Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

OLIVIA

I don't know how long I stay crouched in a little ball on the ground, sobbing my eyes out.

When I'm done, my eyes are raw and my face feels puffy. There's dried snot on my cheeks and hands. But that's the least of my problems.

I can't sit here feeling sorry for myself. If I don't want to die here, I've got to do something. I've got to figure out a way to escape. Or at least, figure out a way to survive until I'm rescued.

I've got to be smart. It's the only way.

I feel along the ground, hoping to locate something that might give me a clue as to where I am or how to get free. I have to crawl, because my ankle hurts far too much to put any weight on it. It's definitely got to be broken. Even when I'm not putting weight on it, it's throbbing like crazy .

I discover another wall across from me. I would guess this hole is about four feet by four feet. Maybe six or seven feet deep. Not very big. I wonder if he dug it himself. It would've taken him a long time if he did. I remember reading that book Holes when I was in ninth grade. It was about some kid who had to dig holes as part of a punishment. It was pretty good, as I remember. I think they made it into a movie.

In the third corner I check, my heart leaps when my fingers close around a tiny thermos. I pick it up, and it makes a noise when I shake it. There's liquid inside! I fumble with the cover, desperately trying to open it, even though I can't see a thing. If I spill this thermos, I'm toast. It's not much water, but I want it more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. Even more than I wanted Liam to kiss me when we were at the diner.

I hear a pop, and my fingers make contact with a straw sticking out of the container. I put my lips on the straw and take a sip. Oh my God, it's heavenly. Even though it has a slight metallic aftertaste, it's the best thing I've ever tasted. The water is cold in my mouth and my parched throat and my empty stomach. I want to guzzle the whole thing, but at the same time, I'm not sure when I'll get more. I should save it. Ration it. That's what a survivor would do.

I reluctantly close the top and gingerly put it back in the corner, now half empty. I'm not going to drink more until I feel really desperate. I need to know what the situation is. Will he come back? Will he give me more water? Food?

With the water tucked away, I explore the final corner of the hole. This corner isn't empty either. I feel something there, something long and smooth. My fingers close around it. I squint as hard as I can, desperate to see something. Anything. But it's too dark.

I keep feeling around, and I realize there are more objects in this corner. They have a similar feel and consistency. Sharp or round edges. Mostly long and thin.

Then I come across something that feels a little different. It's round, roughly the size of a melon. But it's not a sphere. As my fingers round the curve, I feel two large holes. My chest tightens as I realize what I'm touching.

It's a skull.

I can't stop screaming, even though nobody can hear me.