"Saija... Wake up... come on, wakey wakey."
After an unending barrage of taps to the arm and soft whispers to her ear, Saija mustered the energy to open her eyelids. Her sights befell Ronny, who had a gentle smile on his lips. He was kneeling down beside her cot, trying to wake her.
Her lips pouted in protest as she let out a grunt. Looking around the dormitory, she found that it was either very early morning or possibly still nighttime.
Unwilling to face the morning, Saija pulled the blankets over her head, eliciting a soft reprimand and a playful chuckle from Ronny.
"Uh-uh, come on, sleepyhead," he chided as he uncovered her.
With undue ire written across her face, she sat up as he fumbled through her backpack, fishing out her toothbrush.
"Wes gonna utilize the washroom before the men wake up, okay? come on."
He offered his hand, but she didn't accept it; she just hopped off the cot and trudged her way to the restroom ahead of it.
After making sure she had the privacy to go pee, brush her teeth, and clean her face, Ronny led her outside to the ladder.
Her nose scrunched up at him, and he smirked, "Ya really don't like da mornin', huh? Trust me, come on, I wanna show ya somethin'."
He pointed upward along the ladder, and she began her ascent, him close behind.
As they reached the top, Saija's sulkiness dissolved into wonder as she laid eyes on the majestic green mountains in the distance. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the scenery, she gasped in awe and rushed to the edge to take in the breathtaking view.
Ronny leaned forward, resting his forearms against the stone building's edge. He gazed out, picturing a brighter, peaceful future for not just himself but also for Arliss and Saija.
When he stole a glance at her, he noticed the joyful sparkles blending with the warm orange hues of the rising sun reflecting in her eyes.
"Do ya like it?" he asked, eager to know her thoughts.
She nodded, her eyes honestly drinking in every detail of the beautiful world just beyond her fingertips.
"Imma gets us there one day, Saija," he spoke softly.
She tried to hide it, but a smile formed on her face.
"We gonna live in freedom one day... with fresh cool air... Where we can wake up whenever our hearts desire... okay? But until that day we gots to work and we gots to work hard. Hear?"
She nodded, meeting his gaze, and he spoke his next words more sincerely.
"Until we get the privilege to leave here we gots to live smart... This place is dangerous, Saija... Some these men wanna do ya harm, but as long as I'm here, I won't let that happen. But ya gots to heed my words... I don't boss around for no reason at all. Neither Arliss... We're protectin' ya. Hear?"
A bob of her head was sufficient enough for now. He yearned for her to speak but realized he would have to get there another day.
***
Sipping from a steaming cup of coffee, Jaime made her way to her desk. She sat against the plush chair and pulled out her files when the folder Ronny had given her, the one with the mysterious contents, slipped out.
Her thoughts shifted to the conversation she had with Ronny a few days ago and the information he had shared.
As she took another sip of her coffee, images of the siblings and their recent troubles played in her mind. The details of the car accident seemed to gnaw at her, creating a growing sense that something wasn't quite right about the whole situation.
YOU ARE READING
The Bitter Truth
General Fiction"Do ya like it?" he asked, eager to know her thoughts. She nodded, her eyes honestly drinking in every detail of the beautiful world just beyond her fingertips. "Imma gets us there one day, Saija," he spoke softly. She tried to hide it, but a smile...
