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“Aren’t you hungry?” he asks, but my eyes are fixated on the man across from me, not the monster who has terrorized me for so long.

“Ender, what have they done to you?” the human asks. “What is this monster?”

My shaking worsens as I stare at my brother who I haven’t seen in so long. Has it been weeks or months? I don’t even know anymore. Time drags in this room where I have nothing—no windows, no freedom, nothing to look at and nothing to look forward to when the only thing that visits me is the monster standing behind my brother. While time has stopped for me, it isn’t stopping for him.

“Ender, you have one fucking job,” Abel says as he stands.

“Get away,” I plead.

Abel’s sour face makes me think he believes I’m talking to him, but I’m not.

“Get away from him,” my brother Tomás says as he rushes for me.

I have dreamed about seeing him again. I’ve wanted nothing more than to see my family… but not like this.

“No, Tomás, stay back, please,” I beg.

I try to crawl away. I’ll even willingly go into that fucking box again. He needs to stay away from me. Terror rips through me, but I’m so weak from lack of blood. I’m so hungry. I don’t know how many days it’s been since I’ve fed. Weeks, even. I can’t keep going like this and Abel knows it. He’s pushing me because I refused to listen to him.

“Ender, you are no longer in control of your life, and you need to realize this. I am your maker. I have molded you into the perfect being,” Abel says as Tomás slides between us.

“Stay away from him,” Tomás warns as he backs over to me. He grabs me, trying to pick me up, but I can’t even stand anymore and my legs give out, dragging us both down. I’m just so hungry and tired and the darkness is constantly there.

“Save me, please,” I beg as I desperately grab on to him. And I know I’m being so selfish, begging him to go away while begging him to save me in the very same breath.

Tomás tries pulling at the chains that hold me down, but if I can’t break them, there’s no way he can.

Tomás, in his desperation, turns to Abel. “What do you want? Do you want money? We don’t have much, but we’ll give it to you. Tell me what you want in exchange for my brother.”

“In exchange? I don’t know. I rather like him. He’s quite resilient and talented. If only he’d listen better, he’d be perfect. Would you exchange yourself for him? Would you live in darkness until you lose all hope? Would you beg and cry and plead like him until he agrees to do as I’ve asked? Would yougive in faster than he did? Or would you break immediately like all of the others who came before him? See, I have something special here.”

Tomás nods. “I would exchange myself, so please, let him go.”

I shake my head, terrified Abel will take Tomás from me. “No, no, no. He’s lying, he’s lying. He’s a liar. Run, please. Brother, I beg you, run.”

Tomás shakes his head. “I won’t leave you.”

“You will die if you stay here. Please, Tomás. Please.”

He grabs me, desperate to free me, but it just puts him closer to me. He has blood on his clothes and an open wound on his arm, and the smell is driving me mad.

“Shh,” he says as he carefully shields me, but it’s not Abel I’m worried about.

It’s myself.

“I’m so hungry,” I whisper. “I’m so hungry.”

He jerks and pulls at the chains as Abel watches in amusement.

Abel starts laughing at the display. “Ender, you know there’s only one way this is going to end. Why drag it out?”

“I will not hurt him,” I say, and I can’t tell whether I’m telling him or myself.

Abel walks closer, and I know he’s going to cut my brother in the hope that more blood entices me into killing the person I love most. I cower back as Tomás stands before me, ready to protect me, but he has people at home to protect. A young daughter and a wonderful wife. And he has absolutely no idea what kind of monster he’s facing.

The moment Abel gets close, I push Tomás back and tear into Abel with my nails. I can feel his skin giving and blood dripping out. The chains keep me back, but it’s enough that I simply cut him open.

Anger sweeps across his face as he moves so quickly that I can’t avoid him grabbing me by the throat. He lifts me off the ground, my feet dangling as though he wants to remind me that I am nothing compared to him while he cuts me open like I’d done to him. But unlike him, I don’t have much blood left to lose.