Chapter 14 – Locked Windows
430 Words
Luna waited until Rick’s footsteps faded upstairs before she moved. Her hands trembled as she gripped the laundry basket, pretending to gather clothes. Inside, her chest thundered like it might give her away.
She went straight to the back door first. The lock turned—but only halfway before jamming. She twisted harder, heart in her throat. Nothing. A thick metal bar had been bolted across the frame.
Panic crawled up her throat. She hadn’t noticed that before.
Next—the kitchen window. She pressed against it, pushing, pulling. It didn’t budge. When she looked closer, she saw the edges glisten faintly—glue or resin sealing it shut.
One by one, she checked the others: the bathroom, the hallway, even the one in her bedroom. All sealed. All useless.
Her last hope—the basement door. She crept down, the steps groaning under her weight. The air smelled of damp concrete and old wood. She found the door at the bottom… but the knob was gone. Just a plate of metal screwed over where it should’ve been.
Her chest tightened. Every exit had been erased.
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Behind her, a floorboard creaked.
Luna spun around, breath caught in her lungs.
Rick stood at the top of the stairs, one hand braced on the frame. He wasn’t smiling.
“What are you doing down there?” His voice was calm, but the quiet weight behind it was terrifying.
“I—I was looking for a broom,” she stammered, clutching the basket against her chest.
A beat of silence. His eyes swept the basement, then slid back to her.
“There isn’t a broom down there,” he said flatly.
Her throat closed. She forced herself to meet his gaze, fighting to keep her voice steady. “I didn’t know. I thought maybe—”
Rick descended slowly, each step deliberate. He stopped inches from her, tilting his head like he was listening for the truth inside her chest.
Finally, he smiled. “Next time, just ask me. I’ll get whatever you need.”
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, fingers lingering too long.
“You don’t have to go searching. Everything you need is right here.”
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When he left, Luna sank against the cold wall, her body trembling so violently she thought her bones would shake loose.
Julia’s words from the journal pulsed in her head like a heartbeat:
Even if I tried to run, he’d find me.
Luna wasn’t just trapped in Rick’s house.
She was trapped in his world.
- Writer
