Chapter 9

"Leaving me? Don't even dream of it!" Alfie pointed wildly towards the window, his voice thick with possessive fury. "This island is a fortress in the ocean! On your own? You'll never escape!" He slammed the door shut, leaving me gasping on the bed. For a solid week, the door only opened for a silent, deaf-mute girl who brought food, water, and escorted me to the bathroom. I didn't see Alfie again for the entire week. But I soon caught an opportunity. I noticed the ventilation shaft in the bathroom ceiling, large enough to crawl through when the system shut down at noon. Today, security seemed laxest. The girl would take longer to raise the alarm if I disappeared during a bathroom break. That delay was my window. I squeezed into the ventilation duct, inching forward by instinct. After emerging from the duct, I bolted frantically outward. However, Alfie was right. The island was small, the ocean vast and menacing. Escape seemed impossible. "ALICE!" Alfie's voice froze my blood