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The images filled her mind, creating a mental map of what they'd taken her through so far.
As she was running through each thing in her mind, she suddenly heard a noise from the top of the stairs.
Her eyes snapped open, and she spun, quickly standing from the cot.
Slow, light footsteps echoed down the stairwell.
Her whole body tensed, ready to pull out the hidden knife if she needed it.
Slowly, a pair of shoes appeared on the stairs, and with a few more steps, the full body and face came into view.
It was the girl she had seen when they walked her into the building.
Their eyes immediately locked again, and the girl gave her a small smile.
Saff glanced down at her hands. She was carrying a beige tray with a cup and a plate full of food on it.
Saff stared at the tray for a moment, then her eyes snapped back up to the girl.
"Sorry if I interrupted you," she said with a genuine smile. A smile that lingered for an extra moment. "But I brought some food and water. I thought you might be hungry."
She picked up the cup and slid the tray through a small space between the floor and the bottom bar of the cell. Then she reached her hand through the bars and placed the cup back on the tray.
She stood, taking a step back, as she looked up at Saff with another warm smile.
"We had chicken and potatoes tonight. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken," she said with a chuckle, "but the potatoes are actually pretty good."
Saff stared at her, making no move toward the food.
The girl stared back, matching her gaze with equal intensity. But the girl's intensity was different. It wasn't suspicious, but more curious—intrigued. And after a few moments, it was Saff who tore her gaze away first, looking down at the tray.
"When was the last time you ate?" she asked.
Saff remained silent, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. The pulsing headache had worsened, and she wasn't in the mood for a second round of interrogations. Besides, for all she knew, they could have poisoned the food.
An amused smile passed over the girl's face. Then, to Saff’s surprise, she moved and sat down right on the other side of the cell door.
Saff watched carefully as the girl reached her hand through the bars and pulled a piece of chicken off of the plate before nonchalantly popping the piece into her mouth, slowly chewing and swallowing.
Then she reached in again, retrieving the plastic spoon that rested on the tray beside the plate. She scooped up a small bit of the potatoes, then brought it up to her mouth. Her eyes flicked up, meeting Saff’s.
Their eyes stayed locked as she put the spoonful in her mouth, then slowly drew it back out. She chewed the bite for a few moments before reaching forward, dropping the spoon back onto the tray.
Saff stared at it for a moment before looking back at her.
“I didn't do anything to the food,” the girl said. “If that's what you were worried about.”
Still, Saff said nothing. Actually, she didn't know what to say.
Before she could really process the entire interaction, the girl stood, brushing off the back of her pants as she gave her another smile.
“There's a blanket under the cot if you want it,” she said. “But it does get kind of hot in here, even at night.”
Then, without another word, she turned and walked back up the stairs.
Chapter eighteen
“God, I can’t believe they found you,” Maddie’s mom whispered, still holding her in a crushing hug.
