AS THE sun moved overhead and more light seeped down, Tess could see the hellhole for what it was. The skull that stared out from the earth wall was not the only human remains that surrounded them. Other bones glistened, washed white by the rain, protruding at odd angles from the uneven walls.

At first Tess told herself it was some ancient burial ground. Then she found a black underwire bra and a woman’s leather pump with a broken heel. Neither looked old enough or deteriorated enough to have been there much longer than weeks, maybe months.

Dirt had been recently thrown into one of the corners. The mound looked fresh. She stared at it, but didn’t dare go near, staying away as if the pile would crumble and reveal some new horror.

The sunshine felt wonderful, though it wouldn’t last long. She managed to gently drag the woman to the center, so she could be warmed directly. Even the blanket had begun to dry. Tess stretched it out across some rocks, leaving the woman naked but bathed in light.

Tess was getting used to the rancid smell of the woman. The woman had defecated in her corner several times and had accidentally rolled in it. Tess wished she had some water to clean her. The thought reminded her how dry and raw her mouth and throat were. Surely the woman was already dehydrated. Her convulsions had calmed to a mild shiver and her teeth had stopped chattering. Even her breathing seemed normal. Now with the sunlight on her skin, Tess noticed she had closed her eyes, as though finally able to rest. Or had she decided to die?

Tess examined the pit again. She knew she could climb out. She had tried twice. Each time she peered over the edge, the relief overwhelming her to tears. But each time, she lowered herself back down, carefully easing the pressure on her swollen ankle.

She realized there could be safety in this pit. The madman must have dumped the woman here, expecting her to die from exposure. Eventually, he would return to throw some dirt over her and create another mound. When he discovered Tess was gone, he might not think to look for her down here.

That didn’t mean she wanted to stay. This hellhole reminded her too much of the dark storm cellar her aunt and uncle had used as punishment for her. As a child, being buried beneath the ground for an hour was terrifying. One or two days, unimaginable. Even as an adult, she could never remember what she had done to deserve such punishment.

In the dark, Tess would pray over and over for her mother to come and rescue her, remembering her mother’s last words, “I’ll be right back, Tessy.” But she never came back to rescue Tess. She never returned at all. How could her mother leave her with such evil people?

As Tess grew older and stronger, her aunt was no longer a match for her. That was when her uncle took over. Only, his form of punishment came at night when he let himself into her bedroom. When she tried to lock him out, he removed the door to her room. At first she screamed, knowing her aunt could now hear without the door to muffle the sounds. It didn’t take long for her to realize that her aunt had always heard. She just didn’t care.

Tess ran away to D.C. when she was fifteen. She learned that she could make quite a bit of money doing what her uncle had taught her for free. Fifteen years old, and she was fucking congressmen and generals. That was almost twenty years ago, and yet she had only recently found her escape from that life. She had finally begun a life that was her own. And she sure as hell would not end it here.

She squatted next to the woman and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t know if you can hear me. My name is Tess. I want you to know I’m going to get us out of here.”

Tess surveyed the jutting rocks and roots, trying to come up with a plan. Just when she began to think it would be impossible, the woman moved slightly to her side. Without opening her eyes, she said, “My name’s Rachel.”