She was probably in her late 40s, with shockingly blonde hair, almost white, wavy and cut to just above her shoulders. I’d seen that expression so many times, on so many faces, but never like this. XXX I tried to speak, to ask them to please let me down, desperately thirsty and aching all over, but only muffled groans made it around the fat gag in my throat. I blinked rapidly, stunned by the sudden light after what must have been almost an entire day in darkness, tears leaking again as I made out two blonde figures picking their way over my discarded clothes to come stand in front of me. The woman glanced at me as he spoke and for the first time I saw a flicker of something like a smile on her face. Or would they just throw me out with the rest of the trash? “What, her?” their father asked with a note of surprise “Really? At some point in the night I
