Chapter 6

We're all broken but still just not the same.....

After finally going through different scented and embellished soaps and perfumes that were stocked in the bathroom I successfully take a shower and I dry off with a clean towel I found in one of the bathroom cabinets.I tie it around my frail body and head to my room and walk to where I had left the clothes-my bed.

I pick up the neatly folded clothes and unfold them revealing an overly oversized grey night gown.I'm not complaining though,it will obviously do me some good in hiding my scars.

I put it on and the gown almost swallows me whole as it fully covers my feet till it reaches the floor.

Perfect

However this perfectly oversized and surprisingly cozy night gown has a little problem.

.....It doesn't come with a scarf.

I go to my old clothes in hopes that I could use my scarf as I pick it up.

But

It's dingy and smelly.

I wonder how I hadn't noticed this before I took a shower.

I drop it in defeat as I ponder on what next to do.

A knock on my door startles me and I go to the door.I open the door just a little bit and peek through the door.

"Hey"I say to the familiar young maid.

"Madam Ada says you should come down for dinner now"she replies

"Umm..... can you get me a scarf?"I ask

Confusion flashes through her features as she raises a brow

"A scarf?"she whispers

"Yes I need it"I reply

She doesn't push the matter any forward and just simply nods her head before walking away.

I shut the door and I hear her knock on Jasmine's door a few times then silence follows suit.

She probably knows Jasmine won't answer

I wait at the door impatiently for the scarf and after about twenty minutes I hear a knock at the door,I open it a little peeking through it like I did before.

"Here's your scarf"she says raising the scarf.

I gesture for her to give it to me with my frail fingers and once she does I grab it and immediately shut the door.

"You're welcome"I hear her say

I ignore her and wrap the scarf around my head fully covering my head and neck only leaving my eyes uncovered.

I step out of the room and head to the dinning room.Once I enter I'm greeted by couple's feigned smiles.

I take a seat opposite them and eat in awkward silence,I don't bother making eye contact with either of them not wanting to intensify the awkwardness.

Soon after Ada gets up and walks out angrily for some reason,I stare at her frame in curiosity till she is fully out of sight.I go back to eating and Nicodemus sighs.I don't bother asking him why because it feels stupid.

The room is filled with agonizing silence to the point where I can even hear the clock ticking...it's mentally draining and I'm beginning to loose my appetite.

Soon after I hear footsteps.I raise my head and see Ada dragging along Jasmine by the arm.

"Let go of me"I hear Jasmine grunt lowly

Her mother ignores her and continues to drag her till she reaches the table.

"Sit and behave"says Ada sternly before sitting back on her seat

"Now"she says in between gritted teeth

Jasmine rolls her eyes but sits anyway.

"Eat"says her mother

"No"replies Jasmine

"Jasmine"says her father sternly

"What?"she asks irritated

I look at the couple,their feigned smile no longer present now replaced with annoyance.I look at Jasmine and her face looks like the way it's been since we spoke, irritated.

Jasmine notices my stare and looks at me sharply.

"Don't you get tired of always staring?"asks Jasmine glaring at me

I lower my eyes and continue eating not wanting to be a part of this.

"Jasmine behave yourself she's our guest"says her mother in between gritted teeth

"Why is SHE even here....do you even know her?"asks Jasmine coldly.

"She's our guest and that's final"replies her mother with gritted teeth.

I can't help but feel that I've been sucked into the family feud.

All the while Jasmine and Ada had been bickering Nicodemus was just drinking his soup.I can tell by his calm exterior that this is not the first time that this kind of scenario has taken place in this house.He literally only glances at them and occasionally shakes his head before continuing with his food.

I can't help but wonder

How long have they been like this?

I might not exactly have a happy family, but I know fully well that we never fought like this,most especially in front of guests....that is until they died.

"I can't do this anymore!"says Jasmine who has obviously had enough as she slams both hands on the table.

Her sudden outburst makes both Nicodemus and I raise our heads to look at her.However unlike me he has an unfazed expression plastered on his face before he serves himself some more soup.

"Jasmine don't you dare raise your voice at your mother!"replies Ada equally slamming her hand on the table startling me.

Jasmine gets up from her seat and starts storming off.

"Jasmine come back here!"yells her mom

"Make me"yells Jasmine back before fully leaving the enormous room.

