it had been days since she'd been alone in the same room with ryker.

days with questioning and silence and answers written on paper to della. but never words.

she never spoke unless completely necessary.

through her dwindling and sacrificial years on this planet, she'd learned that he'd take everything he could grasp away from her.

he could change her hair, he could change her body, he could change her mind.

she wouldn't smoke those cigarettes he'd thrown her when he decided her voice wasn't solid enough.

wasn't soiled enough.