Elena’s wrists burned.
The ropes bit deeper every time she twisted, every time she pulled. Her legs were numb, her arms sore, but she couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop.
Her fingers brushed the shard of mirror on the floor—a sharp sliver, hidden just beneath the old, splintered bedframe. Someone must’ve broken it before. Maybe another prisoner. Maybe another girl who didn’t make it out.
She dragged it close.
Every scrape echoed in the silence of the room. Her heart thudded loud in her ears, drowning out the small sounds. She worked the glass against the rope. Back and forth. Slow. Careful. The rope began to fray, tiny fibers snapping one by one.
Her breathing grew fast, shallow.
The mirror bit her skin once—twice. Warm blood dripped down her arm. She didn’t care.
Almost there.
The ro
