Page 74 of Once Upon a Fable

It’d been Nyx’s idea.

The shy little redhead who was the youngest of us all. She’d tried to climb out the window. She’d been caught. Whipped. Brought back bleeding. But instead of crying like so many of us did in our first year here, she’d merely smeared the blood over her fingers and approached us one by one.

“We’ll survive another day.”

I’d been the third one she’d marked, but I’d been the first to grab the large splinter from the decaying window frame and prick my finger. I’d run crimson over her in return, repeating what she’d said. “We’ll survive another day.”

The rest of them followed until we all had dried blood and healing puncture wounds scarring us with our oath.

We’ll survive another day.

And we had.

Another and another and another.

Until finally, there was no more to endure.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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DAWN CAME AND WENT, according to the slivers of light through the crumbling mortar. Stomach rumbles demanded food, then gave up and went silent. The urge to pee grew from annoying to unavoidable. The shame of using a bucket once again shoved me closer to my limit.

How could he throw me back down here?

Why, when he had an untold number of unused rooms above, did he keep me locked in filth? Surely, it would be to the molester’s advantage to have me clean and hygienic? Surely, I had rights as a prisoner to basic facilities and care?

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I stewed in the dark.

I need a weapon.

Next time he comes for me, I’ll stab him instead of blow him.

I’d been too accommodating, too weak.

If I didn’t fight, this would be my life now. Abused and discarded. Pulled from the darkness to perform a sexual act, then shoved back in the moment I’d pleasured him.

My hands curled into fists.

I’m done.

I need a new plan.

As my mind whirled with concepts of freedom, I listened to the faint twittering of birds outside. While they sang, I picked up the tiny shattered pieces of glass from my broken cell phone, looking for a shard that could be used as a blade.

He’d taken the two devices last night.

What had he done with them? Would the signal still work even in pieces? Were people still coming to find me?

Josh will be looking. I know my brother. He’ll be furious I haven’t checked in.

My teeth sank deeper into my cheek in worry.

Wait.

Didn’t I tell him to wait five days before raising hell?

How long had it been?