The room was drowned in darkness, the kind that clung to your skin like fear. A girl sat on the cold bed, knees pulled close, her fingers trembling as she fumbled with the thick rope tied around her ankle. It had been over thirty minutes—thirty minutes of dragging, scratching, yanking—but it refused to come loose.

Her hair was a tangled mess, sticking to the dried tears on her cheeks, which were swollen and bruised—like someone had slapped her over and over until her skin forgot what peace felt like.