Ada gets up and is about to run and drag her back when Nicodemus gets a hold of her arm.She looks at him with angered eyes but he simply gives her a simple nod as he looks straight into her eyes.She sits back on her seat and exhales like as though she's going through some kind of therapy, after a few seconds she seems to fully compose herself before nodding her head back at her husband who now finally let's go of her arm.

All the while I'm here witnessing these things unfold like as though I'm invisible.The discomfort already made the awkward atmosphere thicken and I just stare in awkward silence that seem to be cutting through my dry throat.

After the silence continued for another twenty minutes the couple seemed to have remembered about my existence.Ada looks at me and tries her best to give me a warm and assuring smile but it only comes out looking crooked,her husband does the same but this time with less effort so he doesn't look as creepy.

I swallow hard at the some what odd sight.

I really did walk into a mad house

"Umm forgive our daughter.... she's just umm"starts Ada before glancing at her husband for help who apparently doesn't help at all as he stares back.

"....odd she's just odd"she continues obviously loosing hope on him

I nod my head slowly not uttering a single word.What am I supposed to say any way?

It's still raining heavily outside and flashes of thunder shows through the enormous dinning windows.My stomach churns as another wave of silence engulfs us.

"Um so Mirai how did you get here?"asks Ada obviously trying to form small talks

"A train"I reply

"A train?"asks Nicodemus raising an eyebrow

"Yes"

They glance at each other as the tense atmosphere dies down

"What train?"asks Nicodemus

"Umm uhh I don't know"I reply

"I kind of just jumped in"I continue shrugging

"You ran away didn't you?"asks Ada in a low voice tilting her head to the side

I nod slowly

"Why?"she asks gently

I avert my gaze and stare at the far end of the dinning table not having any intentions of answering the question.

Why are they interrogating me now?

"I think it's time to sleep now,it's been a long day"says Nicodemus standing up from his seat ending the conversation.

"Yes"Replies Ada slowly as she presses a button and some maids come and pack up the plates

I give them a curt nod and thank them for the meal before I start heading to my room.

Once I get into my room I shut the door and go to my bed.I unwarp the scarf and throw it across the room dieing from the heat.

The bed is soft and cozy, nothing like I've ever slept on.The coziness is soothing and comforting and I can't help but feel safe like as though I'm being hugged by an angel.

In seconds I feel my eyelids get heavier and heavier till they close shut.

・・・・・・・・・・・

Jasmine's POV:

I've been choked up in my room for weeks....months maybe?

I don't know.....I no longer keep track of the time.Its been too long.

My parents never let me go outside.Not after the countless numbers of failed escape plans.

They say it's not safe out there, outside the gates

They say it's dangerous for me and my health.

But I know they're lying.Infact I'm the one who's going to endanger them-the ones outside-but yet I long to go outside and interact with other humans, their way of life,to just simply feel my feet touch the soil...

But I can't

So I play along and act like I'm the victim and stay locked in my room.

For the past seventeen years of my life this is how my life has been.

Stagnant

It's the same old chain of staying in my room, running away, getting caught then doing it all over again.The simplest word to describe me is a prisoner.Yes I'm a prisoner of the four walls of my prison home.And there's nothing I can do about it.

I hear a knock on my door and I already know who it is.

"Go away"I yell

After a few seconds the knocking stops and I sigh as I look out my prison window.It starts to rain and I see my father's car drive through the large embellished prison gates.

Home so soon I see

I see him run out of the car with a perculiar looking someone.

And who's this one?

It's hard to even see whoever this person might be because he or she is running too fast.

Oh no not again.....

We're not expecting any guests, heck we never expect guests in this house.So she must be....

A replacement...

This is not good.

You see I was born sick, extremely sick.All the best doctors and scientists that my father's money could buy over told both my parents that I wouldn't survive and that I would die sooner or later at an early age during my childhood or much much later.Although they were heart broken they weren't surprised,in fact they knew I was going to be born that way.The doctors had told my mother to abort the pregnancy long before I was born because they had seen that something was wrong with me.But my mother couldn't.....

I was the only child my mother could conceive after years of countless miscarriages, therapy and other things.

However one day when my parents came across a scientist, who's name i don't care to remember told them that in order for me to survive that they would need a human host in order to sustain my body and that he can make me healthy.Although he didnt fail to collect a small fortune from my father of course....I was only seven at the time when this happened.

They agreed even though it ment using a fellow human.The man in question had so much faith in the new invented operation,after all he did invent it himself.

