Chapter 27: Ransom, Part 7

Charlotte

Thirsty...

Hungry...

Beside me; a plastic jug of water and an aluminium takeaway tray, already opened, half-eaten: the remains of someone's else's meal. A fly floats motionless in the water.

Cara...

Fishing out the fly, I take a bare sip of the water, swilling out my puffy mouth, then spit out, gagging at the foul taste...

How long has it been standing?

?

?

Hungry...

I eye the food, my stomach rebelling...

I've eaten trash before now.

It's food...

And I gobble it down, scooping it out of the carton with my fingers, sucking the fingers clean to get it all. It's stale and stinking, semi-congealed in its container...

But it's food...

Then, rice and soy sauce clot in my throat...

What if they drugged it?

Could I tell?

I wait, looking inwardly, analysing every sensation, every tell, that there might be more to worry about than too much fat and salt in the 'meal'.

But there's no growing muzziness... No spots behind my eyes...