Page 91 of The Woman

I think back to the woman I knew from the facility who was discovered and sent to be changed. Is this where she was brought?

Coming to a stop in front of one of the doors, I suck in a silent deep breath, my practiced smile still in place while one of them enters something on the keypad.

I’m pushed through the door as soon as it opens, and then it shuts behind me.

My eyes briefly travel around the bright room until I spot the camera in the top corner. I quickly resume my blank stare and go sit in one of the two chairs in the opposite corner, keeping my eyes fixed ahead. There’s absolutely nothing in here to look at anyway besides the camera and chairs. It’s a small, square room with a white floor, white walls, and no windows.

Time goes by slowly. So slowly that my nerves start wreaking havoc on my mind. I was wrong about there only being two chairs and a camera in here. There is also a clock somewhere on the wall behind me, ticking loudly with each second. It reminds me of the one at Phoenix’s place before he took it down for me.

Tick . . . tick . . .tick.

I want to get up and stretch. I want to bury my head in my hands and let my emotions out. I want to throw the clock to the ground so it will stop counting down the seconds until I am no more. I want to curl up into a ball.

But I don’t do any of that. I have to believe that if I’m behaving normally the entire time, that someone will be fooled enough to send me home. So, I sit and stare at the wall, waiting for something to happen.

As time goes by, many thoughts start popping into my head, like whether or not Phoenix realizes I’m gone yet. And if he is aware, does he care, or is he actually relieved? What if he was the one who reported me?

The second that thought pops up, I dismiss it. My heart knows that he wouldn’t do that. I know he likes it when I challenge him and when I talk back. The way his eyes light up gives it away, whether he realizes it or not.

More time passes, maybe an hour, maybe three. I can’t tell anymore. But my body is screaming at me to move around. I’m slowly losing the will to keep this up. I doubt it will have any effect on what they plan to do to me.

Just when I’m about to get up, the door to the room opens. My heart starts galloping inside my chest, and my breath gets stuck in my lungs. I only force myself to exhale when it starts to burn.

The man comes and sits on the other chair that’s almost facing me. I can tell he’s one of the men who came and got me. The one with the glasses who was carrying the clipboard and made the circus comment.

For a moment, I’m unsure whether I should turn to him or stay staring at the wall. Do I ask him a question or keep quiet?

I decide to remain the same way I am and wait.

“You’re quite stubborn, but you can stop with the act now. We already know.” I can see him gesture up toward the ceiling. “See that camera there? They like to watch and see how long it takes for you to break. It’s just fun for them. It doesn’t change anything for you.”

I can feel the burning behind my eyes from tears that want to form. They think this is fun and games? This is my life. I blink a few times and bite my tongue to stop me from reacting in any way. He leans into my space, staring at me while I remain unmoving.

“I could do this all day,“ he tells me in a not-so-nice voice. A minute passes, and I see him do something with his watch while still looking at me. “Okay, listen to me carefully, Avery, because we only have a very short window. Do not react to anything I’m about to say. Don’t look at me. Just stay as you are. I’ve temporarily disabled the sound so they can’t hear me, but they can still see us.”

My heart skips a beat as I absorb what he just said. What is he telling me?

“My name is Harold. I’m working on a way to get you out of here the way you are. They know you’re a WOUN, and nothing you do will change that. I know you’re probably scared, but just know that you’re not alone. Like you, I have to act a certain way so they don’t suspect anything.”

The tears that I was determined to hold back earlier fill my eyes but don’t spill over. This time, they’re from an overwhelming sense of relief. Is he really here to help me? How is he going to get me out?

“Unfortunately, you’ll be in this room for a while longer. But once you’ve been moved, we’ll have a chance to talk more, okay? Blink twice if you understand.”

I blink twice, still shocked at what he said but feeling beyond relieved.

“It may take a few days, but you’ll be safe with me here. The sound is about to turn back on, but we’ll talk more later.”

Leaning back in his chair, he pulls a clipboard onto his lap, which I didn’t notice he had before, then clicks on a pen.

“Now, was anyone else aware that you were a WOUN?”

Since he said they already know and nothing I do matters, I turn to him, looking him straight in the eye. “No.”

Chapter 37

Phoenix

We step out onto the covered wooden deck outside the back door sometime later, finding my father sitting in one of the chairs looking out into the lush garden where my mother and sister are standing and talking by a pond.

---