“Priya, I don’t think we have a choice,” I reply. “We don’t know if he’s even still here, and if we get caught while trying to find him, this will have all been for nothing.”

Shaking her head, she closes her eyes and allows a fat tear to roll down her cheek.

“I understand,” she whispers.

“We will do everything we can to get help for him.” If he’s still alive.

I want to help Kevin if we can, but we can’t screw this up trying to rescue a potential corpse.

“So…tomorrow.” I take a breath as the enormity of the task we’re about to take on washes over me like a tsunami.

Theo wrings his hands. “We’ll have to use whatever we can to get through the wall. The kettle and toaster. Anything.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem; it’s only plasterboard and we really want out,” Priya replies. “I’d do anything.”

She’s not the only one. Besides, don’t you find extra strength in situations like this?

“Let’s get some sleep,” Theo suggests.

We’re going to need all the energy we can get, and honestly, I need to sleep. I’m exhausted.

Lucie and I pick ourselves up off the sofa with a lot more effort than the other three. She shuffles to the bathroom. We all let her go first since she was in room five for longer. Caleb did delight in taking a break from Lucie to torture me, though.

It seemed like he spent all his time on me. I didn’t hear him go back to Lucie at all. But that might just be because time stood still whenever water hit my face.

I can still feel the hot burning of my lungs as I held my breath. I need to lie down and pretend it never happened. This isn’t something that I will easily forget, though. Or ever.

After I get ready for bed, I climb into my bunk as Hazel, Priya, and Theo take their turns in the bathroom. Lucie is already curled up on her mattress. Her body is as still as a statue, but somehow I don’t think she’s asleep yet.

Tugging the quilt over me, I snuggle down, leaving only my head out. I want to be covered, protected, invisible.

Caleb could be watching. He likely is, wanting to witness how he’s affected us, wanting to see how broken we are.

So I won’t cry. Not one more tear will be shed from me inside these walls.

I close my eyes and listen to the others getting ready for bed.