“Do you know‘Amazing Grace?’”
I nodded my head.
“Okay,” he said and cleared his throat again. “I want you to sing that song to me.”
I started to sing, allowing my voice to grow higher and higher. I loved the feeling. I’d kept trying to sing but could only muster a hum. There was always a reverberating echo in the cell, and I was always nervous about someone intruding on me as I sang. Out there, though, with only Savio listening, I was able to belt out that song. It wasn’t one of my favorites, but I knew each lyric. It was easy to sing. It was strange that he’d go through so much trouble, but I wasn’t upset with it.
It was bittersweet.
I was glad to be out of that cramped cell, even if it meant doing what he wanted me to do. Singing for an audience wasn’t something I was used to, even if it was just one person. I usually sang for myself, not for other people.
Hours passed, and I was still singing. I knew that it was nearing dawn from the sounds of the birds singing outside, sweeping through the air with their melody. I realized I hadn’t heard the sound of a bird singing for God knew how long. It sounded way better than mine, and for a brief moment, I envied the birds and their beautiful, tiny voices. My voice had grown hoarse as time went on, and still, Savio insisted that I continue singing. Each song was older than the next, and he’d play a song on his phone if I didn’t know the lyrics, then tell me I need to replicate it.
It was strange.
The whole night had passed that way, and my arms were beginning to shake above me. I’d lost all the feeling in my hands at that point, and I’d grown physically and mentally exhausted from an entire night of doing as I was told. I wanted to be able to see the sunrise and the birds and to be able to enjoy a morning properly. Even coffee had seemed to lose it’s taste while being trapped in that godforsaken room.
“Can I stop singing now?” I asked, my voice wavering. “I’ll lose my voice if I keep going.”
Savio sighed and stepped forward for the first time all night. “Fine. You’re right. That’s enough for now.”
His hands touched my face, causing me to pull back. He placed the tape back onto my mouth and untied me from the pole. There was something about the way he handled me whenever he was touching me. He was careful, as if trying not to cause me harm. Keeping me tied to a pole and forcing me to sing throughout the night was cruel enough for him to be considered a bad guy, but I could feel him trying to avoid causing me pain. My arms dropped to my sides as he began to lead me out of the building. I wished I could see where I was or anything that could help me escape. I had no idea if I was being held in some kind of a facility, a garage, a warehouse, or even an abandoned house. There was no telling if I was even still in Chicago.
I drew a deep breath through my nose and allowed him to push me ahead. There was no point in wondering. I knew that it wouldn’t be the last time he would try to get me to sing for him. It was strange, sure, but he was also the only person whose attention I’d captured.
I could use that to my advantage in the future.
