Page 56 of Don't Say A Word

Except, I did. Ryker appeared with food three times a day. But from the way Star’s skin was stretched over her bones, I knew it wasn’t the same for her.

Slowly I open my mouth and she pops in the slice of apple. My jaw aches when I chew, and the sweetness starts gurgles of nausea in my gut.

“Eat,” she says. It’s not a command. It’s a request. A plea.

I chew and swallow, tears smarting as the apple slides down my throat.

“You’ve got to keep up your strength,” she says. “There’s no place for stubbornness here. It will get you nowhere.”

I swallow the last of the apple and open my mouth again when she offers another slice. I’m not sure why she’s feeding me, but there’s something comforting about it. Reminds me of Mum.

“How long have you been here?” I whisper.

She looks at the camera. The red light is on. But for some reason, she answers. She leans forward, so close that her breath hits me as she speaks.

“I don’t know. It’s a while.” Her voice lowers even more, something I didn’t think possible and I have to strain to hear her. “No one wants me,” she says.

There is sadness there, as though she wants to be sold.

“You haven’t been requested?” I ask.

She shakes her head, holding out another slice of apple. There is a hint of jealousy to the set of her jaw.

“How many girls do they have here?”

She shrugs. “It’s hard to tell.”

I become desperate for information, firing questions at her as quickly as they form in my head.

“Do you know where we are? Do you know who runs this place, any of the names other than Marcel? How did you get here?”

But she ignores my questions, picking up another piece of apple and playing with it between her fingers, seemingly becoming transfixed with the redness of its flesh.

I sigh, knowing my questions will go unanswered. “You can eat it if you like.”

Without hesitation, she pops it into her mouth, and it’s the first time I’ve seen any emotion from her. Pure bliss.

“I was larger when I came here,” she explains. “Marcel controlled my food in order to help me lose the weight.” There’s no malice in her voice, in fact, it’s almost as though she’s grateful. “Maybe next auction I will be sold. Maybe it will be to someone kind.”

I swallow my repulsion. “Does he hit you often?”

She shakes her head. “Only when I need it.”

“When you need it?” I just about choke.

She nods, picking up another slice of apple and offering it to me. I shake my head and she puts it into her mouth without prompting.

“It took a while for me to learn to behave.” She smiles sadly. “Don’t be like me. This will happen time and time again unless you learn to obey.” The apple seems to have given her energy. She smiles, her movements are less stilted. “Roll onto your stomach. I’ll put cream on those wounds.”

I do as she requests and brace myself for the feel of her fingers on my broken skin. The cream is cold, but she is gentle. Once she’s done, she leans in close.

“What did you do? Why isn’t he doing this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Marcel is always the one to look after me when I’m in pain. He’s always the one to soothe my wounds. You must have done something really bad if they are making me do it instead.”

“It wasn’t Ryker who did this to me.” I move my head so I’m looking directly at her. “It was Marcel.”

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