The silence that hit Bella was physical. It pressed against her eardrums, heavy

ir heads bowed, hands clasped in front of their white aprons. Not o

idn't speak. He just held out a pair

marble floor. She winced. Hansel produced a plastic bag, picked up her heels with tw

whisper. Rule two: No running. Rule three: No vibration or rin

gs burned with the need to co

rn-faced men. Bella noticed the details now. The legs of the hallway tables were wrapped in thi

k mahogany. A dull thud resonated from behind

linched. It was a collective

ightening. His hand went to his vest pocket, che

rs. This was the West W

view. His eyes were hard. "Curiosit

and into the narrower, plainer corridors of the servant

mmodations

w wardrobe, and no window. The ventilation

ides what to do with you," Hansel s

Bella s

he repeat

her lifeline to the outside world, to the hospital wher

el said, offering the barest explana

ked shut. The

lute. She felt like she was underwater. She pulled her backpack ont

f essential oil and held it under her nose, closing her eyes. As a force of habit, she also pulled out a small, pre-made sachet of crushed herbs-her grandfather's emerge

an

d by a high-pitched, terrifying scream. It sounded human, bu

ackward on the bed, pressing her back i

m cut off

her teeth rattled. She wasn't a guest here. She wasn't ev

erself, the word barely formi