I let out a snarl as I figure it out. I'm on their Thela-forsaken hunting ground.
7
Ree
I'm in front of Silver's chamber again. It's becoming a habit. One I know I must break or the slimes will notice and use it against me.
Or worse, use it against her.
But somehow she's become my anchor. The one keeping my mind from fracturing, even though I know it isn't logical. Even though I know it's an unfair burden to place on her.
Our brief conversation wasn't nearly enough to help ease the intervening days of being alone with my terror. I'm not sure why they let so much time go by between waking another of the women. Or why they have only woken up two so far. Or even what the point is of only having me awake.
Maybe the goal is for me to be lonely. If so, they've been wildly successful.
I desperately need someone to talk to.
The ever-present guilt surges when I think about how horrific it is each time one of the women is woken up, and yet I can't help but ache for their company.
For someone to share this hell with me and for once maybe to have someone tell me it's going to be alright.
I choke up on that thought, the despair so big it leaves no room for breath or clear thinking. I make myself walk away. It isn't Silver's responsibility to protect me.
It's mine to protect her. To protect all of them, just like I've always done.
It's just another day in the ER, Ree, I tell myself. That's a far better form of horror and a soothing sort of pretend.
The realization brings clarity and enough purpose to crowd out the lurking hopelessness. To wallow is to let the slimes win and that would be intolerable.
If they weren't such a persistent presence in my mind I would say the thought summoned them.
The creak of the observation room hatch pulls my attention. Three have come for today's entertainment. The slime on the left lets his eyes roam over me and I stare back dispassionately.
It has long since stopped bothering me.
"You aren't being interesting, human," says Left Slime. "I know you're doing it on purpose, so if you want to avoid another round of gas you need to provide our viewers with more entertainment."
I nod at him, letting him know I heard him.
I learned early on that it's best to not respond verbally unless I must, but to not respond at all just invites pain.
I doubt that's the reason they came in here. Usually when they make threats like that it turns out to be just a pretense. An excuse to talk about something else and ignore me.
Sometimes they flood my chamber with gas; sometimes it's just an idle threat.
When Left Slime turns away from me to Right Slime, I have my answer. "Open the pink whore's chamber."
I keep the grimace off my face, but I can't avoid the surge of self-reproach. Careful what you wish for, as they say.
I hasten to the front of Coral's chamber and have just enough time to help ease her fall before both of our bodies are wracked with coughing.
The woman rubs her eyes once the gas is vented out and looks around. For the first time, there is no screaming.
I reach forward and touch her arm. "I know you're scared. I'm here. We were abducted. They took us," I say as I jerk my chin toward them.
Her fully pink eyes sharpen on the three slimes, then return to me. "They do that to you?"
I nod, knowing she means my eyes and hair. "Yours are pale pink."
