7:00am 

One by one, the lights flicker on, pulling the entire floor and all of the rooms on it from complete darkness.

I've already been awake though...thinking. I can't quiet the commotion inside my head, the thoughts that continuously swirl through my mind.

It's been three days. Three days and no sign of Travis. Where the hell is he? He asked me to trust him, and I do, but where the hell has he gone?

7:15am

Heavy footsteps make their way across the floor, keys jingling at someone's side...A Hunter doing room checks. It could be Travis. I pull myself up from the bed and into a seated position, waiting anxiously. I pick at my nails, biting my lip, waiting as the footsteps draw closer and closer.

Holding my breath, I watch as the Hunter comes into view, only to let out my breath in disappointment. It's not Travis. It's the exact opposite of who I'd want to see...Lieutenant Jenkins.

He taps the glass of the window as he passes, narrowing his eyes at me, and an evil smirk plays across his face just as he disappears from sight.

Chills immediately overtake my body, causing me to shiver in place. What is that guy's problem?

7:30am

The wheels of the breakfast cart squeak their way down the halls, and my stomach grumbles in response. It's the only decent thing about this place, the one thing I actually look forward to. You'd think with the way we're treated, they would lack in this department too, but they don't. It's some of the best food I've ever had, including the meals my mom used to make back home.

Home.

I wonder if they'll ever let me see them again or if that rumor, like most of the others, is true too. I'd do anything to see my mom and dad just one more time.

7:45am

The door clicks open, bringing my attention to the orderly carrying in my food. She quietly sets the tray on the table and makes her way back out of the room, never looking at me.

It's odd, but there seem to be two types of people working here–the ones who look right at you or worse, through you, like you're not a person at all, just an object or possession to be toyed with; and the ones who can't seem to bear looking at you, never meeting your eyes. It's as if they're afraid. Afraid that when they do, they'll be forced to face the reality of what they're really doing here. I'm not sure which of them are worse.

I slide off the bed and onto my feet, walking the short distance to the table. They only give us thirty minutes to eat before they come back around and collect the trays, so I don't want to waste any more time.

Pulling the chair out, I take a seat and scoot myself in. It's oatmeal, yogurt, a bowl of fruit, orange juice, and milk for breakfast today. I empty the yogurt container onto the oatmeal and scrape the bowl of fruit on top of that. It tastes really good this way. Taking a bite, I close my eyes. This place thoroughly sucks, but not having that constant feeling of hunger clawing me has been nice.

As I swallow another bite, I take in the silence. No screaming, no crying, no sounds of agony or pain echoing down the halls. It's the first morning I've woken up in such silence, and it's a relief.

I quickly learned that the more you comply, the better you're treated. Once I stopped struggling and trying to fight the nurses off every time they came into the room, the cuffs finally came off. I only shoved the food tray off the table once, learning that lesson the hard way after being cuffed and strapped back down to the bed so they could shove a small tube down my throat and force feed me some kind of thick, brown liquid. The thought of it still makes my skin crawl.

8:15am

The same woman enters the room to retrieve my empty tray. She still doesn't look at me, and I can't help myself. My curiosity getting the best of me, I ask, "Excuse me?"

But she ignores me and swiftly leaves the room.

Okay then.

9:00am

The lock on the door slides open once more, pulling me away from the intensity of my stare at the wall, though I don't move a muscle. It's not the wall that's fascinating, not in the least. It was the thoughts I've been lost in...Could I scrape a hole through that wall with plastic utensils if I tried hard enough? If I threw a chair through the glass, would it shatter into a million pieces, making it possible for me to run free from this place? Could I ever actually escape in one piece? It's ridiculous and impossible, I know, but they're just thoughts...and those, I'm allowed to have. It's the one thing they can't take from me.

"Maddie?" Dr. Reesen's voice interrupts, causing my insides to turn.

When I don't reply, she adds, "Just here for your routine checkup, and I'll be out of your way."

I turn in the bed and lie down, staring up at the ceiling. Her heels click across the floor and her cold hands grasp my arm, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around it. Small puffs of air sound as she pumps it into the cuff, and it begins to tighten around me. I tear my gaze away from the ceiling to look down at it. The dial rises and then slowly falls back down as my heart beat pulses through my arm.

My gaze lingers there for a moment before trailing down to my wrist. It still looks so bare without my sister's bracelet on it, the bracelet Travis now wears.

"Open," the doctor says, and I open my mouth for the thermometer, closing down on it when she nods for me to.

