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Chapter Thirteen
It was a week later before Ali could no longer feel the stinging sensation on her bum. She was cautious not to upset Nik or disobey any more of his orders during that time. He was so confusing. She’d never dealt with anyone who was so hot and cold. The brutality of his swing had hurt, but the gentleness of his hand had made her stomach coil.
She should hate him for treating her like that, but for some reason she only felt more called to satisfy him. She didn’t want to let him down again. It was pathetic.
And then there was Eli, who was watching her like a hawk these days. It felt like he was waiting for her to break. Every morning he’d give her a look full of concern and every day she’d roll her eyes when he wasn’t looking.
Her frustration with him was entirely misplaced. It wasn’t his fault she was hiding things from him. She was angry with herself for doing and feeling things that required hiding. She’d never kept anything from Eli before, and she hated the way it felt. He was such a gracious and selfless best friend, and she didn’t deserve him.
Maybe she could tell him. Would he understand? Doubtful. Eli resented Nik and Nik seemed to enjoy getting under Eli’s skin. They weren’t going to be friends any time soon.
And what exactly would she tell him? She didn’t even know Nik. Not really. She felt sparks whenever he was around, but she knew nothing about his life, his dreams, his hobbies. He was a mystery, and maybe that was part of what appealed to her. That and the threat of danger. She was drawn to him despite her common sense.
He made her feel good. Made her feel alive. The attack on Andus had shattered her and made her feel numb, but Nik left her body and soul flickering with hot flames.
When Sam appeared at her cell door, she felt a pang of disappointment. “Good morning. We’ve got a special project for you today.”
When he noticed her raised brows, he clarified, “Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad. It might actually be a nice break from the greenhouses.”
A special project sounded mysterious and daunting.
Sam waited until they had all gathered at the head of the prison, not just the folks who worked in the greenhouses but everyone from Andus, and a few faces she only recognized from their mealtimes. People who had been here longer than she had. A sense of guilt crept in as it occurred to her she hadn’t taken the time to get to know any of them during meals or free time.
There were also a few other guards, the ones who took the other groups to various job assignments. And Nik. She gulped when she caught his eyes, and he winked in her direction. She glanced up at Eli quickly, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you know what this is about?” Eli asked her.
“No idea.”
The people huddled close so they could hear Sam. “Today you’re all being recruited to help with our Survivors’ Day party. The town square needs to be set up with tables and decorations and the chefs will need help preparing food. We have a lot to do today before the celebration tonight.”
Sam led the way to the town square while the prisoners followed. The rest of the guards surrounded them, keeping them herded together like cattle.
“What is Survivors’ Day?” a young girl named Theresa asked. None of the prisoners knew. They all shrugged, equally as confused as little Theresa.
The town center appeared before them, and they were separated into smaller groups to work. The older and stronger prisoners moved large tables, big enough for dozens, to the center of the square. Ali was tasked with setting up decorations.
A few women from Rysburg hovered over piles of decorations, passing them out and commanding the prisoners where to put things. One woman thrust a pumpkin into Ali’s hands. It was larger than her head and incredibly heavy, but she hauled it toward the table as directed.
The pumpkin thudded on the center of the table and another younger teenage girl, Carly, helped to place candles and smaller items around the main centerpiece.
“It’s kind of pretty,” Carly commented as she tied a ribbon in a bow on the stem of the pumpkin. Her eyes were tired and sad.
“How are you doing?” Ali remembered Carly from Andus. She had worked a lot with Ali’s mom in the gardens. What was she doing now?
“I’m okay. They have me working with the children,” she said as if she could read Ali’s mind. “It’s not so bad. They might be the best part of this place. Still so kind and unhardened. They don’t look at me differently like the adults do.”
Ali summoned a weak smile. It was reassuring to know that Carly had found a flicker of light in Rysburg. She never should’ve been forced to live through this. None of them should’ve suffered this fate.
Ali glanced up to find her own flicker of light staring at her from across the square with his beautiful blue eyes. Her eyes darted back to the table, feeling uneasy after meeting his gaze.
Carly left to get more ribbons and candles while Ali smoothed a tablecloth. She walked back to the front of the square to pick up another pumpkin, but this one was even heavier than the last.
“Would you like some help with that?” Nik’s voice surrounded her.
“No,” she grunted. “I can do it myself.”
