Chapter 3

"Simon, someone's coming! Get out of here—don't come back!" I blurted out, my voice urgent.

Fear gnawed at me. I was petrified he'd be found and locked up in this godforsaken place.

There was no sunlight here, no warm woman calling him home for dinner.

He'd wither away.

Simon was smart—he quickly shut the iron window and slipped away.

I let out a sigh of relief, but there was still a hollow ache in my chest.

I had no idea if he'd ever come back. We never even got to promise we'd see each other again.

The iron gate swung open, and the woman was thrown back inside, rough as ever.

I was still standing on her iron bed, unable to make it back to my corner in time.

She spotted me, and I could feel her presence looming closer and closer.

But I couldn't do anything—my limbs felt like lead, and I just froze there.

I clutched the leaf tight in my hand and shut my eyes as hard as I could.

The punch I was bracing for never came.

She just said coldly, "Get lost."

I opened my eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

That night, the woman was burning up with fever.

Her delirious mutterings jolted me awake.

"Leonard Carter, you monster. Leonard, let me out. Leonard, I won't let you get away with this. Leonard, I'm pregnant. Leonard, I hate you."

I crept over to her bed, never having seen her like this before.

I couldn't make sense of most of what she was saying.

She'd never talked this much in all the years I'd known her.

She wasn't talking to me, though. She was talking to Leonard Carter.

Her words were a jumble, but it was clear this Leonard was someone crucial to her.

I reached out tentatively, touching her face.

The cold of my fingertips made her flinch.

Scared of her wrath, I yanked my hand back and scurried to the corner.

But then I heard her whisper, "You shouldn't have come into this world."

Was she talking about me?

But honestly, I had no idea why I ended up here.

She kept mumbling something under her breath, but I couldn't make out the words.

I had to get closer again.

I reached out and touched her eyebrows—they were tightly furrowed.

Then I felt her forehead—it was burning hot.

If she kept burning up like this, she'd wither away, wouldn't she?

If she withered away, Simon could come see me whenever he wanted

But then I'd be all alone.

Before I could think, I slipped under the covers.

Maybe this way, she'd pull through.

Maybe it was because she had a fever, but when I slipped under her blanket, it was so warm.

The warmth seeped into my bones, soothing the chill in my heart.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around her.

She was taller than me, but still tiny and skinny.

It was easy to hold her.

She grunted and turned over.

Scared stiff, I didn't dare move a muscle.

Before long, we both drifted off to sleep.

I woke up early the next morning, anxious to slip out of her bed before she noticed.

But her fever still hadn't gone down.

Without thinking, I glanced at the little window, wondering if Simon would come back.

If he did, maybe he'd know what to do.

Maybe she just needed some sunlight.

I looked at the big iron gate and lifted my foot toward it.

The sting in my scalp from before flashed through my mind, and I shrank back.

I glanced at the woman—she looked like she was really suffering.

Still clutching the leaf, I gritted my teeth and headed for the iron gate.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

Just three more steps, and I'd be there!

I'd bang on the iron gate and make that man come help.

But a voice behind me made me freeze in place. "What are you doing?!"