Face to Face:
Marie cowered in the corner, humming to herself and guarding her treasure as if any moment Man would saunter over and snatch it back. He didn't. He just sat slumped against the wall next to the door. She didn't concern herself with him. He was fine, all sleepy looking over there across the chamber.
Steps. She could hear them in the hallway. Coming. She wedged herself deeper into the space between the cot and the wall and clutched the end of the ribbon in her palm. It was yellow and pretty and hers. Man had said so. He'd helped her to tie it around her wrist. She'd watched him the whole time. Made sure he wouldn't steal it.
Man had a name, she knew, he'd told it to her. A part of her brain stayed focused and tried to remember his name while she listened to the steps. She was pressed against the wall now, the fingers of her cut hand frantically twisting and clutching the yellow ribbon.
The door clanged open and one of the Uglies came in. She knew that’s what he was by the wicked black stick that he carried and the card hanging around his neck. His eyes were hard and black and it made her press even further into the wall as he nudged Man with his boot, the bolt securing the cot to the cement blocks dug painfully into her shoulder through her thin shirt.
Satisfied he turned his attention back to Marie and a terrible grin split his face. Her face turned away from the Ugly as he crouched down near her. Hot fat tears rolled down her cheeks but she kept her eyes open as she strained against the unyielding wall. The Ugly leaned so close she could practically smell his too sweet and sharply accented skin and reached out to touch her. His fingers grazed her cheek and tore a path through the tracks of clean skin left behind in their wake. She imagined she could feel each molecule of the dirt dragging across her flesh. It was terrible.
Suddenly that segmented part of her brain that had been solely focused on Man and his name and her job and what he could do clicked into place with an abrupt force.
“Logan!” The Ugly never saw him coming.
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