SIXTY-EIGHT

Reunion

Samantha was again transferred to another unit. She’d been waiting, knowing that they would take her to see Lolly, even if it was the last thing she’d ever see. Jarrod knew the hold he had on her. He kept her locked down in the basement, making Tessa deliver small amounts of water in a cup.

“You’re going to stink when you see her, Samantha. You’d like that, won’t you?” he’d said.

He was treating it as though Lolita was her lover and she was just pining to see her before she was brutally murdered. The idea of being killed right after seeing her best friend was scary, but not as scary as what Lolita might be going through. She was mostly starved, but Samantha knew to use the water to wash up sometimes. If Tessa pitied her enough in Jarrod’s absence, she might even get a night shower and fall back into her stinky clothes so he won’t know. Another plus was that he was almost never around.

She imagined him walking around like a free man, complaining about how he’s not seen his fian