It was dark, very dark in that room that did not look as if it was bigger than 2.25 square meters. The fact that it was night only worsened that darkness, sins the only amount of light that is able to shine in that room comes through 2 holes at the top of each wall during the daytime.

In that room were three boys. They were all pale due to the lack of sunlight, thin due to the lack of proper food and trembling with fear.

The tree boys scooting closer to each other, embracing one another for that was the only comfort they could give one another.   Until one of the three spoke up: “I don’t think any of our mothers will be coming to pick us up today as well. I believed my mom when she said she won’t be long, but we have been here for so long, that if we were unable to tally the days on the wall, we’d have lost count of the days.”

Silence overtook them as they fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

Morning came and the tally on the wall became visible.

Those three boys had already spent 217 days in that cramped space.

All the boys were startled out of their sleep as they were able to hear a key moving in in the keyhole. They scooted back to the wall parallel to the door as they watched the door open so a man with a frightening figure could enter.

In his hand he held a tray with two pieces of old bread and a large bottle of water and three plastic cups.

The man placed the tray next to the door and walked towards the boys who were to terrified to look at him. He then grabbed the boys sitting in the middle by his hair as he lifted him in the air until he was holding the boy on eye level.

The boy’s cheeks were hallow and his eyes had huge bags under them. The boy was Chinese.

The man spoke

Oh Tao, won’t you look me in the eye. Why are you avoiding my beautiful eyes.

Tao did not look up which made the man angry and the man suddenly swung Tao across the what then seemed like an unused storage room.

Tao jumped up from his bed. Again that dream, I’ve had that dream for 3 nights in a row.

Tao checked his alarm clock and noticed that it was four in the morning. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore.