Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“You better eat.” The girl sitting across from her motioned with her spoon to Ariana’s full bowl of oatmeal. “If you don’t, your daddy will punish you,” she said with a frown. “And not in a good way.”
A good way? There was a good way to be punished?
“I’m not really hungry,” Ariana said, picking up the spoon and poking at the mush in her bowl.
“It doesn’t matter. If you don’t eat, you get spanked.” The girl’s pigtails bobbed as she nodded with her statement. “And in a bad way. Not in the way your daddy will when he wants to play big girl games.”
“Big girl games?” Ariana asked, more confused than ever. Wasn’t she already a big girl? And who talks this way? Why was she sounding like a child?
“Girls, finish your breakfast so we can move to the nursery for some games,” Nancy announced from the head of the long table.
A dozen girls sat with Ariana, and all of them shoveled their oats into their mouths. Ponytails and pigtails swayed as they hurried with their meal.
“You have to eat,” the girl urged, taking the last bite of her own breakfast.
Ariana looked down the length of the table and found Nancy glaring at her. She’d been so happy to see Ariana get a spanking the night before, she was probably chomping at the bit to see it again.
“Is there anything in it?” Ariana scooped up a small bite onto her spoon.
“Blueberries and pecans. I don’t like pecans, but Daddy says I have to eat it anyway. Sometimes he tells Nanny Nancy to get me a bowl without them, but that’s usually only after we have a private play date.”
Ariana blinked a few times. The girl looked to be in her twenties, so why the hell was she babbling like a five-year-old? Absolutely nothing about this woman…about anything…made sense. Were they truly in a madhouse?
“No. I mean, like anything else. Like that medicine they made me drink.”
“Oh.” She smiled. “No. That’s only when we wake up and then after dinner. Unless your daddy wants a play date, then you only have to have a little bit of the medicine, that way you can be his big girl for him.”
Ariana’s head swirled. The girl’s answer did nothing but add to the craziness of this entire situation. Sensing Nancy’s glare again, she shoveled the oatmeal into her mouth. A little sweet, but otherwise it tasted untouched of any poisons. The girl to her right was giggling with her neighbor. Ariana tried to listen to their conversation but all she could make out was nonsense about a chalkboard drawing.
“Good morning, girls!” A man dressed more for a corporate board meeting in his fancy black suit than for oatmeal with a bunch of captive girls, walked into the dining room with a fat grin on his face.
“Uncle Frank!” Several of the girls cheered. A few of the girls sank lower in their chairs, their gazes averted to their bowls of oatmeal. It was the fear Ariana noted in their eyes that sent a shiver over her skin.
“Good morning, sir.” Nancy nodded to him as he approached her.
“Nancy. I wish I were here for something a bit more fun,” he said to her, not attempting to keep his voice low in any manner. “But, I’m afraid Sarabelle will need to come with me,” he said, casually running his hand over a girl’s head, brushing her loose curls with his fingers. The girl’s face paled and several tears rolled down her cheeks as he continued to pet her.
“Oh. I’m so sorry to hear that,” Nancy said, but her tone suggested otherwise. “I’ll have her things brought down to your office.”
“There won’t be need for that,” Uncle Frank said and moved his hand to the girl’s shoulder.
“Please, no!” Sarabelle burst out of her chair, facing off with Uncle Frank. Panic blossomed in her eyes as she backed away from him. “Please. I’ll do better. I can pretend better. I promise!” she pleaded with him, while he grimaced.
“It’s not that easy, Sarabelle. You know that. You can’t be adopted if you’re not a little girl. And you’ve made it quite clear you’re not one of my little girls.” He shook his head with no sincerity.
“I’ll try harder.” Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she pleaded with folded hands.
“It’s too late,” Uncle Frank stated flatly. He’d made his mind up. Ariana sensed the dark wall he represented. He wouldn’t budge. His decision was final, and whatever he was deciding for Sarabelle had her frantically sobbing.
“Please. No.”
Uncle Frank grabbed her arm and led her from the dining room.
“It won’t hurt. I promise,” Uncle Frank vowed as they reached the dining room door. “Be good today, girls.” Uncle Frank looked over his shoulder at the table, his gaze locking momentarily with Ariana’s. Her breath stuck in her throat until he turned away and disappeared out of sight. Sarabelle’s sobs faded away down the hall.