My Last Breath (Book one of The Portal Series)

Only In My Dreams. CHAPTER NINE

With my heart still racing and my body trembling like never before I step out of the closet all on my own, surprisingly not being pulled out by the Hunters to get my tongue cut out. I stand proud even though I'm very apprehensive to talk to the woman in front of me but decide I must if I need help escaping. After all, this is one of the women I recall hearing before who I wanted to help in the first place.

Unsure of how long my privilege to be hidden will last, I question, "How long have you been here?"

My words are almost a mumble and at first I didn't think she'd hear me but she turns away from the door. Her eyes land on me but only for a second until she blinks down to the floor, "I would rather not say."

I frown because I completely understand why she doesn't want to talk to me. We must have crossed paths for a reason and so it is my duty to bring her with me to freedom. I have wanted to meet her and the other woman locked in this building for so long now. I've known they've been here just as long as me, or even longer.

I say softly, "Isn't there someone else locked away too?" I feel like I used a poor choice of words but continue anyway, "I've never seen her but I could hear that she was here, just like you."

She scrunches her eyebrows as if thinking very hard, "I'd only ever heard of you because of the men. As of Estelle, we met on occasion." She must not appreciate my sudden question of her when I was the one who came in from a craw space, "Met?"

"It has been almost a week since I've seen her, because you had somehow managed a way out."

Suddenly I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. I didn't mean to inconvenience her and her friend but I am hurt that she had that opportunity to spend time with somebody and I didn't. How dare she be allowed to leave her room and have a friend while I was stuck all alone and confined for years. My head falls as the feeling of jealousy surges through my body. It's just another way of the universe showing me that life isn't fair and it never will be.

"We all have to get out," I eventually sputter, looking up into her eyes. "The men here have something planned for all of us. We need to escape before it's too late."

Her facial expression changes within my words and she looks completely terrified. She must recognize the urgency in my tone even though I could hardly get the words out of my mouth.

"I always thought something terrible would happen eventually but it never did. What is your plan?"

I recall her friends name quite quickly, "We have to break Estelle free before we do anything else."

She looks at me funny and so I look down at my feet, hoping she'll say something. Its unlike me to act so confidant about my plans, I'm surprised I even got the conversation this far on my own. Though I'm also shocked that she didn't give up my own life to the men so she gets praise about being a good little prisoner instead of getting caught and getting the both of us in trouble. Maybe giving her some hope will spark that light and she can help us out.

My new acquaintance starts moving her eyes around the room slowly, keeping attention on me once and a while. I add to my previous statement, "If the three of us can get out I have a safer place for us to go."

I wouldn't say being at my grandparents home is the safest, so if we get to the gate like Jane initially planned maybe there is a chance we will be free from the men there. I can't guarantee we will be completly safe if we go to Elyria but now knowing what the Hunters have planned I would rather try to escape.

"Do you know where her room is?" I question.

"We shouldn't go out there now," She argues. "Everyone in this building is out there looking for you, we should wait until the sun sets again." Her eyes blink towards the barred window before mentioning, "It is about to rise soon and if we go now it is a bigger risk than waiting."