==Chapter 2. Meat Processing.==


"I wanna go home," Maisie sulked. "Mummy, why do we have to stay in this place?"

Magda nestled the little one's brown head in her bosom and sighed. "I'm sure we'll be going home soon, flower. Anyway, maybe you should ask your idiot sister." She shot an accusatory look at the older girl, Kasia. "If she hadn't missed her bus home from the gym then we wouldn't be here at all."

Kasia was defensive. "I told you already! There was a fire alarm."

"You could have got the next bus."

"Well it was getting dark and I was scared. I'm in an at-risk group. A vulnerable population. There's all sorts of pervos on that late bus, always looking at me." Kasia knew that she was just making excuses, but playing the victim card suddenly seemed reasonable.

Magda rolled her eyes. "If we didn't have to pick you up, none of this would have happened."

Kasia said nothing. Maybe her mother was right. After all, the bad men were already in the house when they returned. And now they were stuck in this stupid cell together.

A dull dread settled as they sat in silent contemplation. Then suddenly there were voices outside and the door burst open.