Episode 23

They were taken back to their room after they had finished eating, and Connor seized the chance to ask Gail about bandages for Miah. She told him she would try to get her some, and then hurried out.

As Miah settled back down to her place in the corner, she looked up at the ceiling.  Connor sat himself down beside her. “So.  What are you thinking?”

“Nothing...nothing at all...”

“Ha. You’re thinking about something.”  Connor gave a smile and readjusted his position.

Miah turned away from him. “So what?”

“So, I was just wondering what you were thinking about.”

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.  “It's really nothing, Connor.”  She didn't use his name often, and he should have gotten the hint that she was just tired and didn't want to talk.

He walked to the corner across from her and sat down, leaning his head against the wall next to it like she was. “I’m working on it. I know I’m not the greatest guy to get stuck with, but I’m trying.”

Miah opened her eyes and stared at him. “You think you can take Ben’s place now that he’s gone, but you need to know that it’s not happening.”

Connor opened his mouth and then closed it again. “That’s not what I meant.  All I meant was that, since we’re stuck here, we might as well be friends.  Act civil to each other at least.  I asked you a friendly question, the least you could do is answer.  If we have no way to escape, we don’t need to make each other miserable.”

“You’re making me miserable. Stop talking to me.” She hid her face in her arms and huffed.

Connor stood and walked to the other side of the room, and then walked back. “You know, really,” he started, and Miah looked up. “Really, when you act like that, all I want is to get away from you. You can’t just say things like that.”

“Well, leave, then.” She crossed her arms.

Connor clenched his fists and walked to the other wall again. He walked back. “If I could, let me assure you, you’d never see my face again.”

Miah scowled. “I’d like nothing better.”

He walked to the other wall and put his head against it, and then slowly turned to her, smiling coldly.  “If Ben were here, you’d be happy.”

Miah frowned.  “If you had stayed behind instead of Ben, none of this would have happened.”

“If Ben hadn’t even met you in the first place, my life wouldn’t have been ruined.”

“Oh! So you’re blaming me for the choice you made to step into that 'forbidden door'?”

His voice rose as he came closer.  “You’re saying you have nothing to do with it?”

Miah closed her eyes and cried, “Yes! I haven’t done anything to make this happen!” Hitting the floor, she punctuated each last word. “It’s all your fault!”

Connor took one more step forward, a bit more aggressively than he meant, and Miah flinched.  He started to speak, but then closed his mouth and walked back over to his corner of the wall and sat down with a huff. 

Miah swallowed a sob and leaned against the wall, terrified and miserable.  Where is my life going, anyway?