The Purgatorium

Chapter Six

They were quiet for a while, and then Cam said, "No matter how much you cook a Wookie steak, it always comes out Chewy."

She slapped his chest. "That's terrible!"

"Made you laugh."

And it had.

Daphne felt something poking her. She brushed it away.

"Daphne, wake up."

"Huh?" She opened her eyes to see Cam dressed and leaning over her.

"There's no boat out today," he said. "I'm sorry. I thought they came and went every morning, but apparently, they only come twice a week."

She stretched and stifled a yawn. "So when's the next one due?"

"Tomorrow."

She looked at the clock by the bed. It was almost noon. "I gotta pee." She got up and went to the bathroom.

After she finished using the toilet, she washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror.

She dried her hands and opened the drawer, where she had hidden the knife. It wasn't there. She reached her hand into the drawer and felt all around.

The knife was gone. The heat left her bones. Maybe Cam had known.

"I'm hungry," she said, as she crossed the room to the kitchenette.

"I can take you for lunch."

She opened the silverware drawer to find all of the knives had been removed. "Cam?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you do something with the kitchen knives?"

"What? Uh-uh. Why?"

She didn't answer.

"So, you wanna grab a bite?"

She didn't feel like putting on a happy face in front of other people. "I'll just fix a sandwich here."

He came up behind her and turned her to face him. He had a strange look in his eyes, like he was afraid.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He gave her a hug and muttered, "Nothing." But before he released her, he stuffed a folded piece of paper into her hand and whispered, "Shh. We're being watched."

"What?" Her mouth dropped open.

"Shh. Don't react." He pulled away. Then he said in a normal volume, "I'll call you later. You okay hanging out here till dinner?"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm wanted by Dr. Gray."

"You sure you're okay?" Daphne didn't like the look on his face.

"I gotta go. I'll come by around five to take you to the show."

"What show?"

"There's a show at the amphitheater this evening."

"You don't seem happy about going."

He took her in his arms once more and whispered, "They're listening. I can't talk now." He pulled away, gave her a desperate look, and then ran off toward the main building.

She wanted to call out to him, but was afraid. What in the world was going on? She closed and locked her door, her hearting beating fast. When she opened the paper he'd slipped in her hand, the first lines read: Take this with you into the bathroom. It's the only place in the room they don't have surveillance.