The Secret in the Attic

She opened the door to the small attic bedroom, the room that she would be spending the next eight years of her life. The only good thing about living here was the boy that lived in the house with his family. His name was Sam. Sam had lived here with his family for his whole life; they took Anya in when her grandmother died a week ago. Her grandmother had known Sam’s family for a long while before she passed, although she did not know they would care so poorly for young Anya after she had passed. Anya had never met Sam before moving into his house and even then she’d only seen him once as his mother pushed her up the stairs and into a small corridor where her new bedroom awaited.

“This is where you will be spending your time. While we have company you are not to show your self, nor are you to make any noise what-so-ever. You are to act as if you do not exist. You will be brought meals twice a day and you are not to leave your room for any reason unless it is an emergency. Do you understand?” The small child nodded and then, after thinking about what she would say, opened her mouth to speak. “Wh- what about to use the restroom? Or to bathe?”

Her voice was small and timid, as if she were going to be struck if she said the wrong thing. Which, to be honest, was a possibility. “My husband installed a toilet and bathtub for you. You are only to use them when company is not here. We will send a note to you through the dumb waiter about when you can or can not use these.” The girl nodded again and placed her suit case on the bed. She turned towards the older woman and curtsied; “Thank you Ma’am for giving me a roof over my head when I needed it. I am forever grateful.”

The young girl only slightly understood the words she spoke, but her grandmother had instilled a great amount of manners in the girl before her passing and Anya was determined to make her grandmother proud of her, even in death.

The woman looked down her at the child and sniffed. “And one more rule,” Although there would be more in the years to come, this rule would be the one she was most adamant about. “Under no circumstance, should you come in any sort of contact with my son. If you do by accident you will quickly excuse your self from his presence and return to your room. And if you break any of these rules, you will see how grateful you are to me then.” And before Anya could react she stormed out of the small attic bedroom and shut the door tightly, leaving Anya alone with her thoughts.