Wronged

? 41 B ?

I remove the phone from my ear just as Aiden says, "Anna, wait—" and tap the red button. The screen shoots back to the dial pad, and I swipe up on the screen to access the flashlight. I press it on, and light is given.

Shakily, I make my way down the creaky old stairs with my breaths coming out unevenly. It takes me one minute and three seconds to reach the floor, and by the time I do, I'm chilly. Goosebumps take over my skin.

My eyes look around for a light source when I see a chain dangling in front of me. I pull it, making a dim yellow light fill the room. I sigh in relief and then my own flashlight and phone off before clinging onto my phone since I don't exactly have pockets anymore.

First I look left, seeing boxes stacked on top of one another labeled with different things like "bed sheets" or "kitchen utensils." I already have all the labels memorized, but I won't go through them all.

Next to them are metal filing cabinets. Some drawers are opened, others closed. But inside are so many yellow and white folders. I'm guessing this is where the children's portfolios are kept. Their personalities and medical inquiries are all kept in there.

I kind of want to go find Lily's, but decide against it. I've already violated enough privacy by let alone taking the kid. What's worse, she had to stab a man. My father. She's got to be scarred.

At the thought of Lily, I go back to looking for Nico and Hayley. We have to get out of here as soon as we can so we can get her and leave. If only Aiden would get here sooner so he can just grab her and get her to safety. Although, I know him all too well.

Once he arrives, he's not going to disappear until he gets me and everyone else. Or at least until he knows everyone is safe.

I walk over to the right, sifting through some dusty and old clothes on a rack to get through some obstacles. My heart rate increases due to the silence, and an uneasiness washes over me. I'm all alone in here. What if Noah finds me, or worse, my father does and tries to take me away again?

But those thoughts are vanquished when I spot feet through the clothes I'm trying to walk through in between the metal rack. I immediately get through and stumble a little, finding Nico and Hayley in these tan metal chairs, tied back-to-back.

Nico is facing me, but he's unconscious. His head is drooping to the left (my right), blood matted in his hair and completely covering the entire right side (my left) of his face. I can't see his skin, the blood is so dominant. How'd he get beaten up so badly?

Against his back is Hayley's back. I can hear her soft whimpering cries and I can see her shoulders shaking in fear. My eyes widen and I run over to them, first to Hayley since she can - you know - speak to me.

I bend down next to her, placing my hands on her shoulders. She flinches and snaps her head up to meet my eyes. They're bloodshot from crying, and her makeup has smeared pretty awfully. Still, she remains beautiful.

"A-Anna?" She whispers, almost in disbelief. "Oh my God! Noah said y-you...he said you died." Her voice breaks.

I shake my head and swallow once, keeping the emotion down. I wrap my arms around her, not feeling weird despite being in my bra and underwear. She's a girl too. But she's also my sister.

When I pull away, her eyes are still spilling pools of sadness. "Wait. Why-Why are you naked?"

I sigh. "My father tried to...do stuff to me again." My voice is scratchy and is painful to use, but I continue when her jaw drops. "But Lily stopped him."