Vanishing Girls

Chapter Forty-Two

Tears leaked from the sides of her eyes as she waited for his touch again, wondering if it was going to be rough, or unbearably gentle. But it didn’t come. Instead, the beam of the flashlight floated out of her eyes and to the ground as she heard him settle onto the floor. He stayed there so long that her eyes began to adjust to the dim light in the cell. The roof above them was stone, with tree roots snaking through the cracks. Condensation glistened in one corner. A large, black bug scuttled along one of the branches.

She turned her head. The man’s boots were visible a few feet away, his knees pulled to his chest, his big, hairy arms hanging over them. She could just make out the gleam of his eyes fixed on her, sad and uncertain. He didn’t know what to do.

Slowly, he crawled across the floor to her. His breath nearly made her gag as she willed her body to be still, and his hands slid around her throat. A wave of hysteria passed over her, her breath quickening. She lifted her arms to fight, but he was too strong.

The words choked in her throat. Please don’t.