Chapter 13 A Hard Night, A Harder Day

• The next day, I woke up feeling worse than I had the night before. My body still ached all over, and every small movement sent a sharp pain shooting through me. I was lying on the bed where Bell had left me, but something felt off. It was too quiet.
• I glanced toward the door. Usually, by now—around 12:00 PM—Bell would have knocked, bringing me food or fresh clothes. She might not have spoken much, but her presence was the only comfort I had in this place. At the very least, Theo always sent her to check on me once or twice. But today, there was nothing. No knock. No sound. Just silence.
• My stomach growled, the emptiness making my pain feel worse. I sat up slowly, biting my lip to stop myself from crying out as my sore muscles protested. I limped toward the door and pressed my ear against it, hoping to hear something—anything—but all I could hear was my own shallow breathing.