Current day...
The quietly opening door at the top of the stairs jarred Emily from her stupor. She scrambled to her feet and tensed, sniffing the air. She listened to the routine sounds with a growing sense of dread. No food. Her stomach clenched tightly with hunger and fear. She listened to the clicking steps as her mother made her way down into the darkness. A light went on in the outer room and glowed under the heavy wooden door. The outside bar lifted and the hinges creaked when it slid open. Emily squinted at the sudden brightness. Her heart sank when her eyes confirmed what her nose had known; through the bars she could see Carolynn's empty hands. No food.
Her mother grabbed the hose rod and though this normally caused terror, today was different. Something was going on within Emil
