twenty one

Ruby

Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach feels like it’s caving in on itself? So thirsty you can barely pry your tongue from the roof of your mouth? Your mind focuses on nothing but food and drink, drink and food. How a stale piece of bread, a glass of water, or a single French fry might save your life.

If you’ve never felt that, you’re lucky, and I hope you never do. I wasn’t suffering from hunger only. My hair was matted to my skull, and I was getting sick of my own foul odor. I’d lost track of how long I’d been chained up in Axel’s dungeon, and I was passing out more frequently due to hunger and dehydration.

My eyes cracked open as I listened to the dripping water coming from somewhere inside this dark dungeon. It was making this situation a hundred times worse. Every time I heard it, I thought about how even one tiny drop in my mouth might make this situation a little more bearable.

My tongue felt like sandpaper, and my back felt sore from lying down for so long. I, how