She doesn’t want to be heard. Why? The doors swung open silently and hands darted in and lifted various items for a moment, then placed them carefully back on their shelves. Travis closed his eyes and concentrated. I’m supposed to be able to feel things because we’re linked, so why can’t I now? He didn’t feel anything, so much as heard.
“Come on, there’s going to be something we can use here. Rooms have all sorts of things that can be weapons.” The vicious honeyed words made Travis stomach lurch. “It’s the only way, you or them. You can call it self-defense. No one will question it. It was something that just happened. You won’t get punished. Protecting yourself is perfectly fine. If we’re smart enough, no one will suspect a thing. Catch them all alone. A couple of quick jabs. It’s just protecting yourself.”
Oh god. She’s going to kill them if she finds a weapon. Panic had him babbling. “Don’t do it! Don’t do it! You don’t want to hurt anyone! You’ll be a killer and never be let go!” Travis watched the screen as hidden underneath a roll of gauze was a small paper package about the size of a single-serving sugar packet. The cover said, ‘Scalpel blade #12’. The yellowed paper showed a blade with a slight hook at the tip, like the back of a gutting knife. The hand covered it, picking it up, then transferring it close to the screen as the gauze was reset in the cupboard, and the girl returned to the bed.
“Yes! Good girl! We can make them pay for beating you so badly. Self-defense. That’s all it will be. You’ll be free. They won’t be able to hurt you again.” Travis heard another voice talking over the first one. He didn’t realize he’d started until the first one quit. The wall fuzzed a moment. The hand was still in the view, still holding the packet with the blade.
“Com’on, you don’t need that. Think, girl. If you get caught you won’t be just in here for a little while longer, you’ll be here a lot longer. And the longer you’re in here the more chances those girls will have to get you. Just put it back, and forget about it. There are other ways to handle what’s happening. You can’t let it control you. One bad step and it’s going to swallow you whole.”
Travis continued to ramble in a near panic as he watched the hand waver. Indecision kept the hand from moving as he tried to convince her to put it back. A clatter of metal on metal had the hand, still holding the small surgical blade, disappear from the wall screen. No. no no no no. She still has the knife. She’s going to get caught and that on top of the burglary, she’ll be passed on to the adult … wait.