Contemplate

The change was surprising enough that I had to mute the TV and think.

“Okay, so you've picked up some Spanish; that's a good thing, right?”

I agreed with myself that it was and that it was a natural consequence of hearing it every day, or what passed for a day in my room with no windows. But, what really concerned me was the fact that I hadn't noticed the change along the way. So, naturally, I began to examine myself.

Physically, I hadn't changed much, except that I had slimmed down a bit—having literally nothing to do but ride the stationary bike was evidently good for my figure, if not my mental health, and there wasn't anything in the way of snacks available, which also helped. I hated admitting that the paltry meals I'd been getting through the wall slot may actually have been better for me than the vending machine food and liters of coffee I'd been drinking back in New York.

Mentally, that was hard to say. Honestly, I'd found it difficult to have so much free time with nothing to occupy my thoughts, which is why I'd painted my nails a dozen times, tried on all the ridiculous clothes in the wardrobe, and even resorted to watching soap operas. I wished that I was better at meditation and clearing my mind, since it all-too-often wandered to the fate of my sister and the team.