Things in the Pit had changed since my son's failed abduction. It had been a month, and I no longer just stayed in our claimed territory. I walked freely, though I kept my son close. I wouldn't risk him being harmed again.
I stood in the center of the pit, looking up at the opening that was our only source of light, but there was a storm brewing, casting long shadows on the cracked stone flooring. The others moved around me, placing clear containers on the ground so we could collect water once the rain began to fall. In the past, this often resulted in prisoners fighting and stealing the water from the weaker ones, but now there was order.
The whispers of the others buzzed around me like bees, making sure to keep their distance. They respected me, yes, but they also feared me. Good. I wa
