“Daddy is going to take you home. You’ll feel the warmth of the sun, but you are not to look outside. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Daddy says.
Hurt? How am I going to get hurt?
He places the blanket over my head and holds me close to him so I can’t possibly move my head. The next thing I feel is the cold air hitting my exposed legs, but the sun heats me.
“Shh, I know you’re cold. Daddy is right here. I’m going to keep you warm,” he whispers. “Let’s go home.”
TWO
“Are you ready to see the doctor?” Ronal asks.
“Doctor?” I mumble.
Why is he taking me to a doctor? Just feed me and keep me warm before I die. That will make me perfectly happy.
“Yes, the doctor will be here soon to check up on you,” he explains as he walks. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that. They were told to take care of you girls.”
Is he just saying this because he wants me to feel at ease? Or does he have an ulterior motive, wanting me to be calm around him and trust him?
No.
I can’t do that. There is no way that I am going to fall for this trick.
A ping goes off nearby, and Daddy stops for a second. I clench my teeth at calling him Daddy in my head. He isn’t Daddy; he’s Ronal. I need to keep that straight and not fall into his trap.
“The doctor said an emergency happened with one of the other girls. He needs to take care of it first.” Daddy sighs. “He’ll be here whenever that is done, but told me to keep you warm.”
Is he really planning on prolonging my death? How cruel are they to do this to us?
“I don’t wanna die so cruelly,” I whimper.
“Nora?” His voice holds concern. “What are you talking about? You aren’t going to die.”
Tears pool in my eyes, and Daddy holds me closer to him.
“Everything is going to be okay. No one is going to die any time soon, so don’t worry about that. Daddy is going to take care of you and make sure you are healthy and have everything that you need and want.” He starts walking again, faster this time. “I just need you to hold on for a little bit and believe that everything is going to be okay. Because Daddy promises that it’s all going to work out. I just need you to believe that I have your best interest at heart.”
But I don’t.
How can I believe he wants to take care of me and make me healthy again when they dragged Leah out of her cage, and she was injured? We haven’t heard anything about the other girls and how they are doing. Or why they want us to begin with, and what their ultimate goal is.
Everything is being kept a secret from us. There is no way to find out anything about them or what they really want. No matter how many questions we asked, Headmistress Helena didn’t know the answer or wasn’t willing to ask the questions.
Was she afraid of them as well?
If so, why is she giving us up to them? Does she not understand what she is doing? She should have fought harder to keep us safe on the space station, instead of giving us up without a fight.
“Everything is going to be okay. Daddy is going to get you back to the apartment, where it’s going to be warmer. Then we’ll get you fed. Just hang in a little longer for me,” he gently says.
Ronal holds me tighter and picks up his pace. How far are we going? What if he’s taking me to another room where I’ll be put in another cage?
“Die peacefully,” I mumble, turning my face into his chest.
That is all I want. To die with a full belly and being warm. Why can’t he let me do that?
“Nora? What are you talking about?” Ronal asks. “You are not going to die, so you don’t need to think about that. Everything is going to be okay.”
How does he know that, though? No one knows these things for certain.
