Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
She pulled off my hood right before I heard a car door slam. I turned to see the van driving off. Dirt covered the license plate, so I couldn’t memorize that.
“Now you can see there are no cars here. No phones or any electronics.” I doubted the latter. She or someone else had to have contact with whoever ran this operation. “And if you do fancy running off, there are hundreds of acres of farmland between you and anyone that cares. Plus”—she pointed to her right where a pen of dogs sat hungrily waiting—“we feed them just enough so they don’t starve. They’ll be happy for any meal. I bet if they caught you, they’d go for your belly first.” She made her point. “I’m going to free your legs. If you do anything, I won’t hesitate to shoot to kill.”
There were people working inside the compound to my left. It appeared as though they were building another structure. Women were working in a garden. None of them looked friendly.
I held still as she freed my legs. She left my hands bound as we made the jug handle farther into the compound. As we walked, I noticed that the women were dressed two ways. Some wore a long gray dress to the feet with overall straps over a white shirt. But the majority of the younger women wore a faded blue sack dress that was loose and unbelted and hung straight from the shoulders to cover the feet. There was significance in that difference I made a note of. The men were all dressed like modern-day pilgrims in simple trousers and shirts with suspenders.
We passed several ramshackle structures that passed for homes. We stopped at a two-story one about halfway in. A young girl in a sack dress was hanging clothing on the line. My guard, who hadn’t given me her name, called out to the girl. “Serenity, come here, girl.”
A pretty but awfully gaunt girl came over with a faded expression of someone who’d seen too much at a young age. “We have a new visitor who will be staying with you, your pa and your brothers.”
The girl tried to smile, but it was lost in an expression of worry.
“Finish hanging those clothes and come upstairs.” I was pushed in the direction of the door that looked like a strong wind could blow it off its hinges. It squeaked when it opened, and I had a sinking feeling it was kept that way for a reason.
We entered a great room that housed handmade furniture for living and dining areas. I couldn’t make out a kitchen. The woman gave me a little push toward stairs that looked a little more like a ladder placed at a forty-five-degree angle with open risers between each step. The way it squeaked, I feared it would fall under our combined weight, but we made it to the top.
Upstairs, I made out three doorways before I was herded toward one on the far right. A peek in the room next to it revealed a bed. Not so much for the one I was pushed into. There was a mattress on the floor against the far wall. And a chair was in the corner opposite. But what I noticed was the chain bolted to the floor in the center of the room.
“Same rules apply, girl. First, take off those clothes.”
A faint scent of decay despite the open windows made my skin crawl. If this woman thought she could shame me, she’d be sadly mistaken. Any sense of modesty had been lost on me through my time with Ruin. I pushed down my maternity pants and kicked them off my feet. I held out my hands because I couldn’t take off my shirt with my hands bound.
She came over and pushed up my top to reveal my belly more. “I’d say six or seven months.”
I didn’t respond. She’d made it clear I wasn’t needed. I wouldn’t risk my child for a snarky reply. She bent enough to lock the chain around my ankle. The symbolism wasn’t lost on me.
When she stood, Serenity was in the doorway. The woman turned around and barked orders. “Cut off her bindings and get her a dress. The doctor will be by the see her soon.”
As the woman left, I noticed she, unlike every other woman in the compound, wore pants. Her ugliness poured from the inside all the way out. I could feel her jealousy as she looked at both me and the girl.
The girl seemed to hold her breath until we heard the front door squeak.
“Can you free me?” I probably had no right to ask, but I had to try. She shook her head and pointed at the lock around my ankle. “You don’t have the key.” She shook her head again. I didn’t know if she was trying to be quiet or if she was mute. I held out my hand. She revealed a pair of garden shears and snipped the plastic bindings. When those fell away, I rubbed at my wrist. That was when I realized my bracelet was gone and my heart broke all over again. I didn’t know when I’d lost it.