I remember the moment I saw the bracelet on his wrist as if it happened minutes ago; it's still so fresh in my mind. When I saw it, I knew. Even if he hadn't reached for my hand, even if I hadn't seen the relief that washed over him, I would have known. That bracelet means the world to me, and the fact that he was wearing it meant even more. It's the moment all of my questions and doubts were replaced by convictions. I know he's here for me. It doesn't matter that he's been gone; I just hope he's okay. What if someone else figured it out, too? What if he's in trouble? Or worse...

"Maddie," the doctor repeats, pulling me from my thoughts. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I answer.

"Great. Tomorrow is the big day, get plenty of rest," she eyes me, waiting for my response.

I refuse to give her one. Spinning around in the bed, I face the wall once again, ignoring her. She sighs and leaves the room, the lock clicking back in place once she's gone.

Hurry up, Travis.

I don't know what your plans are or what they even mean for me, but we've got to hurry up and get the hell out of here.

10:00am

The whistle blows in two short bursts, echoing throughout the hall before the sound dies out. It's rec. time. So long as I behave, I get two separate hours a day outside of this room–an hour outside and an hour inside.

Most of the girls don't want to go, or can't because they're still handcuffed to their beds, but it's supposed to be time for us to socialize. The thing is, almost all of the girls keep to themselves, lost in their own depression or misery.

I sit on the edge of the bed, my palms resting flat on the tops of my legs. Those are the rules, and I follow because it means I get to see Alex.

Lieutenant Jenkins appears before me, ready to escort me out. Great. Unlocking the door, he gestures for me to stand. "Let's go, Breeder," he commands, and I follow his orders, because what other choice do I have?

I take a deep breath, holding it as I pass him. Please leave me alone. And by some miracle he does. I take my place on the line painted outside of my room and face forward, hands at my sides.

The whistle finally blows again and one at a time, we're led outside. I notice the girl in front of me begin to fidget. She slowly sways from one side to the other, then suddenly falls to the ground. I gasp, and a chorus of them echo around me.

"Breeders, down on the ground now!" Jenkins commands as he pulls his walkie from its holder. "Code Red!" he reports.

It's only a matter of seconds before Hunters, orderlies, and doctors fill the room and take the girl away. I hope she'll be okay.

"Breeders, stand," Jenkins orders us as if nothing has just happened.

It's my turn to be led out and once I'm outside, I immediately look for Alex and find her sitting out in the field. It's where we usually sit, but today she's not alone. There's another girl sitting with her, her brunette hair twisted into a braid.

Alex looks over the girl's shoulder to find me walking towards them. "Hey, Maddie," she says.

"Hey," I reply.

"What took you so long?"

"They had to take a girl up to the hospital."

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" Her eyes widen. The girl twists around to look up at me, waiting for my answer too.

"She fainted, right in front of me."

"Oh my god," Alex says.

"Is she okay?" the girl asks.

"I don't know," I answer, shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh, this is Danielle, I just met her this morning," Alex tells me.

"That's me," she quips.

"Hey. I'm Maddie," I reply.

"Cool," she nods.

"Danielle was just telling me about some of the staff here, the doctors, the Hunters," Alex tells me.

I nod and take my place on the grass. It's dark and gloomy out today, the cold breeze causing the grass to sway back and forth. I run my hands along the top of the blades, and they tickle my palm as I pass over them.

"I'm surprised they let us out of our damn cages," Alex says, pulling my attention back to their conversation.

Danielle scoffs. "Right? Apparently, it's good for our health to get out, get some exercise and socialize, but hog-tying us down in beds and forcing whatever fucking drug they feel like on us? Totally okay."

She's right, and the corner of my mouth tugs up in a small smile at the irony.

"Holy. Shit," Alex suddenly says.

"What?" Danielle and I both ask, looking around.

"I think you just got Maddie to smile," she says to Danielle in awe.

Danielle laughs lightly, but I just roll my eyes and continue petting the grass from side to side.

"So tell us about the Hunters," Alex says.

"Okay, well that one?" She nods towards Lieutenant Jenkins. "Is a total and complete asshole. Gets off on messing with the girls, scaring and threatening them. As long as you don't give him a reaction, he'll eventually get bored and leave you alone. He likes the girls that fight back. Fucking dick."

I'm not the least bit surprised; I know this from experience.

"And his partner isn't much better, Lieutenant Sawyer. He treats us like animals, loves any excuse to get physical and rough the girls up," she shakes her head and continues, "Umm, Rodriquez and Williams think their shit doesn't stink. They get their rocks off on the power too, but just verbally. They don't touch us. The rest of them pretty much leave us alone as long as we're following orders."

