Book 16: Child's Play

Lexa

I’m woken up by Lis in the late hours of morning. She barely says a word to me–tiptoes around me, in fact, keeping a wide distance between us as she shows me the bathroom located on the second floor, just down the hall from my room, and leaves a set of clothes and a small plate with bread, fresh butter, and a glass of milk on the table beneath the window in my room.

My body feels leaden when I run a shower. There’s not much to be had in terms of hot water, but honestly, the cool spray feels nice given this place has little in the way of air conditioning, either. My mind is locked in a haze I have a hard time breaking free of, but after my shower, I change into the clothing Lis laid out for me. Men’s clothing, at least the pants. I tighten them with a belt. The shirt, however, is probably one of hers, given that it barely covers my belly button. After I eat, I tame my hair into a tight bun and start to move downstairs in search of anyone who can tell