The operation was very inhumane and cruel,they were to get a human and collide I and the person's cells and genes then drain them from the hosts body and into mine.

It's very draining and scary.

The first time they had tried that was with a girl around my age that time....I think eight or so.Her name was Aina.She was a street girl they had lured into our home with promises of having shelter and a family.The poor girl who was young and naive believed them and agreed to stay with us.Through out the time that she stayed with us I tried warning her to run away, giving her vague signs and writing notes under her pillows, scribbling monsters on her bedroom walls and on her clothes but for some reason she thought I was joking with her and for very time my parents found out about this there was always a punishment attached to it.

Always...

But at a time I gave up trying and let what ever was going to happen simply happen.

On the final day of the operation my parents had sent away all our servants and told them to have a small holiday for themselves and the idiots all left.

They took both of us down to the basement and performed the operation.....

I can still remember her screaming ....

It haunts me sometimes

After the operation was done they found out that it was unsuccessful and that another one had to be done.At that time Aina was long dead.

The mad scientist said that the reason it wasn't successful was because Aina's cells weren't compatible.....

They needed at least one person's compatible cells.

Ever since then troupes of replacements have come through those gates and never go out.

I've seem them all,the tall,short,light skinned,dark skinned,the weak,the strong,the healthy,the ones just as sickly as I am,the beautiful and ugly.But they all end up having the same fate.

They die

My parents only ever take street children.The ones with no family or friends,the ones that no one will miss if they go.Only a handful of them knew what they were getting into blinded by money that they would never get to use to begin with...while the rest were just mere children too naive to see the evil that smiled at them.

My parents never told me why I was sick I just know I am.

It's a chronic disease,it comes and goes whenever it likes and each time it comes it comes stronger than it did before.

Running away sometimes feels like a lost cause...

They always find me

I have a tracking chip inserted in my body.Destroying it isn't any use either.They have millions of tracking chips stored somewhere in the house that I can't seem to find.If I ever destroy it they'll simply put it another one back into my body.

I go down stairs to see who this person might be.After all it could just be my eyes playing tricks on me.

On my way down I hear my mother's voice.I lurk behind the curtains in order to get a glimpse of the person with out being seen.

I've seen this all before,it's the usual feigned hospitable welcome.

I feel like vomiting as the feeling of déjàvu strikes me, replaying the same chain of happy welcomes to dead bodies.

My parents must have personally tracked this one down I think,mother seems to have met her before and the girl has the family brand umbrella.

I huge part of me is urging and screaming for me to warn her to leave even though the rest of me is telling me that there's nothing I can do about it.

I can see her clearly even though I can't make out what she looks like,she literally has a scarf warped around her head and on top of that is wearing a hoodie with oversized jeans.

I push the negative feeling aside and step out a little from the dark corner so she can see me a little.I stay there for a few seconds till she finally spots me and looks directly at me.I look straight at her eyes not breaking eye contact like as though that would make her know what's going on in my mind.I gesture the sentence 'run away' with my mouth but I'm not sure she can see me,it's quite dark because the lights are dim.

She stares back at me like as though we're in some kind of staring competition.

She doesn't get the message

I sigh and step back into the dark area

Ugh how stupid can you be!!?

I try and calm down my spiked nerves...

She obviously doesn't know what she's getting into.

After some time I see them heading to the dinning room.I step back into the light as I stare at her back in pity.She snaps her head towards my direction but back breaks eye contact before I can do anything.

It's happening again...

I head back to my room feeling like a total failure.

Another one who will never live to tell the tale has just walked through the gates and I can't do anything about it.

Again......

Unless

I look out my window thinking of a ludicrous idea.That same idea that I've had for years.

Run away....With me nowhere in sight they can't possibly carry on with it.

Even if at this point it's become way too old it's worth giving it a try at least.

But first I need to get rid of this chip.I rush to my room cabinets and bring out a razor blade and start pick at where the chip is inserted- my little finger.After a long while the tiny chip falls off and once it does I crush it under my feet.

I hurriedly rush to my bed and look under it for my hidden crowbar.Once I find it I grab it and smash my windows with it covering my eyes so shattered glass don't get in.With my heart beating fast I hastily tie my multiple bedsheets together in order to form a sturdy rope.I ties one end to my bed frame and throw the other end out the window.I'm about to climb out the window when I feel strong arms wrap my waist.It yanks me hard away from the broken window as I scream,kick and curse at the person.

