Page 140 of The Cannibal

They practically dragged me down the hall like a stubborn pet.

As faces lined the hall, I spotted Mary and Rebecca.

Poor Mary flinched when I reached my shackled hands out.

“I didn’t⁠—”

But before I finished, Rebecca pulled Mary back and spat in my face.

My mouth hung open in shock, suddenly blinded by the fluid.

Even as we ascended the stairs and the faces disappeared, the few that were there were less inviting.

Sidney stood in front of my room, his face hardened and cold as he kept looking straight. I looked to him for any sense of whether he believed that I was dangerous, though there was no reason for him not to. But as I moved past, I caught a small, troubled look on his face, as much as he tried to remain neutral.

The security personnel shoved me as I entered the room.

“Do that again and you lose your arm,” Luka bit, shoving him back. “This is still her home. She is under our care.”

“Abomination.” The man spat on the floor before he backed away.

The door finally closed, and the noise finally stopped.

“I can’t sleep in here.” I stared back at the bed.

“You don’t have many choices right now,” he said tensely.

The sheets were clean. I didn’t have the boldness to ask if they’d replaced the mattress too. But in addition to new linens, there was an extra feature added to the bed.

A long chain affixed to the leg of the frame.

Luka picked up the chain and the lock, beckoning me forward.

I swallowed thickly as I took the smallest steps forward.

He knelt before me, locking the longer lead to the chain between my ankles. It was only enough to walk, not to run. And the extension from the bed wasn’t even enough to reach the dresser.

“Again?” I whispered, as the lock clicked into place.

He looked up at me with such regret, I wasn’t sure if it was for what happened to me or the fact he’d gotten involved at all in the first place. At this point, everyone was regretting crossing my path.

“I didn’t kill her,” I told him firmly.

His brow twitched. “Her neck was gone, Alina. Chewed to the spine. Her necklace and skin were in your stomach. We both saw it.”

“No, it doesn’t make sense in the slightest. You have to hear me⁠—”

He rose to his feet and stepped past me.

“Luka!” I lunged to grab his arm, the chain clanking against the frame as it pulled.

He didn’t look at me for some time, just stood there. If he walked away, I couldn’t stop him. I wouldn’t even be able to reach him if he took a single step more.

“I gave you a chance to prove yourself,” I said desperately. “I’m asking you now to let me have mine.”

He glanced at me over his shoulder, his scarred eye catching the light.

“There’s something missing. Something they didn’t see,” I begged. “Let me see the body. One more time.”