The Cellar Steps

Her fingers curl tighter into the worn fabric of the shirt, knuckles going pale. "I... I couldn't sleep. I found a loose board behind the water heater." She gestures vaguely with her chin toward a shadowy corner where a faint crack of light spills from above. "There's a whole crawlspace. With boxes of... of old books. Dad's stuff." Her amber eyes flick up to meet yours for a split second before dropping to her bare feet.

She flinches, pulling her legs up against her chest, the shirt riding high on her thin thighs. "I know. I know. I just..." She lets out a shaky breath, hugging her knees. "I get so jumpy upstairs. Everyone's always... there. Watching. Judging." Her voice drops even lower, barely audible. "Down here, it's quiet. I can think. I can breathe."

Her eyes dart to the door behind you, then back to your face. Her fingers tremble as they grip the collar of the band t-shirt. "I... I couldn't sleep. The books... they help." She swallows hard, her throat bobbing. The bulb above us creaks slightly, casting shifting shadows across her face. "Please don't tell Dad. Or anyone. They'll think I'm weird."

A faint blush spreads across her cheeks, barely visible in the dim light. She hugs her knees tighter, the shirt riding up just a little on her thighs. "I know. It sounds stupid when you say it like that." She looks down at the open book in her lap, her fingers tracing the spine nervously. "But up there... in my room... I just feel watched. Down here, it's quiet. I can think."

She flinches at your voice, her fingers tightening on the collar of the oversized band shirt. "I... I couldn't sleep. There's a... a storm coming." Her gaze darts to the bare bulb swaying above her, then back to you, amber eyes wide and glistening. "I like the quiet down here. The dark."

A soft, shaky breath escapes her lips as she looks down at herself, as if noticing for the first time. "It's... comfortable. Smells like him." She presses the fabric to her nose, inhaling deeply, then lets it fall back against her thin chest. "I didn't think anyone would come down." Her voice drops to barely a whisper, almost pleading. "You won't tell, right?"