[Kitsumi]

Our second meal has come and gone. I felt too sick to my stomach to eat. I'm very worried about Eleanor. But I know I should eat something. The hunger is beginning to gnaw at my stomach. If I don't eat, I'll be weak. So I will try to force the food down. Hopefully it won't make me sick.

[Kitsumi]

Day 3

I fell asleep early yesterday. I was still physically exhausted from working my muscles. And the emotional exhaustion certainly didn't help. The first thing I looked for was Eleanor. But she still isn't back. I'm not sure what's happening to her. Is she being punished for acting out?

[Kitsumi]

I had woken up before breakfast this time. My muscles were still sore, but I wanted to try working them again. Tentatively, I dropped into a planking pose. There was a dull ache, but it wasn't unbearable. I did a few push-ups, but was careful not to overdo it. Until I'm sure my muscles have fully healed, I don't want to push myself too far. So the push-ups are the only thing I do for now.

[Kitsumi]

Just as I finish the push-ups, the wooden door opens. A cart is pushed in by a woman in a simple dress. The plates of mush that we had yesterday are on the cart. It must be time for breakfast. I stand back away from the door. I know that the guards are going to command us to stand back here anyways. I have to obey them, until I'm strong enough to fight them.

[Kitsumi]

The plates of food are accompanied by large cups of water. My throat feels very dry, so I drink the water in large gulps. When I drop my cup, it's nearly empty. I set aside the last bit to help wash down the breakfast. I shovel the food into my mouth. I want to eat it as quickly as possible, hopefully without having to taste it.

[Kitsumi]

My throat is clogged by the thick goo that they feed us. I gag, but manage to hold it down. Quickly I wash it down with the rest of my water. I hold my cup up, scared to ask but too thirsty to resist. "M-may I have more?" When the guard comes near, I flinch slightly. "S-sorry. I won't ask a-again."

[Kitsumi]

The guard surprises me by holding up a jug of water. "Hold your cup up, child," he says. "Don't be afraid to ask for more water. If you feel your rations are not sufficient, we will increase them." As I hold up my cup, he fills it. "Will that be sufficient?" he asks.

[Kitsumi]

I nod and offer him a shy smile. "Yes, thank you." He doesn't smile back, but that's fine with me. My thirst is finally quenched. And the words I hear him say next leave me convinced that he is the nicest guard we could have.

"Leave a jug of water in each cell," he says. "We want to keep our prisoners well hydrated." I watch as jugs are passed out to each of us.

[Kitsumi]

"Is there any chance we can get better food?" I ventured to ask as I accepted my jug of water. The guard who handed me the jug simply laughed and shook his head. Apparently, more water was the best we were going to get. I sighed, and refilled my cup. "Can we at least get these jugs refilled throughout the day?"

At this question, the guard nodded. "You may have as much water as you like. And we will begin to serve food in larger portions. But you will eat what we give you."

[Kitsumi]

Although I'm disappointed, I really can't complain. At least we're being fed enough to sustain us. And I can always drink a lot of water with my meals to hide the taste. But while the guards are in a talkative mood, I realize I have another important question to ask.

"Please, can I ask you one more thing? Where is the woman who was in the cell next to me? She was taken away yesterday and I haven't seen her since."

[Kitsumi]

The guard's mouth clamped shut. "I'm not authorized to talk about other prisoners," he said in an emotionless tone. "I'm sure that your friend is simply being seen by the doctor. She was the one who had a nervous breakdown, right?"

I could only nod. The guard sighed, seemingly sympathetic. "Don't worry, she'll be back. In the meantime, take care of yourself. We don't need anyone else going crazy the way she did."

[Kitsumi]

My heart sank in my chest. I had hoped for at least some sort of definitive answer. Surely he could have at least told her that the woman was in some sort of infirmary? His answer had seemed dodgy at best. But there wasn't anything I could really do about it. These people were in charge. I was just a prisoner.

[Kitsumi]

The jugs had all been passed out to the other prisoners. Many of them were drinking deeply. They had probably been rationing their resources. I thought briefly about doing that with food, but figured it didn't matter. As long as they continued feeding us every day, I might as well eat when the food was served. It didn't seem as if our captors wanted us to starve.

[Kitsumi]

It wasn't until a while later that I wondered about something the guard had said. They wanted us well hydrated. They didn't care whether or not we were well fed. As long as we had enough food to survive, they would be happy. But they wanted us well hydrated. I wondered about this for a while. What did it mean?

[Kitsumi]

I thought back to when we had first been brought here. They gave us plenty of water then. Actually, they had practically forced us to drink us. They had wanted us well hydrated...so they could take our blood! It was easier to draw blood from someone who had drank plenty of water, wasn't it? Could that be the connection?