Nightshade

14

Bella Harper wasn’t okay. She was far from okay. She was lying on a bed, curled up into a foetal ball and sobbing. Sitting next to her was Candice Matthews, Candy to her friends. Candy was twenty-five – her hair was blonde but unlike Bella’s it was dyed, dry and slightly frizzy. Her cheeks were peppered with old acne scars and her nails were bitten to the quick. ‘Please don’t cry, baby,’ she said, patting Bella on the shoulder.

‘I want to go home,’ sniffed Bella.

‘I know you do. But you can’t just now.’

‘I want my mum and dad.’

‘I know you do.’

‘They’ll tell the police and you’ll get into trouble.’

‘We won’t get into trouble, Bella. No one knows you’re here.’

Bella was wearing the clothes she’d had on at the mall. Skinny jeans and a Guess sweatshirt. That wasn’t what Eric wanted her to wear. Eric wanted her in one of the dresses he liked best. It was a princess dress he’d bought from the Disney store, all soft and flouncy with puffy sleeves. The dress was lying on the end of the bed. Eric always liked the girls to wear the princess dress on the first night. It was one of his ‘things’. Eric had a lot of ‘things’, and what Eric wanted Eric got.

Candy stroked Bella’s hair. ‘Just put the dress on, baby. It’s like a game.’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘Eric doesn’t want to hurt you.’

‘So let me go.’

‘He will do. But first he just wants to show you how much he likes you.’

‘He can show how much he likes me by letting me go home.’

‘Baby, he will do.’ She stroked Bella’s hair again. ‘He wouldn’t want you to stay here for ever, would he?’

Bella didn’t answer. She continued to sob softly.

‘Baby, you have to stop crying. Eric doesn’t like it if you cry. He’ll get angry and he’s not very nice when he’s angry. Do you understand?’

‘I want to go home.’

‘I know you do. And the quickest way for you to go home is to do what Eric wants. Just be nice to him.’

‘I don’t want to be nice to him.’

‘Then think of it as a game. You’ve played games, haven’t you? Fancy dress games. That’s all it is. You put on the dress and then you can go home.’

Bella rolled over and looked at Candy with tear-filled eyes. ‘Really?’

‘Of course,’ lied Candy.

‘If I put the dress on you’ll let me go home?’

‘Yes.’

Bella sat up and rubbed her eyes. ‘Okay.’

Candy smiled and patted the little girl on the arm. They always co-operated if you pressed the right buttons. Eric had taught her that. It was always easier if he stayed away during the first few hours. The girls always accepted the lies when they came from Candy. And by the time they realised that she was lying, it was too late.

Candy helped Bella remove her sweatshirt and jeans and put on the dress. ‘Wow, you look lovely, as lovely as a princess,’ said Candy. ‘Look in the mirror.’

There was a mirror on the door of the wardrobe and Bella looked at her reflection. She nodded. ‘It’s pretty.’ She turned to look at Candy. ‘Can I go home now?’

‘Soon, baby,’ she said.

‘You said I could.’

‘Yes, but you need to do something else. Okay? You need to comb your hair and make it look pretty.’

‘Why?’

‘Because that’s what Eric wants. You have to make yourself pretty for him.’ She picked up a comb from the dressing table and stood behind Bella, combing her hair as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Tears began to run down Bella’s face. ‘Now don’t cry, baby. Eric doesn’t like it when you cry. He wants pretty, pretty, pretty.’

Bella sniffed. ‘And when I’m pretty, I can go home?’

‘Of course,’ lied Candy. She smiled brightly. ‘Let’s get you looking pretty, pretty, pretty and you’ll soon be home with your mummy and daddy.’