Page 11 of The Devil's Den

“I’m eight.”

“Me too.” His eyes light up.

“We’re twinsies!” I giggle.

“Yeah.” He laughs as he takes another spoonful.

“Oh, I brought you something,” I say, reaching inside my cardigan and pulling out the stuff.

“What’s that for?” He glimpses at my hand.

“It’s a pad for you to write on. You know, in case you ever need to send me a message and I can’t be here. Maybe you can give it to Ms. Greco or something and she’ll give it to me. Like a secret.”

He nods, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Good idea.” He drops the spoon into the bowl. “I can hide it under my mattress.”

“Make sure he never finds it,” I whisper. “I don’t want us to get into trouble.”

“Don’t worry.” He grabs my hand and holds it, staring up at me, his long lashes flapping. “I’m sorry you’re scared too. But one day, when I’m bigger, we’ll run away together. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Pinky swear?” I hope he does. I’d do anything to go with him.

Looking straight at me, he holds out his finger and I hook my pinky through his. “Pinky swear,” he tells me.

And I think, he means it.

* * *

MATTEO

They only let me have two shirts and two pairs of pants. That lady takes my dirty ones when I change after the shower and brings me the clean ones.

I once asked her to help me get out of here, but she told me she couldn’t. Then she cried as she left. Why can’t she do something, like call the police? She’s a grown-up!

But no one wants to help me. No one cares. Except Aida. But she’s too little to do anything. Plus, I don’t want her dad to hurt her.

“Let’s go!” the man who unlocked my chain yells as he bangs on the bathroom door. “What the hell is taking you so long?”

My teeth clatter while I quickly scrub the shampoo off my head with trembling fingers, the water freezing as I try to get it all off. My body swarms with goose bumps from the icicles forming on it.

“Seriously, if you’re not done in the next minute, I’m dragging you out of there!”

Fear tumbles into my belly. I hate that man. He isn’t as old as Aida’s dad but he’s just as mean. And he has a gun.

He told me he would kill me when I once screamed for help from the basement, so I never did it again.

But I won’t be little forever. One day, I’ll grow up and I will hurt them all. They’ll see. They’ll pay for it. For killing my dad. For hurting me. For hurting Aida.

She’s not like them. I was wrong when I told her she was. She’s just a scared kid like me. It’s not her fault.

No matter what, I’ll protect her. She won’t have to be sad anymore, not when we escape. Once we’re big, we’ll hurt them all, together, and they’ll be the ones crying.

I shut the water off, shaking as I grab the towel from on top of the toilet bowl lid, and quickly dry before putting my clean clothes on.

The door flies open and that awful man with the brown mustache walks in, his upper lip curling like a monster. “Took your stupid ass long enough. What the fuck were you doing in there, huh?” He yanks my upper arm, dragging me back to the bed, throwing me harshly on top of it. “Not only do I have to clean your shit and piss, but I gotta babysit you while you fucking shower.”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

But I can feel it coming. I bite down really hard as he picks up the chain and wraps it tight around my wrist, locking it up with a key he keeps in his pocket.

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