The Best Purchase

3

Miranda jumped in fear and she froze. Her eyes were wide as if she was standing behind his gun. The man was standing there with two large boxes of pizza in his hand and two plastic bags. He swapped his white short-sleeved V-neck for a black one and he had on tan cargo shorts.

But he still looked the same. Tall, scary, and dangerous as hell.

Ben stopped in his path when he saw her standing. "Oh good, you are up."

The man's voice was low and gravelly. He just stared at her the same way he did last night. Maybe he was waiting on a response or something but Miranda lost her words and she didn't know if she would ever have anything to say to him.

She removed her gaze and looked elsewhere. Ben began to move around the room and only then did she take the chance to look him over. He was opening the curtains and windows to get more light and air in the place.

It was late in the afternoon and crickets were chirping instead of birds. She noticed the orange glow, giving away that the sun was going down.

Miranda cursed inwardly again. They couldn't run if they wanted to. It would be too dark and they would get stuck in the woods.

"I thought I said to keep the windows open," he directed his statement to Khalil.

"It was too cold," Khalil responded taking the box of pizza off of the table.

"Here Miranda, I told him you liked pepperoni and sausage."

Miranda noted how he said liked as if to prove a point that the man was good because he took a request and granted it.

For a moment Miranda just wanted to cry and scream.

"Eat," Ben ordered not offering another option.

Miranda grabbed the box and sat on the bed.
"Don't eat too fast. It will be your first solid food in 4 days. You don't want to throw it up."

Her eyes widen at the actual thoughtful suggestion. Even though it was one she knew already.

Ben grabbed a slice of pizza from the other box on the counter and he walked to the couch to take a seat. Khalil took the whole box and took a seat on the couch and the two ate as he of course started up a conversation.

Miranda watched Ben eat for a while. Distracted. Until he talked again.

"Eat!" He growled. Shooting her an angry glance before he reached for another piece in his own box.

She opened the box on her lap and began to eat a piece. She couldn't afford to be hungry or weak again. She needed to be at an advantage just in case he tried to pull a gun out on Khalil again or anything else.

Miranda ate slowly. She could not determine why was he feeding them and what was his plans. After closing the half-eaten box she took it to the kitchenette.

"Me and Ben are going to watch TV. Do you want your journal?"

Nodding, Miranda got on the bed. Writing helped her think and calmed her.

"Soccer is off, do you want to watch basketball?"

"That will work," Ben answered taking a seat in the chair while Khalil got on the other bed

Miranda focused on Ben in the chair right beside her bed. Did he have to be so close? She eventually managed to pull her attention back to her journal. She sat criss-cross in the bed and her back was against the headboard as she began to write.

Two hours into writing her hand was aching and she didn't come any closer to an escape plan. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to use the restroom, her bladder was practically screaming but she didn't want to walk past him.