“Get used to it,” I answer.
I don’t want to be so blunt, but these conditions make me harsher than usual.
“Sorry,” I add. “If you’re cold, there are clothes on the floor.”
“Where?” she asks.
“Middle of the room,” I say.
But I don’t hear her move.
“Is that a trick?” she asks after a while.
“Maybe. I think so,” I say. “I think they want to use it as a bargaining tool … to get us to submit.”
“Why would I ever do that?”
I snort. “Wait … just wait …”
“That doesn’t sound good,” she mutters. “What did they do to you?”
“I had no food and no water for hours.”
“Fuck.”
This girl sure swears a lot.
“No clothes and no sunlight.”
“How long have you been here?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” I reply. “All I know is that I’ve slept three times already, so that might be three days. I’ve only gotten water two out of three days, and it was just a bottle.”
“No,” she says, her voice shaking. “This can’t be happening.”
“You’re not dreaming. I thought I was too, at first.”
“But who would do this to another person? Why would they lock us up for no reason whatsoever? And naked, too.”
“To subdue us,” I say. “That’s my hunch anyway.”
And to be honest, it’s starting to work.
The longer I’m in here, the more I’m starting to think about what will happen if I do put on those clothes.
“And then what?”
“I don’t know,” I reply.
“That doesn’t make any sense. All of this, it’s insane.”
“I know,” I say, swallowing. “But at least I’m not alone anymore.”
“Hmm …”
“It was hard not to have anyone to talk to. I was losing my mind,” I say, sighing.
“That doesn’t make this any less fucked up,” she says.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
She’s quiet for a while, and so am I.
I don’t know what to say, what to think, what to do. Maybe we could huddle close together for warmth, but I don’t know her, and it would feel awkward. Never mind the fact that I’m pretty sure they’d punish us if they knew.
What if they’re watching us right now?
What if there are cameras in every corner, recording our every move?
What if this is all a test, and we have to pass in order to get out?
Without thinking, I get up and start touching the upper edges of the walls on my toe.
“What are you doing?” the girl asks. Apparently, she could hear me.
I can barely reach the ceiling, but I can in the corners if I try hard enough. That’s where I feel the edge of something hard, something metallic and plastic-like.
“I knew it,” I hiss.
I jerk at it a little, but it won’t come loose. Instead, I point the thing at my face and shout, “You’re watching us, aren’t you? Is this what you want? A bunch of naked girls crying in a cell? You cowards!” I jerk it so hard a piece of it breaks off and cuts me in the hand.
“Ah,” I hiss, pulling back. I don’t know how big the wound is as I can’t see a thing, but I know it can’t be that deep.
“What the hell was that?” the girl asks. “They’re watching us? Who are?”
“Them. They hung a camera in here so they can see all the dirty little things we’re up to.”
“What? But I’m … naked,” she says, shuddering.
“Exactly.”
I inspect the piece that broke off and feel a sharp edge. That may come in use later. I feel my way to the door and try to find a lock. There must be something here, right?
When I finally find a hole, I immediately shove it in and start working on picking the lock. I’ve never done this before, but I have all the time in the world to spend on learning, so I’m going for it.
“What are you doing?” the girl asks.
“Door,” I mutter.
I won’t say it out loud. What if they’re listening? It’ll only give them more reasons to stop me and more incentive to come and punish me. And I’m not about to let that happen.
No, I’d rather be silent the entire time than give anything of value away to the likes of them.
The Family …
More like a family of monsters to me.
Noah
“Patriarch …” My eyes rise from the book I was reading as an elder walks into my room. “I apologize for disturbing, but there is a problem in the security room.”
I raise my brow. “Well, can’t one of the elders deal with it?”
“They can, but … this is about your ‘person of special interest.’” He makes quotation marks with his fingers.
My eyes narrow. “Natalie?” I put my book down. “Show me.”
“Of course,” he says, turning around. “Come with me, please.”
I follow his lead through the corridors and all the way to the basement where the security room is. I rarely ever come here, as it’s usually monitored by elders, but when it comes to Natalie, I’ll make an exception. Especially since it’s the first time I’ll be able to look at the girl I’ve captured to become mine …
“Screen number twenty-eight,” the elder says, pointing at all the screens on the wall. There’s another elder sitting on the chair in front of them, but he gets up and clears his throat before offering me his seat.
“Patriarch … I didn’t think you’d … I apologize. Have my seat, please.”
I hold up my hand. “It’s fine.”
“I insist. Please. It would honor me greatly,” he adds with a genuine smile.
How can I say no when a devoted elder is so kind to me?
This is exactly what the Family is about, and I cannot say no to such a gesture. So I take him up on his offer and sit down in his seat, which is far less superior than the reading chair in the library, but it’ll do for now.
My only interest is finding out what she’s done that’s captured their attention. It must be worthwhile, considering they actually wanted to bring me here.
I gaze at the screen right next to one that’s snowing. Another view of the same room, perhaps. The room she’s in … naked. I can’t help but look at all her round curves right there on display. She’s beautiful, even when locked away in the darkness, and I hate that I have to share her mere image with other men. But right now, keeping her safe and locked away is more important than having her for myself.
When the time comes, I will have my way with her.
For now, she’ll have to stay in that hut.
She probably hates it.
That much anyone could tell because she’s clearly meddling with the door, judging from the way she’s on her knees in front of it and poking at the lock. Poor Natalie, trying to work her way out. It’s foolish of her to think she’ll get anywhere.
Even if she managed to escape, there will always be someone right there, ready to capture her and bring her right back where she came from.