Chapter 01

Growing up, I never understood why my dad was so strict to me and when I say strict, it’s excessive strictness. Our mansion was barred. The doors and windows were barred from inside and out, so it was impossible for me to go out. Believe me or not, I have never caught sight of the outside world. Not even a glimpse.

I used to be homeschooled but one day, my tutor stopped coming. I asked my dad for the reason, but he never told me anything. I am dying to know why I can't go out, but what interests me the most is our basement. I am forbidden from going down to the basement which I have no idea why. Because of the strictness and prohibition, I began suspecting that my father was hiding something terrible.

Everytime I ask him why I can’t go out and why I am not allowed to go to the basement, it will always lead us into having an argument. Furthermore, I am also not allowed to use smart phones and he didn’t even tell me why. Being isolated for your entire life was tough especially when you don’t have any friends with you, a mother or siblings to keep you sane.

My dad said that my mom left him as soon as she gave birth to me. I am an only child. That's why it’s pretty lonely having no one by my side.

“Dad, why can’t I go out? I’ve been locked inside for years already!” I asked, trying to maintain calm and composed.

“Because it’s not safe, Cali,” he responded. “Please understand that it’s not safe to be outside. You are too naive to go out, bad guys might trick you and do something bad.”

“Nothing’s ever safe dad,” I responded. “And if you kept me inside, how would I learn if the person is just trying to deceive me? I’d look like I am an easy target. Why don’t you just let me out and learn on my own so I could be smarter and wiser? Why?!” I protested.

“I know where you’re coming from but... you can’t go out,” he said in almost a whisper as he avoided his gaze away from me.

When I reached the age of 22, I’ve decided, I’ve had enough. I am determined to escape from our mansion no matter what, but escaping is not going to be easy because of the security system installed and the locked possible entrances.

I have to make a plan.

Secretly, I began wandering around our house, hoping that I’d find something that might be helpful to me until I ended up in front of the forbidden basement. My dad was sleeping so I could take this as an opportunity to try finding the key of the basement door. I tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge.

Of course, it’s locked.

Good thing it wasn’t barred like what he did to our possible exits and entrances. I looked closer to the keyhole and the keyhole got a pretty interesting shape.

Maybe the key was kept by my father.

While my father was asleep, I began walking upstairs, heading to his room and sneaked in, making sure that he wouldn’t wake up. I looked inside the drawer, his wardrobe, under the bed — every possible place he could hide it. The one last place I haven’t checked yet was inside his pocket. I carefully rummaged through his pocket until I finally felt the key and pulled it out.

Lucky for me, my dad doesn't wake up easily. As soon as I got the key, I went back to the forbidden basement and began opening it.

“ It opened!”

The door made a creepy creaking sound as I opened it that it almost made me feel like I am in a horror film. I stepped inside and began scanning the area.

“What’s so special about this place? Why can’t I go down here?”

I continued walking, hoping that I’d find something that could help me go out. I found a window and immediately peeked through just to see a metal blocking the view from the outside.

“I should have known”

I sighed deeply in frustration. Just as I was about to go outside, I heard a groan that made me stop on my track.

“What was that?”

I spin my head, trying to look where the sound was coming from. My eyes widened in shock when a girl came to the view. She was all tied up in chains, her clothes and her face were full of blood splatter and her eyes looked a bit odd.

“H-Help…” she weakly said as she looked at me with pleading eyes. “Please, help me…”

“W-Who are you?” I managed to ask. “What are you doing here?”

“My name is Candace,” she started. “I was captured by your father, and he tortured me.”

Was this girl telling the truth? My dad will never do such a thing to a person. I felt bad and sorry for her that I found myself helping her. I noticed that the chains had a padlock and saw that the padlock had the same shape as the lock of the basement door. I am guessing that the key to unlocking this girl’s chain was to use the same key I used to open the door.

“Hold on, let me help you out”

I began unlocking the chain and as I did, I could smell that rotten smell coming from her. Does anyone smell like a corpse like her? I just ignored the thought until I was finally able to release her from her chain.

“There, you’re free”

She turned around to face me and smiled. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate that. Mind telling me your name?”

“I’m Cali. How did you get in here?” I asked.

At my question, her smile turned into a sad one. “Your father captured me and threw me inside this basement for years. Until now, I have no idea why.”

“I couldn’t believe that my father would do such a thing”

“How about you? What are you doing here? I’m surprised that someone went down the basement aside from your father”

“Well, I was looking for a way to escape because I’m so tired of getting locked up my entire life” I said, determined.

“At least, you finally got the courage to escape, right? You have to go out and see what the outside world looks like” she smiled.

“Yes, and I am looking forward to it, you know? But I need to find a way out because all the possible entrances and exits were barred.”

“How about we escape together?” she offered with a smile on her face. I was about to answer when the voice of my father interrupted us.

“Get away from my daughter, you monstrous cannibal!” My dad yelled angrily. “How are you able to escape?!”

I spun around to face him and saw that he was pointing a shotgun to Candace. I was surprised at the sudden outburst. My dad was a calm person, that's why I was really surprised when he acted that way.

“Dad? Why are you pointing your shotgun at her?” I asked him. And why was he calling her a “monstrous cannibal”?

I’ve read about cannibals in books. Cannibals were the ones who eat their own race and monstrous cannibals were mostly found in fiction stories — those undead creatures who eat another human being and the bitten human will turn into a monstrous cannibal too.

“Stay away from her, Cali!” He warned me. “She’s not normal.”

“What? She looked perfectly normal to me!”

Candace's lips lifted up into a curve and crossed her arms together under her chest. “Why are you being like that, dad? Have you forgotten that we were families too? And Cali is my younger sister”

I was surprised at what she said. I am her younger sister? That’s not possible because I am an only child – at least that’s what my father told me. Had I been living in lies?

“You are no longer my child. You are nothing but a monster to our eyes!” He yelled.

“Then, why didn’t you kill me before I transformed into a mid-cannibal?” She said, “I am giving you a second chance to kill me now” she challenged as she opened her arms wide open.

“Dad, what’s she talking about? I have an elder sister?!” I asked, surprised.

My dad’s shotgun was still pointed on Candace but he couldn’t pull the trigger. But then, I was surprised when a bullet shot her head.

“Bullets won’t have an effect on a mid-level cannibal! Let’s run while she’s still stunned” a man’s voice yelled. I froze but this boy dragged me along with him and we ran away.

“You filthy human! I am going to devour you!” Candace yelled using a terrifying voice that no longer sounded like a human.