Page 8 of Whispered Promises
He scoffed. “Look at me.”
The last thing she wanted to do was to look at that hated man’s face, but she lifted her head and gazed into his eyes, repeating, “Please, may I have a drink of water?”
He cupped his hand and poured some of the water from the glass into his palm, then held it out to her. “Drink.”
Brie watched in desperation as the water seeped through his fingers and fell onto the floor.
“You must earn the honor of drinking from the glass,” he stated, pouring more water into his palm.
Her instinctual need suddenly took over and she grasped his hand, sucking up the water from his palm before it was all lost.
Holloway poured more water and watched in satisfaction as Brie drank from his hand again. “Little songbird.”
She bristled at the name and pulled away from him. But the moment Holloway filled his palm again, she returned to it. Her need for water overrode everything else. When the glass was empty, Brie sat back on her heels, shivering and still thirsty.
He looked pleased and announced to her, “Tomorrow, I will take you to see Mary.”
She glanced up at him. “Is she okay?”
Holloway ignored the question and commanded, “Get back in the cage.”
Brie reluctantly stood up and returned to the metal cage. She felt disheartened when she heard the clank of the metal as he shut the cage door and locked it.
Holloway walked out without saying another word. He turned off the lights and shut the door without glancing back at her.
Brie was eternally grateful that the music did not start up again. But, to her horror, the song continued to play in her head while the silence settled around her.
As the lyrics continued and the girl began to sing, goosebumps rose on Brie’s skin. In her head, she heard: “Strange is the call of this strange man. I want to fly down and feed at his hand…”
It felt eerily similar to what had just happened with the water. Brie began rocking herself, remembering what Holloway had said.
You will be surprised at the things I can make you do…
