As Russ's curses echoed through the closed door, Anna pushed herself up from the floor and slammed the door right in her face. The silence that followed was a relief. Leaning against the door, Anna slowly slid down to the floor, her back aching.
She turned slightly, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. The scars on her back told a harrowing tale of the prison's brutality. They'd beaten her, burned her with cigarettes, subjected her to unspeakable horrors.
Anna covered her mouth to muffle her sobs. How much longer could she endure this nightmare?
After a moment, she steeled herself, changed her clothes in silence, and opened the door to find a bucket waiting for her. Anna grabbed the cloth, dunked it into the bucket, and knelt to wring it out before scrubbing the floor.
S