However this act of childish rage proves to be futile since the one with the strong grip is non other than my parents watch dog butler Onyx.

After a few minutes of struggling he finally let's go of me and I land on my butt.

"Trying to escape aren't we now miss Jasmine"says Onyx as he looks down at me.

I push past him and run down stairs to the living room.

I hear him sigh for some reason.

Once I get to the huge living room I rush to the door and pull the door knob but the door doesn't open.It's locked.

Suddenly I hear Onyx sigh behind me making me turn it sharply at him panting heavily.

He has an unfazed and bored expression plastered on him face as he crosses his arms.He tilts his head to the side as he gives me an unamused look.

"You more than anyone in this entire house hold knows that all the doors are locked by this time"he says

He's right and I know it.

"Open the door now"I yell but he remains unchanged looking at me with a deadpan expression.

"Do it now or else I'll..."I continue to yell before I'm cut short by my mother

"Jasmine what is all this?"she asks walking towards me

"Open the doors already"I yell at Onyx who remains quite

"Jasmine we've talked about this"says my father in a gentle voice

"Onyx please take her to her room"says my father

Onyx already takes a hold of my arm but I yank it away

"Don't touch me"

"Why are you always trying to run away?"says my mother in between gritted teeth

"Because you keep murdering people, I'm going to die any way" I reply coldly

I feel an intense sting on my cheek as she slaps me across the face

"Don't you know we do all this for you?"she says as she points at me accusingly

"Why don't you just let me die then"I reply still clutching my cheek

"How dare you speak to me like that?"she says coldly with anger in her eyes

All the while my father just stands there just looking at us.He always has been a pushover.My mother calls all the shots about our lives.She's always has been a control freak.

"Jasmine just go to your room"says my father gently

"You can't control my life"I scream in between sobs as I run upstairs.I shut the door and lock myself in crying.

After some time I hear a knock on the door.

"Miss Jasmine are you in there?"asks Onyx

"Go away"I yell angrily

Soon after I hear his footsteps move further away from my door.

I've surprisingly calmed down from my crying fit but now my emotions are just replaced with anger.

The anger caused by not being able to help myself.

After some time I hear some footsteps.

It's probably the new maid Ashanti....again

She keeps trying to please my mother and constantly always tries to check up on me and talk to me.Its so freaking annoying.

I'm about to yell at her to go away when I hear her talk to someone.

I rush to the door and open it just a little bit and peek at them.I didn't really catch whatever she might have told her but the other girl nods and Ashanti Leaves.

It's now or never.

I open the door and make my move.

"You made a mistake coming here"I say to her.

That only seems to startle her as she jumps at my direction

I brush that aside and tell to leave before it's too late but instead of her to actually listen to me she glares at me and I glare back.

You really are a dummy

Never the less I still tell her to leave but for some reason she thinks I'm joking with her.

After our unsuccessful conversation I lock my door and pray she has enough sense to run while she still can.

After some few minutes which consisted of Ashanti constantly knock on my door and I having to yell my lungs out or just ignore her I'm finally left in total silence.

It's only after I've thought that they've finally left me alone that my mother barges into my room and grabs me by the arm.

She drags me by the arm and presses her nails into my flesh so I won't struggle.

Something I'm still not used to but I comply with her in fear of her digging her nails into my flesh any further.Never the less I still manage to stubbornly grunt for her to let me go.

She continues to drag me till we reach the dinning hall and I see her....

Why are you still HERE!!!

My mother tried to make me eat but one look at the food and I feel like vomiting.

I feel the girl's stares as she watches us like we're some kind of tv show

She stares at me with her big eyes and I can't hold back me anger as I yell at her.

"Don't you get tired of always staring?"

She lowers her eyes and continues eating.

It's so puzzling how she can stare at us in the face and yet not see the evil that is staring right back at her.

So dumb

Before I know it my mother and I are arguing about being nice to the guest.

"Why is SHE even here,do you even know her?"I counter stressing on the 'she' part

However mother doesn't answer and I see a flash of shock flash through her face for just a brief second.

I thought as much...

However she somehow finds something else to argue about in a flash

Typical mother, she'll feign being the innocent one even if the sky is falling

I get up from my seat and leave the dinning room even with my mother yelling after me.

Everything about this place is driving me insane.I can't do this anymore.

I slam my door hard but this time I make sure to put more locks so even my mother can't get in.

Soon after I hear another knock

"Go away!!"