How long were the kids in the attic?

Answered by Frank Schwing

During their time in the attic, the children were trapped for an unimaginable duration of three long years. It is truly harrowing to contemplate the extent of their suffering during this prolonged period of confinement. Over the course of these three years, their lives were marred by a series of increasingly horrific events that unfolded within the confines of their prison-like attic.

The children endured physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their own mother, Corrine, and their sadistic grandmother, Olivia. Whippings became a regular occurrence, leaving painful welts and scars on their young bodies. The pain inflicted upon them was not limited to physical abuse; they also suffered psychological torment as they grappled with the betrayal of their own family.

As time passed, the children’s situation deteriorated further. Their mother’s neglect and cruelty resulted in them being deprived of food, leading to severe malnourishment and starvation. Their already fragile bodies weakened, and hunger became a constant companion during their long and agonizing confinement.

To exacerbate their suffering, the children fell victim to a heinous act of poisoning. Their mother, in a horrifying act of malevolence, lured them with the promise of a doughnut, unaware that it was laced with arsenic. The poison wreaked havoc on their bodies, causing excruciating pain and leaving them teetering on the edge of death. The mere thought of such a deliberate act of harm is deeply disturbing.

As time passed, the unthinkable happened. The children, now three years older, succumbed to a desperate and twisted form of survival. Cut off from the outside world and deprived of any semblance of normalcy, they sought solace and comfort in each other’s arms. The lines of familial love blurred, and Cathy and Christopher engaged in an act of incestuous intimacy, a tragic consequence of their prolonged isolation and emotional turmoil.

It is difficult to comprehend the immense physical and emotional toll these three years in the attic took on the children. The level of suffering they endured is truly unimaginable, and it is a testament to their strength that they managed to survive such a protracted period of torment.

As we reflect on the story of Cathy and Christopher’s time in the attic, we are confronted with the grim reality of the human capacity for cruelty and the devastating impact it can have on innocent lives. Their harrowing experience serves as a stark reminder of the depths to which humanity can sink, and the resilience required to overcome such profound trauma.