Page 5 of Cavern of Silence

We walk into the trees, and I contemplate running away, but I'm sure I'll be shot dead within seconds. When we get to the river, the man barks, "Strip."

I gape at him.

He crosses his arms, and the look on his face tells me I don't want to defy him.

With shaking hands, I remove my clothes, and he hands me a metal bucket full of toiletries. I shampoo and condition my hair, use the soap, and start to come out of the water.

"Shave," he demands and points to my private parts.

A new fear of being raped paralyzes me, and I hyperventilate into my hands.

"Now," he barks and steps toward me, so I retreat and obey him.

After I have removed my body hair, he hands me clean clothes. We go back to the camp. He leads me to the corner, and a young boy, maybe thirteen, picks up a ladder and slides it down into a hole.

"Get in," the man demands.

I climb down, and they quickly remove the ladder. I turn. My eyes adjust to the dimness.

Dirt. There's nothing but dirt here.

For months, I am only allowed out of the pit to bathe in the river. His men ogle me when I am escorted around the camp, and I live in fear of what they may do to me. But they always bring me back to the hole.

Every day, I wonder when I will see Santiago again and what secrets I hold he wants to know about, but he is never present.

One day, the ladder drops down, and two women climb down. My heart almost leaps out of my chest.

I throw my arms around the one I instantly recognize. "Zoe, thank God. I thought you were dead!"

She looks at me like she has no idea who I am.

"I'm okay. And you are?" she politely asks.

"I'm Julieta."

She continues to act like she has no recollection of who I am.

Jonas branded me because I helped you, and you don't have any clue who I am?

"You don't remember me?" I ask her.

"I'm sorry. Were you backstage at one of my concerts?"

So much hurt consumes me, thinking of how I went out on a limb to help her and the punishment I took for it.

"I'm sorry. I have a lot of performances and meet dozens of people a night after each show. I hope you're okay...since you're here and all?" she nervously blurts out.

She thinks I'm a groupie?

I'm such an idiot.

Penelope clears her throat. "I'm Penelope. But we've met before. You probably don't remember me. I was on—"

"The flight to Guatemala. Yes, I remember you. I'm glad you're alive, too."

"You two were on the same flight? What a coincidence!" Zoe beams.

"You were on several of my flights as well," I admit to her, still in shock she doesn't have any memory of me.