"What about Brennan and Sanders?" Alex asks. "They're the assholes responsible for us being here," she adds.

This time, I look to Danielle for her answer. Of course I'm eager to hear what she has to say about them.

Her features soften. "You know, they're not so bad," she says.

"What do you mean they're not so bad? They're Hunters!" Alex says.

"Well yeah, that automatically makes them scum, but when I was brought in," she pauses before continuing, "some shit went down, and when they could have been cold assholes like the rest of them, they weren't."

"Huh," Alex replies, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Well they weren't very nice to us when they handcuffed us and shipped us off to this rape mill," she adds bitterly.

"Are they here a lot?" I ask Danielle, speaking up for the first time in this conversation. "Brennan and Sanders, I mean."

"Umm, not really." She shakes her head.

Alex narrows her eyes at me, and I shrug in response. "What? I'd rather them be here than Jenkins." And just his name on my tongue makes me cringe.

"Me too," Danielle agrees.

"They put my brother in jail, Maddie. I'd rather face any of these douchebags than see those assholes walking around here like a bunch of smug pricks," Alex says, upset.

"I know. I'm sorry," I tell her, and I mean it. Travis might be here for me, but where does that leave Alex and Aiden? It's an issue I keep trying to push away, but one I'm going to have to face because whatever Travis's plans are...how could I just leave them behind? I don't think I could; I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"What about Dr. Reesen?" I ask Danielle, forcing my thoughts in another direction.

"Oh, you mean 'Hot Doc'?" she mocks. "I heard Brennan saying it to Sanders once, they all call her that. She's nice enough to us. A complete bitch to everyone else, though." And me, I want to add. She definitely doesn't like me. "Except for Brennan of course," she finishes.

Of course.

I lie back onto the grass and let them continue their conversation without me. Twisting the grass around my fingers, my mind begins to wander elsewhere.

I find myself thinking about the day we were caught a lot lately. I can't help but look back on it with a new set of eyes. There were so many signs that got clouded by every emotion I was feeling that day–the pained look on Travis's face when he saw Aiden and me on the couch together, when he turned around to find that the other Hunters had shown up and how disappointed he'd looked in that brief moment, how he fought to reign in his temper when I kissed Aiden right in front of him, and when he tried to argue his captain's call on who would be bringing Alex and me to the Compound.

Any one of those things should have clued me in, if only I was paying attention.

11:00am

Another whistle blows telling us it's time to go back inside.

"See you guys later," I tell Alex and Danielle and pull myself from the ground, lazily making my way over to the single file line.

A nap...I could really use a nap right now.

12:30pm

Oh my...that smells so good. The smell pulls me right out of sleep, straight out of my bed, and over to the table carrying the source of that mouthwatering smell–a grilled chicken sandwich, cheese oozing out the sides, a small salad, a bag of chips, apple juice, and water.

They could hide poison in this food, and I think I'd still eat it.

I'm not sure how long it's been sitting here, and there's no sign of anyone outside either. I hope it hasn't been here so long that they'll come back for it before I can eat it.

12:45pm

Yeah...they could have come back for that plate ten minutes ago and it would have been licked clean already.

2:00pm

The warm water sprays against my neck, falling down my body. I watch as it pools at my feet, swirling around and down the drain. Ten minutes and they'll shut the water off on me, but I'll enjoy every minute until they do so.

I stretch my neck to the right and then to the left, the hot water loosening every tense muscle. Turning around, I let the water fall onto the top of my head and down my face, losing myself in the momentary calm.

Will I ever leave this place?

3:00 pm

Thirty-seven square tiles line the ceiling of my small room. I just get finished counting them when I see Jenkins walking past. That split second is all it takes for him to make eye contact with me and he stills, craning his neck to look up and down each hallway.

No. No, no, no. I pull myself up in bed and wrap the sheet tightly around myself as he swipes his badge and unlocks the door. Twisting the handle open, he enters the room and makes a beeline for me. If it's possible, I push myself farther back into the bed, but I know there's no escaping him. Maybe if I scream...

He grips my chin in his hand roughly. "Don't even think about it. I'll make your life here a living nightmare if you make so much as a peep," he says through clenched teeth. The mark on his cheek is a light green and yellow now, barely noticeable.

I nod but can barely move my face in his tight grip.

"I don't have long, so I'm gonna make this quick. I know there's something going on with you and that dipshit, Brennan."

