Caged in Darkness (Caged #1)(12)

Willow paused suddenly and effectively brought me to a stop when I nearly tripped over her.

“She’s never going to let us live this down, you know.” Willow whispered, nodding in Izzy’s direction. “Maybe we should at least pretend that this is torture.”

I snickered. “She’ll never buy it. Besides if we do that, we can never come back or she would suspect.” I shrugged. “Did your dad give you enough money to afford this place?”

I knew that Willow’s parents didn’t have a lot of money; a fact that she was embarrassed about with anyone other than me.

“I think so. I’ll just make sure I pick something that I can afford. If I have to, I’ll wear something I already own.” When I started to offer to cover the difference, Willow covered my mouth with her hand. “No. I do not accept charity. Do not even think of offering what I know you were about to offer. It’s too tempting and would just make me feel guilty later.”

“Fine, suit yourself, but if you end up with an outfit you hate because it was the only thing you could afford, don’t take it out on me.” I stuck my tongue out at her before signaling a sales lady.

A slightly irritable sales woman escorted us to changing rooms. Izzy perched against the room across from mine and delivered the expected exclamations of pleasure at seeing each of us in a wide range of gothic clothing.

While in the dressing room, I examined myself in the assorted outfits. Usually, I avoided mirrors. When I first came to live with Maye and saw my skeleton frame, I decided it was pointless to assess my image. When I bought my clothes, it was usually at Goodwill, thrift stores or garage sales. Those places did not come equipped with a dressing room.

I wore a long black skirt that hung to my ankles and had a slit on my right leg that reached the highest point of my thigh. The waist of the skirt ended in a V shape beneath my naval. The top matched the skirts style perfectly. Its sleeves hung off my shoulder like drapes that layered down my bicep. My midriff was barred to an inch beneath my breasts.

I knew I had matured over the years but was surprised to see a perfect hourglass figure with a strong flat belly. My black hair hung in natural waves around my face and fell to the middle of my back. The light brought out my natural blue highlights. My eyes were captivating. The violet surrounding the iris was the same, but the silver was more prominent. I was surprised to see that my features complimented one another.

My beauty had been passed to me from my mother. I was almost sixteen and never compared my physique to hers, but I could see the similarities. Ordinarily, I would contain my mass amount of hair in a butterfly claw or ponytail. It was rare for my hair to be loose, and even rarer for me to wear clothing that showed my body to its advantage. I wanted to be attractive, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the cost if the coven began to associate me with my parents.

Would Maye love me less if she saw my mother looking back at her? Would Ash think less of me if I began dressing like every other teenage girl? Would Willow be disappointed that I had succumbed to the teenage stereotype my worth is judged by my beauty? Would I think differently of myself?

I promised Izzy I would buy a dress to wear to the bonfire and I promised Maye that I would buy a flattering wardrobe. One of my many rules is to always keep a promise, which means that regardless of the answers to my questions; I would buy the clothes and would ignore the consequences until they presented themselves. I gazed in the mirror a final time, and realized that I would never be comfortable showing my midriff.

When the three of us left the store we carried more bags than I would have thought possible. Willow fell in love with an outfit that was slightly out of her price range. She allowed me to pay for the difference as an early birthday present, since I usually spent more on her anyhow. She reasoned that this way I was actually spending less money on her. I bought more clothes than I owned in my entire life, and Izzy bought the right to tease us incessantly for the rest of our lives. Not surprisingly, Izzy was the happiest.

Izzy paced ahead to unlock the car, while Willow and I were weighted down with bags that hindered our pace. My neck began to tingle, and a cold draft of air trailed down the curve of my spine. Hair flew into my face with an invisible force and I began to sway dizzily. I had the intense feeling that I was being watched. Not just that someone was staring at me; it was as though someone were invading my body. I shook the feeling away and sped towards the car.

“S, are you okay?”

I came to the front passenger side door and lowered my hair so that it covered my face. There was no one watching that I could see.

“Savannah?” Willow pushed against my shoulder, and I shook my hair behind my shoulders to face her. Her brows were furrowed in concern.

“I’m fine. I just thought I saw someone I recognized.” I attempted a fake smile and slipped into the car.





5: Hidden for a reason





Fifth Entry: Day Terrors





Shopping had been more enjoyable than expected, but I wasn’t fooling myself that I would enjoy tomorrow. Part of me resented Maye for putting me in a position that I would need to go back to my parents’ house. However, she had given me so much that I knew I would find the courage.





Savannah





Izzy dropped me home after a quick dinner and I immediately took to my room. I could hear sounds coming from Ash’s room, but his door was shut. Not wanting to disturb him, I choose to closet myself in my bedroom.