Page 20 of Not Your Hero

“Is there any chance to run? How many girls does he take out at a time?” I ask in a rush.

“Three, maybe four. There’s nowhere to run. It isn’t a shower; it’s the hose only with warmer water.”

“The entrance. Has anyone ever tried to make it?”

“Not that I know of.”

“If it’s just him, we could try, right? We could try to take him on,” I tell her, feeling slightly hopeful.

“I doubt any of the other girls are willing to try that,” she adds.

“Why not? Don’t they want out of here?”

“Of course, we all want out of here. But what happens if we don’t make it? Will things be worse than they are now?” she asks, and it makes sense. The lights? I don’t know what kind of lights they are, but they burn our skin. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had blisters on my back right now. And the cold? He blasts us with cold air, causing us to freeze, and honestly, I don’t know which is worse.

“I can’t stay here.”

“We don’t even know why we’re here,” she adds.

“He doesn’t say?”

“No. I’ve been here long enough to know that the last batch of girls was taken out and never came back. Then new girls were brought in.”

“Do any of you know each other? Is this random?”

“If we have anything in common, I wouldn’t know what. None of us look alike, and none of us seem to know each other.”

“This is insane. None of this makes sense,” I ramble when I hear him. Has he been listening this whole time?

“It’ll make sense in time. When the time is right, you’ll all know. And you’re smart, Emerson. You catch on quickly. There is something you all have in common, although I highly doubt any of you will figure it out until the time comes.”

“Why keep us here? Why do this to us?”

“To prepare you for what’s in store for you.”

“How long will we be here?”

“Not much longer now.”

“Are you going to kill us?” Now, he laughs, and it’s a sick, demonic laugh that sends a chill down my spine.

“Possibly a few of you, but not all,” he tells me.

“How do you choose who dies?” I need answers. I need to know how to get the hell out of this.

“I don’t pick and choose necessarily. It’s more of a first come, first serve type situation.”

“That doesn’t make sense!” I screech, my voice hoarse.

“I see why you were so well-liked, Emerson. You’re mouthy and I can appreciate that. That’s something the others lack.”

“This is bullshit. Someone is going to find us. Then what? Then you’re dead!”

“Who is going to find me? You want me to share a little secret with you? All of you are the same in this way. There is no one looking for you. None of you. In fact, none of you have family anymore.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“It means none of you have family, Emerson. There’s no mommy or daddy out there to hunt for you. There’s no one coming to save the day. This is it. This is your end,” he explains before stepping back into the shadows. The light goes off just as the cold air blasts me. I slink back and curl into a ball, trying to keep myself as warm as possible, but it's futile. There’s nowhere to hide from the brutality.

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