Lewis had searched all of Snowville and couldn't find Sergio. If he hadn't poisoned me, why had he vanished like someone with something to hide? I stood alone in the room with no one to answer me, and the silence had a weight to it.
The room was stocked — comic books, novels, art supplies, a tablet loaded with movies and games but no internet connection. Food appeared through a slot in the wall at odd intervals: afternoon tea, fruit, full meals, always balanced, always different. I didn't touch it at first. But after a full day, I could feel the pups growing restless inside me, their movements sharper, more insistent. My instincts made the choice before my mind did. I had to survive. Survival was the only path back to Lewis.
So I ate. I rested. And I understood, slowly, what Sergio intended — lock me here long enough, keep everyone away, and the Scifen would do the rest. Eventually I would forget everything. Eventually, I would forget Lewis.
