he took my hand and placed his cigar in it.

“I need you to put this out for me, my beautiful raven.” Tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear, Alister whispered, “Put the cigar out on the ashtray.”

Looking around, I didn’t see an ashtray. Kandi began unzipping Megan’s dress and allowed the material to fall outward on both sides.

“Oh my God,” I gasped as I saw Megan’s shriveled and bruised skin, with hundreds of burn marks all over her back.

“She’s one of our nightingales. It’s strange seeing her in white, but she was promoted when too many doves turned up dead…”

“Now put out the cigar, Demi,” Alister snapped at me as I stood there.

“I won’t do it.” My voice cracked as I shook my head.

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