MOM

FREDA'S POV

The cold, hard floor and the smell of the room woke me up.
When I opened my eyes, I was met with a dark room but I could still see a little bit. The room was different from the one I stayed in. I tried to move, but ropes around my wrists bit into my skin, sending a sharp stab of pain through my body. My muscles screamed in protest from being stuck in the same position for who knows how long. Why did they change the location?

I was tied up. Again. I felt like a ragdoll, tossed aside and forgotten. Then my memories came rushing back, the van, the vampire, my pathetic attempt to run. My heart pounded like crazy, threatening to burst out of my chest. But I forced myself to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help. I needed to keep my head clear, even though I felt helpless.
I looked around the room trying my best to take note of the room. I stopped midway when I saw someone in front of me.

My mom.

She was leaning against the wall, her wrists also tied like mine, her face pale. A wave of relief hit me so hard , I was scared that Williams would have killed my mother. But she is right here with me. Alive. For a split second, that was all that mattered, she was okay, and we were together.

“Mom?” My voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. My throat felt so dry.

Her eyes found mine, wide with worry, but she gave me a small, tight smile. “Freda, you’re awake,” she whispered, her voice still soft and gentle even in such a situation “Are you okay?”

I nodded quickly, pushing myself up as much as the ropes would let me. Pain shot through my wrists, but I ignored it. “I’m fine,” I said, though my voice was shaky. “What about you? Did they hurt you?”

She shook her head, through her eyes I could tell she was tired and worn out. “I’m okay, sweetie. Just a bit sore.” Her eyes softened as she looked at me. “But what about you? Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, biting my lip to hold back everything I didn’t want to say. The last thing I wanted was for her to worry more. “I’m fine, Mom. Just... tired.” And terrified. But I kept that to myself.

We sat there in the silence for a while, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I glanced around the room, bare walls, a single flickering bulb, no windows, and only one door. A knot of guilt twisted in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Mom,” I said, my voice barely audible. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. You’re here because of me.”

Her eyes softened, and she shook her head. “No, Freda. This is *not* your fault. You didn’t choose this, and you definitely didn’t ask for it.” She tried to shift closer, but the ropes held her in place. “We’ll get out of here, okay? Don’t worry.”

She was trying to comfort me, but it didn’t help, I am still scared. How can we escape? We were tied up in some creepy cell, and Williams, the guy who did all this, wasn’t going to just let us leave until he gets to the throne. I’d seen the coldness in his eyes. Nothing could change his mind.

Still, I nodded. Because what else could I do? I needed to believe, even if it seemed impossible.

The silence was starting to feel uncomfortable, I wanted to be closer to my mother but that wasn’t possible, I couldn't move with all these ropes around me. Suddenly, the door creaked open. The sound made my entire body tense up. Mom's eyes snapped to the door, and I could see the fear in her eyes.
Then, Williams walked in.

He stood in the doorway, his face twisted into that smug smile that made my stomach churn. His dark eyes flicked between me and Mom, as if he was enjoying the sight of us, tied up and scared.

“Well, well,” he said, his voice smooth and sickening. “Mother and daughter, reunited at last. How sweet.”

I wanted to scream at him, to tell him exactly what I thought of him, but my body was too weak, at this point I can’t handle any of William torture. All I could do was glare, my hands clenched into fists as much as the ropes allowed. I hated him. I hated him for what he’d done to us.

“What do you want from us?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.

Williams chuckled, stepping further into the room. He looked at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum. “Oh, you already know I want the throne but you have to find out what you have to do,” he said with a smirk. “You’re both about to be very useful to me.”

His words made me more scared, whatever he’s planning can’t be good. I didn’t know what he had planned, but I knew it wasn’t good. My mom stayed quiet, her eyes narrowing as she watched him, staying calm on the outside, though I knew she was just as scared as I was.

Two girls followed him into the room, each of them carrying trays of food. My stomach growled, but I clenched my teeth. This wasn’t the usual stale bread and dirty water. They were carrying bowls of soup, fresh bread, and even some fruit. It looked like real food.

“Eat up,” Williams said, gesturing to the trays. “You’ll need your strength.”

I didn’t move. I didn’t trust him. There had to be a catch, there is always a catch with Williams. I stared at the food silently praying that the food wasn't poisoned.

My mom leaned toward me, whispering softly. “Freda, eat. You need to keep your strength.”

I looked at her, then at the food. It made me angry that Williams had this kind of power over us, but I knew she was right. If I didn’t eat, I’d be too weak to fight back later. So, reluctantly, I opened my mouth as the girl fed me. I didn’t look at Williams, didn’t say a word, but I ate. Slowly and quietly.

The soup was warm, the bread soft, but it tasted like trash. All I could think about was Williams standing there, watching us with that smug grin, I wish I could wipe it off his face.

I can’t let him win. Not now. Not ever.

I was going to get us out of here. I didn’t know how, but I had to. For Mom. For me.

We would escape. We had to.