It’s not until they walk away, leaving the door open he begins to scream, “EIGHTY-NINE!”
He forgot, Delilah made him forget, and now the ninetieth day is here as a group of five men enter a cell barely big enough for him. The metal door slams behind them, the lock clicking into place, trapping him as he sinks to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees with his head tucked. It’s too dark to see their features and they never speak, but he begs, “Please don’t. It’s eighty-nine.”
They don’t listen.
They never do.
Yet he continues begging as he holds his marble while they overpower him. He can’t stop them opening his mouth, he can’t stop them cutting the coveralls off his body or ripping the diaper away. When they force themselves inside his body, he can only hold the marble tighter so he can keep it safe.
He protects the little glass fire ball when he can’t protect himself.
Until the searing pain of his stitches being torn overload his senses.
18
DELILAH
Kane manages to flatten his hands against mine while I keep my voice soft, coaxing. “Do you want to watch a movie when we leave here?”
“Horror,” he breathes.
“Yeah, one of the old scary ones we’ll laugh at.” I nod, slowly widening my fingers, watching his hands to make sure they’re doing the same. “We’ll have a big blanket and?—”
“Chocolate. You always eat chocolate and I’ll have?—”
“Popcorn.”
He nods, and his breathing is less erratic.
“It’ll be caramel,” I whisper. “Your teeth will hurt after a while, but you won’t admit it, so you’ll tell me to eat it instead.”
He squeezes his eyes shut as he slowly grinds his palms against mine then tightly holds my hands, his fingers painfully digging into the bones in the back of my hand while his eyes move wildly beneath his closed lids. When they open, he’s even more lost as he asks, “But you won’t share your chocolate?”
“Yeah, because you picked popcorn.”
“Delilah?”
I’m only capable of nodding at the vulnerability in his voice. The sun is beginning to set, taking the warmth with it, but he’s safe to move now. He looks down at my naked body without any lust or desire. “You’re cold.”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re cold.” He looks at the lining of the drapes with the loss on his features deepening. The glass shows his reflection, but he stares above his shoulder like there’s something other than his face there. His lips barely move as he whispers, “We have to go inside.” I have to grit my teeth when he painfully tightens his fingers on my hands as he forcefully says, “She’s cold, we have to go inside.”
“Kane? Who are you talking to?”
Rather than answer me, he lets go of my hands, gesturing to the window. “Go inside.”
“Are you coming with me?”
He nods.
I keep him in my sight as I crawl backwards to climb through the window then wait for him. But he goes back to staring at the rocks, so I hold my hand out. “Kane, come inside.”
The unease doesn’t leave as he trembles, placing his hand in mine. I step back, making space for him, only to end up standing on the hem of the drape sweeping the floor. My focus is on him, so I can’t stop myself as the drape twists around my ankle. He moves quicker than me, pulling me into his clammy chest. I tilt my head back to see a little more light in his eyes as he leans into me, whispering, “I have to play pretend again?”
I nod, my hair sticking to the lining of the curtain and rustling.
“Kiss me.” He holds my chin on his knuckles, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. “Kiss me so I can do it.”
