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The question that needed answered was why?
“Blue, huh? So you’re Vitus’ new dolly.” The woman finally spoke.
There wasn’t any bitterness in her tone; it was just a statement, one I didn’t agree with.
“I’m nobody’s doll,” I replied evenly, more taken back by the harsh quality of her voice than the ridiculous label.
“Is there something I can do to help you?” I asked as her trembling increased to the point her spoon was repeatedly tapping the side of her bowl.
She ignored me, her eyes roaming over my person, stopping on the brand on my neck.
And there it was.
The flicker of recognition and a slight smile before it all faded into a look of utter sadness.
“You’re one of the lucky ones.”
“You think this makes me lucky?” I touched the bumpy tissue on my neck.
“They’re going to take care of you. He’s going to keep you safe. Safe. You’ll be safe.”
I gathered I couldn’t converse with her on a normal level. Her responses were robotically monotone and curt, or didn’t make much sense.
Still, I felt compelled to figure out who she was and what had happened to her.
I leaned back and decided to go with a different approach.
“The lucky people sent me here as…collateral.”
“Me too. Tillie. Too.”
Tillie? At that obscure statement, I found myself looking her over once more. She didn’t have any tattoos and lacked the mark of the Savages.
I tried not to be vain, but she didn’t look like the type of woman any of the men I’d gotten to know would touch.
She zoned out again, staring into her bowl of green liquid.
Silence settled between us.
I waited to see if she would speak without my prompting. I never expected her to say what she did next.
“My name’s Beth.”
Beth….Beth…Beth…
My spine stiffened as realization set in.
“You…You’re Beth?” I repeated, louder than intended, positive I’d misheard her. “You’re Arlen’s sister?”
“Half-sister,” she corrected harshly.
I found myself scrutinizing her once again. She couldn’t have resembled Arlen any less. Her sister was gorgeous and had an exotic look about her.
I’m sure before life dragged her through the dirt, Beth was pretty in her own way, but there were no similarities between them. Their hair wasn’t even the same shade of brown.
My mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. I was at a loss of words.
Why was she here?
