“We haven’t been able to find him,” Callum answers. But I can’t look at him, I keep my eyes trained on Kate.
“Why?”
“Can you be more specific?” she asks, examining her nails.
“Why go through all this trouble? Why me?”
“Beats me. Callum, it’s time for her injection. I’ll leave you to deal with that. I have other business to attend to.” She gives him a chaste kiss on the cheek before sending me flying to the other side of the room and striding out the back door.
My hand reaches up to feel the bump that’s already forming on the back of my head. I hear him shuffling things around on the back counter, but I keep my gaze fixed elsewhere. My eyes close when the sound of his heavy footsteps grow closer. I don’t have any fight left.
I’m done.
All I can pray for is whatever he’s about to give me will send me to my grave. The slightest pinch goes into my arm, but I don’t react. Dizziness takes over, and my eyelids get heavier as the metaphorical clock ticks down. When I blink again, my eyesdon’t open.
ONE MONTH LATER
TWO MONTHS LATER
THREE MONTHS LATER
THREE
Kallie
They come. They go. One glass of water at a time. Food only here and there. Sometimes, mice find their way in. I offer them my stale crackers, but they don’t touch the bread. I don’t blame them.
The itchy garment I was instructed to wear hangs loose over my frame. There’s been no sign of Callum since our little incident. A smug smile tugs at my lips as the memory resurfaces. At least I drew blood.
Who knows how long ago that even was. Days, months,years.My body shudders at the thought. Time is nothing here. It’s meaningless inside this wasteland. And yet, somehow, it’s the only thing I have left to hold on to.
The girl in the other cell finally turned toward me at some point. I didn’t flinch at her appearance when she did. My eyes stay glued to her, and I couldn’t bring myself to apologize for staring.
It also answered the question why she never spoke. She can’t. Whatever they did to her was brutal—more so than anything I’ve endured. Her tongue was severed, leaving her without a voice and her eyes—the dull, lack-of-life orbs—the only thing left to convey any message she needs to say.
I bet she was beautiful, once upon a time. I can almost make out what her facial features looked like before her sunken cheeks and rigid skeletal frame was so prominent.
Goddess, I can only imagine what I look like right now. My eyes follow the divots in the ceiling, tracing their patterns while I lie on my back. It’s growing increasingly more painful as my body eats away at what little fat I have left.
The hunger pains stopped at some point, and I wonder when they’ll stop bothering to bring anything altogether.
“What’s the point?” I ask the girl with no tongue. I know that’s pretty morbid, but life is morbid. “Keeping us locked in this cage. Why us, ya know?” I turn my head to the side to look at her. She has her legs pulled to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them.
“I like to think I’m a generally nice person. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my moments, but nothing to warrant this. And no offense, but nobody deserves what they did to you. That is so many versions of fucked up.” I can feel the daggers she’s shooting at me.
“I wish they would just get it over with already. Stop dragging it out with the dramatics.” I appreciate the silence she grants me—not that she has a choice, but it’s still nice.
“What’s your story anyway?” My head flops to the side, the cold concrete biting into my cheek, and I surprise myself with the small laugh that bubbles out. Her face is a mix of ‘are you fucking joking’ and ‘be so fucking for real.’
“Sorry, sorry. Let me guess.” I ponder my next words, trying to look past the swollen face and the black and blue under her eyes.I wash away all the dried blood coated on her and add about twenty pounds. The image I conjure up leaves me speechless for a few moments.
I picture that her smile would turn heads, the chestnut color of her hair always pinned out of her face, allowing it to flow freely down her back while not missing life play out in front of her light-gray eyes. Her alabaster skin would burn in the sun but leave freckles scattered across her nose—perfectly sunkissed by the time the seasons changed.
“I would say your story is simple. I have no doubt your beauty is captivating. You never wished for more in life. You were content with the cards you were dealt.” My gaze flickers between her eyes. “You’re here by chance—wrong place, wrong time.”
Unlike me,I think to myself.
“What’s your name?” I figure if we’re going to be stuck here together for the foreseeable future, we should be on a first-name basis. And then I feel like the biggest asshole, because she can’t talk. “Sorry I—” She holds up her pointer finger, indicating for me to follow. She presses it against the dust accumulating on the ground, tracing six letters. From this angle, I have to tilt my head slightly. “Serena.” Her body shifts with unease, like it’s been ages since she’s heard her name aloud.
