15
After that day, I didn’t see Adrian again. But I wasn’t about to sit around passively. On the third day, I broke the window with a chair and tried to escape, only to fall, injuring myself. They caught me and took away anything I could use.
They even stationed guards outside the door and installed surveillance cameras in my room. Anytime I so much as moved, someone would burst in to restrain me.
To keep me occupied, Adrian sent Jonah to keep me company every day. Jonah had lost his previous bravado, nervously twisting his shirt as he stood by the bed. I ignored him, lying silently until the repetitive sound of him stacking blocks drove me up the wall.
At one point, I finally snapped, sitting up. “Bring those blocks here.”
Jonah’s eyes lit up, and he scrambled to bring the blocks over, dropping a few along the way.
“You used to build blocks with me all the time, he said, his face glowing as he stacked them in front of me.
“I like building blocks with you, Mom…” He looked up, his face hopeful, testing the words as he called me, “Mom.”
