“Clover, is everything okay? We have your dinner in the oven if you’re hungry,” Rose said and pulled off her yellow rubber gloves as he walked down the stairs. My eyes flicked to the cellar door and widened. It wasn’t shut. My heart leaped. There was about an inch gap. He hadn’t closed it. Did he even realize?
He kissed Rose’s cheek and turned to face us all. Violet walked out of the bedroom and stopped beside me. “Something has happened, but I don’t want any of you to worry about it. I’ve thought of a way to keep us together,” he said, looking at each of us. What? What’s happened?
Violet’s hand found mine and she squeezed me tight. I could sense her fear. She was terrified of what he had planned. What did it mean, a way to keep us together? He was going to try to run with us? My heart leaped. They knew about him.
He looked around and waved his hand. “There are some people that want to split us up, but I will never let that happen,” he said far too calmly. He was too calm, as if he was discussing the weather. “We won’t be separated. We can’t be separated,” he muttered. It was a promise, and it sent chills down my spine. His eyes were dark and distant. In that moment, I knew that he wasn’t going to try to run with us. He was going to kill us. All of us.
My blood ran cold and heart plummeted to my stomach. Were they coming for him now? Was that why he needed to do this now and break his precious routine? Keep him talking. My throat was tight, but I knew I had to speak. “Clover, no one can separate us if we don’t want them to.” Violet’s hand tightened into a viselike grip.
His eyes snapped up to me and he cocked his head to the side. “No, Lily, they’re going to.”
“But we can tell them we want to be here.” He frowned, as if that was news to him. Did he really believe we wanted to be here? Surely, he wasn’t that delusional. I started to question if he even understood right and wrong anymore, or if he lived in his own world where he was always right.
“Lily, you’re not listening to me. I’ve told you, they want to split us up. Now, I need you all to be good girls. I promise this will be quick and it won’t hurt too much.” He pulled out a knife from his pocket. The air left my lungs. He didn’t react. He was dead inside already. Defeated.
Violet whimpered and pulled me back with her a step. Poppy also moved back, more toward us, but Rose stood still. Move, Rose. Damn it, move! I needed her to get out of his way. As much as she frustrated me sometimes, I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to her. Over time, she had become like family too. Like an older sister.
“C-Clover,” Rose whispered and shook her head. Her hands trembled with fear, and I heard her gulp.
He smiled at her. “You understand we can’t be apart, don’t you? I can’t live without you and you can’t live without me. It won’t hurt, I promise,” he repeated and took a step closer to her. She didn’t even flinch. Shit, she wasn’t going to try and stop him. I could see what was going to happen play out in my head just like a movie: Clover stabbing her. Rose falling to the floor. I couldn’t let that happen. I jumped forward, grabbed the top of her arm, and pulled her back. She slammed against my chest, and I yanked her behind me.
Clover glared at me. His face turned hard as he realized I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. If I was going to die down here, it was going to be trying to escape with Poppy, Rose, and Violet. “Clover, please, don’t do this. We can find another way. No one is going to do anything if we tell them we’re a family and we’re here because we want to be,” Poppy said, trying to reason with him.
“You do not beg, Poppy!” he shouted, and I jumped back in surprise. The door wasn’t locked; we could all make it out of here. I kept that thought in my mind. His breathing was heavy and ragged. The way it was when he killed. I looked around the cellar for anything at all we could use to hurt him or distract him long enough to get out. Nothing!
He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Violet from beside me. A silent scream pierced through my head. I tried to pull her back but he was too fast, he slammed her into the wall and raised the knife. Poppy and Violet screamed so loud it rang in my ears. Through their cries, I could just about hear Clover chanting something, but I couldn’t make out what it was. Everything happened so fast, I was powerless to stop it. Violet tried to grab his wrist but he was too quick—he plunged the knife into her stomach and she slumped to the floor.
“No!” Poppy screamed. I dropped to the floor and tried to look at the wound. Would she be okay or had it gone too far in? My vision blurred. I fought to swallow the lump in my throat but it was no use. I cried, my chest heaving with sobs.