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  By Charlotte Michelle

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  Copyright © 2018 by Charlotte Michelle.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: September 2018

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-436-5

  ISBN-10: 1-64034-436-5

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to Charlotte Hyde, who has overcome her own childhood struggles and is a beautiful wife, mom, and Grammy! Her strength inspired me to create Adelaide.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Houses

  Dinner With the Cranes

  Serendipity

  Questions and Answers

  Kiss

  Options

  Hand-Mixer

  Hugs

  Phoenix

  Progress

  Trip to Town, Glimpse of the Past

  A Month

  What Are His Plans?

  Growth

  Past and Present

  Cicero Disciples

  Double Date

  The Accident

  Questions Revealed

  Relapse

  Her Past

  The Barrel of a Gun

  Burning

  Plans in Motion

  Finally

  Happy

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  *Adelaide*

  April 2007

  I watch from my bedroom window as the woman reaches for the man’s hand. My head is cocked to the side as I wonder what they’re doing. I have never seen such contact with another human before. What does it mean?

  I glance down at my right hand before I place my left one on top of it, my fingers closing around each other.

  Nothing.

  I feel nothing.

  How odd…why would the woman want to feel nothing?

  Looking back up, I see her laugh, her dark brown hair fanning her shoulders as she twirls to face the tall, bulky man.

  I will never forget these people. They are the first beings I have seen, apart from my ma and occasionally my grandpa.

  She looks happy within his presence, as if she genuinely wants to be with him. How odd…my ma always tells me that men are cruel, monstrous beings. They only care for themselves and will mistreat women constantly.

  I have never understood what she meant, for I have never seen a man with a woman…until today. But they look happy.

  I frown, turning in my window seat to look at my plain room. The bed in which I sleep is small and lumpy. The carpet is worn and scratchy against my feet. The walls are adorned in peeling tan wallpaper, and my desk has a limited number of items on it. Actually, it only holds a journal and a pen.

  My closet carries a selection of five outfits. My clothes are dull, not bright like the dress the lady outside is wearing.

  I can’t help but wonder why that is.

  I stand and walk out of my bedroom and down the hallway to the main area. I glance at the front door to see the variety of locks on it…locks that can only be opened by the keys my ma keeps stashed away.

  I have only been outside twice in my life, and only for a short period of time. My ma says it’s too dangerous for a girl like me to be outside.

  Men are too dangerous.

  I don’t understand.

  He didn’t look dangerous…

  I turn my attention to my ma, who is sitting on the couch with an old book in her lap. She looks up at me, sensing my presence and offers a small smile. “What book are you reading?” I ask, walking forward to sit cross-legged on the floor in front of her.

  “Nothing, darling.” That is always her response.

  Everything is hidden from me. All the books she reads are off limits. I am only to read the ones she deems appropriate for me.

  “I saw a man and a woman outside today. They looked happy,” I say. My mother’s blue eyes grow cold as she glowers down at me.

  “They are just naïve. She will get her heart broken…but you never will, my flower. I will protect you.”

  Again, this is another common response whenever I bring up women and men.

  I don’t understand how a man can break a woman’s heart…how can he do so? It isn’t a bone that can be snapped…

  I sigh, looking away from my ma.

  My flower. She says I’m a flower that is to be cherished and treated with love. She always explains that if I am to ever go out into the world and see people, that I will wilt, just as a flower does when it lacks water.

  She constantly reminds me to instill the fear within me.

  I stand to my feet, faking a yawn. “I’m going to go to bed,” I whisper.

  I know my ma is hiding something from me. I know she’s hiding me. I wish I had answers.

  Turning to go back to my room, I crawl into bed and allow myself to slip into my vivid dreams.

  Hands grab my ankles, pulling me down to the edge of the bed.

  Screams echo through the halls.

  I see a man stand above me, his face in the shadows. I don’t know what he looks like, but I know he’s a man. He has the same body shape as my grandpa, and the man who walked through the woods outside my window.

  “Don’t worry, Adelaide, everything is going to be okay.” His words hold comfort, however his voice does not.

  I open my eyes and stare up at the ceiling above me, gnawing on my bottom lip. Same dream every night. No more, no less.

  A tear rolls down my cheek as I feel a sense of loneliness overcome me. I will never be the lady in the bright dress. I will never walk outside with a smile on my face.

  I am forced to remain within these four walls. I’m a prisoner in my own home and my mother is the key holder. She’s the one who locks me away and keeps me hidden.

  And I don’t even know why.

  What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this?

  I roll onto my side and hug my pillow to my chest.

  I yearn for the day I will be free of this place. I yearn for the day I will be faced with my biggest fear:

  Stepping foot into the world I do not know.