I begin to shake my head, but he squeezes me harder, and I can't help the quiet cry that escapes my lips.

"Don't bother denying it. I heard you yelling for him. And the way he looks at you, how defensive he is over you, none of it adds up...unless you know each other. Do you know Lieutenant Brennan?"

He loosens his hold on me. "No," I answer quietly.

"Fucking liar. I should call a code blue on you. Would you like that?"

I shake my head frantically. "No, please. I don't know him, I swear. He looks like someone I went to high school with, but I don't know him."

He grips my face again, slamming my head back into the bed. "He's up to something, I know it. And I'll be watching. If he so much as makes a wrong move, he's a dead man. And if you're lying," he points at me with his other hand, "and you think that you two will get away with this, you're sadly mistaken. There's no way in hell you two would ever make it out of here alive. They'll shoot him down the first chance they get," he says, releasing me with one last shove.

Taking shaky breaths, I pull the sheet up to my neck, watching as he quickly leaves the room.

He knows. Shit, he knows.

4:00pm

I haven't left my position on the bed. I'm not looking forward to it, but I know the doctor will be here any minute for my second and last checkup of the day.

And there she is.

I cringe when she grabs my arm to take my blood pressure, causing her to eye me speculatively.

She finishes her work quickly, but just before she leaves the room, I ask, "What time tomorrow? For the implantation?"

"Does it really matter?" she answers.

God, she can't even answer a simple question for me. It should be my right to know that much at least. "You're such a bitch," slips from my lips.

Her head falls back in laughter as she leaves the room, never answering my question.

5:30pm

I scoot the food around on my plate, hardly able to stomach any of it. If Travis had plans to help me escape, there's no way we can go through with them now. His life isn't worth trying to save mine.

6:55pm

"Your turn, Maddie," Alex's voice rips me from my thoughts.

"Right. Sorry." I take a card from the deck, a nine of hearts, and add it to my hand, discarding an eight to the pile. My mom taught me how to play rummy when I was a little girl. We've spent hours, my mom, dad, and I, playing at our small kitchen table. I always felt like such a big girl when they let me stay up late playing with them. It's one of my favorite memories.

"Rummy," Danielle says, laying her cards out for us to see. "Again?" she asks.

"Sure," Alex responds.

"I'm good," I say, throwing my cards into the pile. There's no use playing another game, rec time will be over in just a few minutes.

Danielle sweeps the pile towards her, picks them up, and begins shuffling.

I lay my head on the table, facing away from them, and close my eyes. Jenkins' words keep replaying over and over. He knows, and I haven't the slightest clue what to do about it.

Where the hell is Travis?

If I could just warn him.

If I could just...

I open my eyes and like an answer to my prayer, there he is, clean shaven, standing tall and confident, and so sure of himself. If he only knew the hole we've dug ourselves in.

His eyes meet mine and the corner of his mouth twitches in an attempt to keep from smiling at me, and I can't help but do the same, a small smile forming on my lips. He brings his hand to his mouth, clearing his throat as he looks around the room, his stoic mask back in place.

A whistle blows from across the room. "Back to your rooms, ladies!" the Hunter yells.

I'm only a few feet from my room when I feel a firm hand at my lower back, causing me to jump. I spin around and come face to face with Travis.

"Maddie," he says quietly.

"Travis!" I whisper. "Thank God. Listen—"

"Everything okay here?" the other Hunter asks, walking up behind Travis.

"Yep, just have some orders for Miss Ryan from Dr. Reesen. Go ahead and start lock up. I'll be right behind you," Travis quickly replies.

The man nods and walks away, following Travis's direction.

"Travis, Jenkins knows. He came into my room and—"

"Did that piece of shit touch you?" He interrupts angrily, stepping closer to me.

"Please, Travis, just listen. If you have plans for us to run, we can't. You have to stop, please," I beg him.

"I don't give a fuck about Jenkins, Maddie. He's all talk."

"I'm not leaving with you. I won't. You're gonna get yourself killed," I tell him desperately.

"It's a little too late to worry about that, get some rest and be ready."

"No! And what about Alex? And Aiden? I'm supposed to just leave with you and forget about them? How fucked up is that? I won't do it, I won't! And think about yourself, it's not worth it," I end quietly.

The muscles in his jaw start twitching as he steps even closer, his front nearly touching mine. He grabs the back of my head gently and lowers himself to my ear. "I did this for myself just as much as I did it for you. We're leaving tomorrow, even if I have to drag your ass out of here with me."