Chapter 28

ELEANOR

By the fourth day, I was barely holding on. My body felt like it was shutting down, I hadn’t had food or water in days, and it was getting harder to even breathe. My arms felt too heavy to lift, my legs too weak to stand. My throat was so dry it burned, and my tongue felt like sandpaper. Every time I blinked, the room spun around me.

I tried to stay strong, to hold out, but my strength had left me a long time ago.

I lay on the cold floor, staring at the door, knowing it was pointless. Armando wasn’t coming. No one was. He’d locked me in here to rot, and if I didn’t do something, I really might die.

Desperate, I managed to push myself up onto my knees. My arms shook as I used what little energy I had left to bang on the door, weak and barely audible.

I tried to yell, but it came out more like a croak. My voice was gone.

"Help... please..." I whispered, knowing no one would hear me. But I had to try. I had to keep trying.

I hit the door again, but it was no use. My body gave o