Chapter 7: Whispers In The Night
Lydia sat quietly in her room. The night felt long and heavy. She didn’t move for hours. She only listened. Listened to the sound of footsteps. Doors closing. Silence filling every corner of the house.
When it was quiet enough, she slowly got out of bed. Her bare feet touched the cold floor. She moved to the end of her bed, where a low cushioned bench sat. She dragged it a little, careful not to make noise. Then she pulled off the soft padding at the top.
Beneath it was a small chest—old, dusty, but locked tight. Her hands trembled a little as she opened it. Inside lay a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. All made of gold with dark red rubies. Her mother’s jewelry. She hadn’t looked at them in years.
When her uncle took over, he never found this box. Lydia had hidden it away the same night her mother was taken. For eight years, it stayed untouched. Now, she needed it.
She stared at the pieces. They looked heavy in the moonlight. Her chest hurt, but she knew what she had to do. Her mother would understand. Selling them was the only way to survive.
Then, she went to her drawer and took out a small pouch. It was the one her uncle gave her yesterday to buy clothes and shoes. She never spent it. Now it would help too.
Suddenly—footsteps. Coming closer. Her eyes widened. She hurried, putting back the cushion on the sat, then she pushed the chest under the blanket. She climbed back on her bed, pulled the duvet up to her chin, and held the pouch tightly under the cover.
The door opened.
Her heart raced. She didn’t move.