  Houses

  *Adelaide-Age 17*

  April 2017 (Ten years later)

  I look at everything.

  I look at the trees; there are so many different kinds with a variety of shapes and sizes.

  I look at the cars, as the weirdly dressed lady called them. Again there are different shapes and sizes and even colors. I think my favorite was the bright orange one that appeared beside me a couple of hours back.

  I had never seen such a sight. It was beautiful, glistening under the bright sun, nearly blinding me as I stared openly at it. It stands apart from all the other cars. Most are dull colored, like me…but this one is like the lady in the woods. Bright and beautiful.

  I look at the animals…I have only ever seen squirrels, rabbits, and occasionally deer from my bedroom window. My ma educated me, teaching me about all types of animals. She would show me pictures of dogs, horses, bears…and so on.

  Ma.

  It was just like every other day. I woke up and spent a couple of hours by m
y window, silently praying for that lovely couple to reappear. Only when I was certain they wouldn’t come, I wandered into the living room where my ma should have been on the couch with an off-limits book on her lap.

  But that day she wasn’t. It was odd. Perhaps she’s feeling ill, I had thought.

  I went to her bedroom and knocked before entering. What I saw nearly knocked me off my feet. She laid on her bed, her light brown hair fanning around her head. Her hands laid folded on her stomach…she looked beautiful in her death.

  I had never thought that about my ma before…but there she was, untouchable and forever away from this world. Beautiful.

  I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where the keys to the door were. I didn’t have any contact with the outside world…and if I had, I didn’t know the first thing to say.

  How was I to ask for help? What was I to do with her body? Surely, I couldn’t leave it there…

  A few days passed and I was more alone than ever before. I took my ma’s presence for granted. All my life, I hated her for keeping me prisoner…I then hated her for dying without giving me an escape.

  I was trapped more than ever before.

  And I had no one to speak to. No one to annoy me and ignore my questions.

  I was half determined to read the books I was never allowed. Perhaps I would find my answers there.

  But I was scared. There had to be a reason she kept them from me. I was scared that the answers would keep me from wanting to leave this house…and there was nothing I wanted more than to leave.

  I just wish my ma would have been able to accompany me.

  I look at the people walking the streets. There are men and women alike. Some are groups of just men or just women, some are clusters with a mix of the gender. There are even just couples containing a man and woman, just like my couple in the woods.

  None of these men seem like monsters.

  I hold my hands together and sigh in disappointment as I, again, feel nothing.

  What is the point of holding hands when you feel nothing from the contact?

  Is there something I’m missing?

  Perhaps my answer is in one of those books…

  I look at all the houses we pass. Some are oddly shaped, looking nothing like my old home. They are rectangular and bland. There is even writing on the outer walls. Some say Walmart. What is a Walmart? Others say Shell, with a bright yellow picture of a shell above it. Is it a building filled with shells?

  That’s odd…

  Then some of the houses are nearly identical to my old one. They are of different colors and sizes. I see people exiting and entering them. They are also of different colors and sizes.

  To think I thought everyone looked like me and my mom…or the couple. Why are some people darker than others?

  I heard being in the sunlight causes your skin to get darker. Did they stand under the warm rays for too long?

  Another unanswered question…another question I’m sure is in the books.

  “Miss?” the lady dressed in odd clothing asks from beside me. I glance over to see her looking at me with her eyebrows raised. Why is she staring at me like that? “Are you ready to see your new home?”

  The moment she asks, the car lurches to a stop. I let out a gasp, smiling down at my legs. I shift slightly, still not used to the feeling of the warm leather against my skin.

  What an odd thing, to sit in a box and be transported from one location to another. It’s much faster than walking, or even running. How did I live my whole life without knowing such a thing existed?

  I look out my window to see the white house in front of me. It’s large, compared to all the others I’ve seen like it. It has a porch that seems to go around the whole exterior of the house. There’s a white fence in front of the house. It’s small, so I doubt it is to keep anything in. What is the reason for the fence, then?

  A stone walkway cuts through a section of the fence, starting from the driveway and curving to the porch. There is a beautiful garden on each side of the walkway, littered with colorful flowers.

  “Miss?” I look back at the woman…what is her name again? I have never heard of one like it…Sarah?

  “Okay…” I whisper. My hand reaches for the handle, just as Sarah had instructed the moment we got in the car.

  She wanted to reassure me that I was not locked in the vehicle…that I could get out whenever I felt threatened. That was a strange concept…freedom.

  That’s actually a word I learned from one of the few books I was allowed to read.

  I push the door open and am instantly overcome by warmth. I gasp with alarm, glancing over my shoulder to look at Sarah. She gives me a smile and an encouraging nod.

