Somewhere in the Trees

eleven

After our breakfast with Abe, Scott and Elsie bring us to the building where our bedroom is located.

It's a decent sized room - the walls are covered with floral wallpaper that's peeling in several places, exposing wood beneath it. The floor is carpet and feels very musty, almost wet, on my bare feet.

There are eight beds set up against the farthest wall. They're all set up in a row, very close in proximity. There's a single pillow and purple sheets on each bed, as well as a brown quilt folded by the metal footboards.

Attached to the bedroom is a small bathroom with a toilet, a bathtub and a sink with a mirror above it. Surprisingly, the room appears to be well kept. On the sink are toothbrushes and toothpaste, a stack of towels and a pack of Ivory soap bars.

There's one window in the room, but it doesn't open at all. Scott informs us that the glass is ballistic, so don't even try anything, because it won't break.

"Every night you will be chained up to your headboards from sun-down to sun-up while you sleep. This will only be for your first few years here, as you cannot be trusted yet," Scott tells us.

I nearly drop to the floor when he says that. I don't plan on being here for another few days, let alone years.

"Your door will be locked from the outside whenever you are in here, and somebody will be stationed outside of the door at all times," Scott tells us, with the same, award-winning grin he's been bearing since we first met him.

I sigh and sit down on the bed farthest away from the door. I put my head in my hands and thread my fingers through my knotted, crusty hair, trying not to burst into tears.

Scott inches closer to the bedroom door, along with Elsie who's still holding the pistol in her grip, but for once it's not pointed at us.

"We're going to let you guys acclimate in here for the day," Elsie says. I look up at her and I'm surprised to see she has a soft, warm look to her face. "We know this is a scary situation. We want to keep this as comfortable as possible for you. Get some rest, clean up a little. We'll be back at nightfall."

The two of them turn to exit the room. We're all silent, so we're able to hear them lock the door behind themselves. Then, their footsteps and light talking grow distant until we can't hear it anymore.

Zoe sits down on the bed next to mine.

Nobody says a word. Nobody even cries. Surprisingly, I feel like I couldn't even if I tried right now. I can barely even process what's happening, I'm waiting for myself to wake up in my dorm room any second.

I look over at Alice, watching as she sits tentatively on one of the beds. She then lays on her back, folding her hands on her abdomen. She lets out a long sigh, then touches her palm to her forehead.

Declan and Kiran stand by the wall, talking quietly, and as much as I strain to hear them, I can't.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I whisper to Zoe, nodding towards the two of them. If they're plotting a way to get out, I hope they're planning to include me in it.

Zoe shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know. What do nerds usually talk about? Star Wars?"

I continue to look at them, watching as Declan explains something to Kiran and gestures towards the window.

"Do you think we're going to be here for a while?" I ask her, deeply focused on the boys.

She shifts to lay down on her back. "I don't know, Lou-Lou."

We grow quiet again. I imagine myself growing old here, my skin sagging after being forced to have fifteen babies, reminiscing about when I once had a bright future and a hot boyfriend. I feel sick to my stomach. I rub my face again, which has a thick layer of sweat and dirt over it. I don't have the energy to clean myself up - none of us do.