Page 138 of Ravage God

There were no colors other than the generic neutral ones that didn’t tell me who it belonged to. Perhaps I was in a guest bedroom?

I headed over to the window.

Metal bars were attached vertically from the outside. There was no escape. Did they put the bars there for me? I shook my head. They looked old and rusty. Not old enough for me to break, but old enough that I knew they had been there for some time.

Perhaps this was where they kept all their prisoners?

How many prisoners had they kept in this house to warrant this?

I didn’t know.

From the window, it seemed as if we were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thick trees and no roads. No neighbors… no other person around who might help me.

I looked around the room, hoping there would be something to help me defend myself. There was nothing but a few pens, but that wasn’t a good weapon. Not in my hands, at least.

I walked over to the closet, frowning when I opened it and found rows of women’s clothing hanging there.

And they weren’t new clothes, or even well-kept. They looked like they were falling apart at the seams. They weren’t for me… at least, I didn’t think so. I didn’t need to look closer at them to know they were too small to fit me.

But Nova…

The door opened, and Nova appeared with a plate holding a simple sandwich and a bag of chips. Under her arm was a water bottle.

She froze when she saw me standing there. “This is your room.”

She seemed embarrassed but nodded.

“How old are you?”

She looked younger than me, but I could be wrong. There was just something about her that made me feel like she was left…wanting.

Wanting for things she couldn’t have.

Wanting for more.

Just… wanting.

She didn’t answer me right away, just moved over to the bed and set the food and water down. I eyed it, wondering if she had put something in there. She didn’t look like the type.

“Twenty-five.”

It took me a moment to realize she was answering me.

“Twenty-five,” I repeated.

She was a year older than me. That was hard to believe. Her features hardened. I didn’t think she realized that look didn't have the intended effect. Her harshness just made me want to wrap my arms around her and protect her.

Which was stupid on my part. I didn’t know this girl. She could be the enemy.

“You should eat something,” she said.

My stomach grumbled. I didn’t even care that she might have put something in it anymore. I just wanted food. I needed the energy for when I planned my escape. If what she said was true, then I had at least a few days to plan it.

I cautiously took a seat on the bed and picked up the plate. Nova went back to her usual seat in the recliner.

I ate while she looked out the window.

I didn’t know what to say to her.