  It takes me a moment to get used to the heat, but when I am, I place my boot-clad feet on the rocky ground. I hear the rocks grind together under my weight. I take a few deep breaths and can’t help but notice that the air is easier to breathe out here than inside the car.

  I glance at my surroundings, my eyes wide at the large amount of land this house is placed on. Most of the land is fenced in and occupied with horses. I wanted to take in every detail of the large animals, but I grow fascinated with the red house off to the side. I arch an eyebrow.

  It doesn’t look like a typical house. Is that where I am to live? Or is it the white one?

  “Adelaide!” I hear someone call my name and I turn to find the source of the delicate voice.

  I see a woman nearly identical to my ma running along the stone pathway. When she gets near, I notice she doesn’t stop until she makes contact. I cringe, waiting for impact.

  Her arms wrap around me and I tense. My ma hardly ever hugged me, saying she didn’t want me to get too comfortable with human contact. She didn’t want me to rely on it.

  But here is this woman, holding me as if I were some lost treasure.

  “Oh, I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. I’m so glad you’re here.” I assume this woman is Missy Crane…my aunt.

  Sarah gave me some background…she’s my ma’s little sister. She lives on this ranch with her husband and two children. She has a daughter named Kristy and a son named Jeremy. They should be around my age…Sarah’s words, not mine.

  Missy pulls back and looks at Sarah. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. Williams.”

  After grabbing my bag of my few belongings and bidding goodbye to Mrs. Williams, Missy gently leads me toward her house.

  It is much bigger than my own. The walls are filled with colors; reds and golds…none of which were ever on my walls. There are many more rooms, for there are walls that divide them. My old house was open…

  I think my ma wanted to keep an eye on me when I wasn’t in my bedroom.

  Missy leads me to the stairs and we walk up them until we reach a hallway filled with doors. Most of them are closed, apart from three. I glance in one to see a bathroom. Even the bathroom has colors…pale blue walls with a shower curtain that matches.

  We near the end of the hall, where I see another open door. I peek in to see a room with pale purple walls. The bed is much larger than my old one, with a blanket that matches the wall. There’s white furniture around the room, small tables on either side of the bed, and a dresser beside the closet.

  The bedroom holds two large windows that allow the sunlight to shine through. I look over at Missy with a small smile on my lips. “Mine?” I whisper. Tears gather in her bright blue eyes before she nods.

  “This is all yours, Adelaide.” I walk into the room and set my bag on the bed, watching as the mattress slightly sinks at the weight. My bag is light, therefore this bed must be soft. I smile at the thought. “We’ll take you into town tomorrow and shop for some new clothes…how does that sound?”

  I glance down at the dark brown skirt I am wearing. It reaches the floor, covering my legs, just as my dull green shirt covers my arms. My outfit is mundane, compared to the floral dress Missy is wearing.

  “Shop?” I ask, arching an eyebrow. How does
one shop?

  “It means to search and buy. We’ll get you new clothes tomorrow,” Missy explains. I nod my head. She doesn’t favor my clothing, and when I’m beside her, I don’t either.

  She dresses just as the woman from the woods did…in bright colors.

  I wish to be dressed in bright colors.

  “I’ll let you get settled in. Kristy and Jeremy are out in the fields with their father and won’t be in for a couple of hours. Feel free to explore.” Missy reaches over to give my hand a gentle squeeze.

  I glance down at the contact, feeling a slight warmth from it. Is that what everyone feels? Is that why people hold hands?

  Missy leaves me standing in my new room. I wait for a few moments until I’m sure the coast is clear and begin to backtrack my way to the door of the house. I have been trapped in a house all my life…I just wish to be outside.

  After making sure Missy is nowhere to be seen, I sneak out of the house and walk along the stone path until I reach the rocky ground.

  I slowly walk, listening to the crunch of the rocks beneath my feet. I savor the sound, for I have never heard it before. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before.

  I make my way to the fence, wanting to see the horses from before. However, they are no longer in the grassy field. I frown, wondering where they could go. Isn’t the fence here to ensure they don’t escape?

  I’m familiar with the purpose of a fence. My ma had one around the house in case I managed to unlock the door…an extra barrier.

  Turning, I see an opening in the fence and wonder if the horses managed to escape. I follow the length of the fence, never straying from its path, until I reach the break. I am now beside the red house, a strong earthy aroma filling my nose. I sigh…I have never smelled such a calming scent before.

  I walk toward the large door that has been peeled open. Peeking inside, I see a large hallway covered in dirt with cages that hold the horses. Frowning, I walk toward the first cage to grab the latch, ready to set the beautiful brown animal free.