By the time the door opened again, I sat on the bed. Legs closed, hands in my lap. Eyes fixed forward, but not at him.
“Come here, little bird.”
He didn’t specify hands and knees, but I did it anyway. I was ravenous. I did not know how much time had passed since my last meal. I wouldn’t make a mistake this time. I smelled potatoes and meat.
“Kneel,” he said when I reached the door. “Hold out your hands.”
I followed his directions to a T. A paper plate was placed in my palms. On it was a cheeseburger and fries and not the fast-food kind. It looked gourmet except for the flimsy plate.
“Here.”
I glanced up because I had no idea what he wanted me to do. He held out a paper cup, and I shifted the plate into a one-handed grip and took the cup. “Thank you, my king.”
I hoped my compliance would add points to my scale. He was the key for me getting out of this alive. I could be who he wanted me to be if it meant getting me closer to my goal of survival.
“Eat slowly.”
I put the plate down to my side, but didn’t get out of the kneeling position. I put the cup on my other side and hoped I didn’t spill the precious liquid inside. There was always the sink, but the fixtures looked old and rusty. I didn’t trust the water that came out of it to drink unless I was desperate.
The first bite into the burger was like heaven. I had to pace myself because I’d been told to eat slowly. Instead, I savored every bite as he watched.
I did not know what his perversions were or why I had been taken. He would reveal himself soon, wouldn’t he?
When I finished the food and the cup of water, I put the cup on the plate and held it out.
He took it. “Good girl. And because of that, I have something for you.” He stepped out into the hall and came back with a child-sized blanket. It wouldn’t cover me, but I hadn’t specified that, had I? “When I enter a room, you will uncover yourself, leave the bed if you are on it, and resume the kneeling position. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, my king.” The word king came easier now.
He held the blanket out and I held out my hand, not wanting to accidentally snatch it and have him take it away again. Small or not, it was something and way more than the nothing I had before.
It was soft and thick in my hand. It would feel nice against my skin, but nothing I could use as a weapon. It would be hard to knot it around my captor’s neck before he could get free.
After the door closed, I crawled onto the bed and back into a ball. In this position, the blanket covered most of me.
SIX
I awoke some undetermined amount of time later and listened carefully before getting out of bed. When I heard nothing, I got up, leaving the tiny blanket on the bed. My bladder got my attention first, and I went to the bathroom to take care of business.
Once done, I crept back to the door that led to the hall and listened. With no window, I couldn’t tell if it was night or day. The overhead light was on. It wasn’t bright enough to keep me awake, but enough to chase back most of the shadows.
When I heard nothing, I explored the room, foot by foot. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I had to do something. Sleeping my life away wasn’t an option. I’d survived this long, but there was no guarantee I’d live on in the next five minutes.
As I walked the perimeter of the room, I let my hands slide across the wall in case something, anything, that could help was hidden in the dimness.
Nothing high or low. I was just considering exploring the connection from the chain bolted to the wall that kept me tethered when I heard footsteps approach.
I held the chain as I moved quickly closer to the bed. I didn’t want it to rattle and give my former position away. When the steps neared the door, I put the chain on the ground and then kneeled, allowing the chain to rattle some. If I’d done a good job, he’d think I’d heard him and moved from the bed to the floor.
My heart thundered in my chest as the door opened.
I couldn’t see his face as I kept my eyes level. I could only see as high up as his knees.
“Look at me, little bird, and tell me what you’ve been up to.”
My mind raced. Were there cameras in here? How could I be so stupid? Of course, it was more probable than not.