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Tessa’s POV
Warning of abuse-
The first rays of dawn filtered through the tiny window of our cell, casting a pale light across the cold stone floor. I blinked away the remnants of sleep, my body stiff and sore from the uncomfortable mat that served as my bed.
Another day in this hellhole.
As I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my eyes sought out Erin’s form on the opposite side of the room. She stirred slightly, her movements sluggish as she too fought against the grip of sleep.
“Morning,” I murmured, my voice rough with exhaustion as Erin groaned in response, rubbing at her eyes tiredly.
“Morning,” she muttered back, her tone weary as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her movements slow and sluggish. With a heavy sigh, I pushed myself to my feet, stretching my cramped muscles as I prepared myself for another day of hard labor and uncertainty.
The guards arrived shortly after, their harsh voices echoing through the corridors as they barked orders at us to get moving. Erin and I exchanged weary glances before following the other females out of the cell and into the dimly lit hallway.
The canteen was already bustling with activity by the time we arrived, the smell of stale bread and watery porridge hanging heavy in the air. Sasha was already there, her face drawn and weary as she picked at her food with little enthusiasm.
“Morning,” she greeted us with a weary smile, gesturing for us to join her at the table. “Sit, sit. Breakfast is served.*
We took our seats beside her, our appetites diminished by the grim reality of our situation. Sasha wasted no time in getting straight to the point, explaining the tasks that awaited us for the day.
“You will be planting seeds and plants in the greenhouse today,” she explained, her voice low and serious. “And then we will be collecting eggs from the chickens.” She concludes as we nod.
At least it’s something different right? But the thought of being outside in that weather for another second was enough to make me want to scream.
I don’t understand how they expect us to stay outside with nothing to keep us warm or covered…
As we finished our meager breakfast of dry toast and fruit, Sasha rose to her feet, gesturing for us to follow her out of the canteen and towards the greenhouse.
The greenhouse luckily had indoor heaters – as they believed many of the plants inside needed heat in order to grow to their full potential – which made me sigh in relief when stepping inside.
This was the warmest I had felt since being here… It felt like a true gift to be working here for a few hours today!
The bad part was; that there were two guards situated inside of the greenhouse unlike in the other locations that we had at least been granted privacy…
To make sure we don’t eat anything!” Sasha whispers between us both, as though reading our minds as we glanced at the guards and nodded.
Woah… so they care that much about their plants?!
1/2
We got stuck in, enjoying the heat, and just as I began to get in to a hythm with it, I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye – a large, black shape cuttling itself across Erin’s shoulder.
Before I could stop myself, a scam tore from my throat, the sound choing off the walls of the greenhouse as I stumbled back in terror and pointed to her.
“A S–SPIDER!” I shrieked, my heart racing as I frantically tried to tell Erin forgetting where I was in that moment due to the fear of the little creature consuming me completely.
Erin jumped, as Sasha wasted no time in knocking it off from her a it flew across the floor of the greenhouse and disappeared between the cracks.
As I realised what had just happened, a rough hand found its way in to my hair, hauling my head backwards as I wince loudly from the jerk.
“Ty glupaya devochka (you foolish girl)!” My heart sinks when hearing the furious tone of one of the guards as he grits out from behind me, his voice low and menacing.
Panic surged through me as his other hand found my bicep and tightened with a bruising grip before he moved to drag me away from the others.
His hand felt like iron as he pulled me out of the greenhouse away from my two friends who both stood back terrified for my fate…
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