“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.”

“You make me happy when skies are gray.”

“You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.”

“Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

Would this song never end?

I stopped counting after the hundredth time it played. I was trying to decide how much time had passed, but it was impossible without a window or a clock. Cain somehow snuck in when I was sleeping, which was creepy all on its own, but then he’d leave things as if they were little gifts. He always left food and water for a couple of meals, a fresh set of towels, and sleep clothes. Then he was gone again. I never saw him or heard him. It was like he was a ghost. No matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, they would grow heavy, and the last thing I’d see was the red floating goop in the lava lamp as the lyrics continued.

“I’ll always love you and make you happy,”

“If you will only say the same.”

“But if you leave me and love another,”

“You’ll regret it all someday.”

How many days had passed now? No idea. He’d left me alone with this song and my thoughts. It felt like every last marble was rolling out of my head and disappearing into an abyss. Maybe it had been five days, or had it been six? I’d always liked time to myself, but now I regret wishing to have more of it. The two questions I had on a continuous loop were: when would he reappear, and when would I take my last breath?

You are my sunshine….”

My eyes fluttered open. Oh, dear god, I was still in this hell. I put my hands over my ears. Please just make it stop. I was sure this was what sensory torture must be like—he was purposely trying to make me insane with this song. I fell asleep singing along and would wake up with it ingrained in my brain. Like the lyrics were the Pied Piper, my lips began to move, and I sang along and shut my eyes tight, not wanting to see anything.

“But if you leave me to love another.”

I tried to hum a different song as my body rocked back and forth in an attempt to block it out, but it was impossible. By the next verse, the words were once more tumbling out of my mouth.

“You’ll regret it all someday.”

The music lowered to a bearable decibel, and I sighed.

“You have quite the nice singing voice, Sunshine,” Cain said, and I sat up straight, knowing he was there.

My eyes searched the room, desperate to have contact with a person again but terrified and anxious to find him. It took a moment to zero in on him. It was like he blended in with his surroundings. He was sitting at the far end of the room with a laptop. He glanced over the top of the lime green screen, and a strange feeling whipped through my stomach. It felt like eels were swarming around in there, electrocuting me as they wiggled and moved.