Caged

Chapter 1

The boy rolled to his side and he shoved his body partially upright, groaning as he did because the movement caused his head to throb painfully. He sat there, propped up on one elbow in the darkness, uncertain where he was, and wondering how exactly he'd gotten here.

"Wherever here is," he muttered.

Though he could see nothing thanks to the darkness he peered around anyway. The room, or whatever it was, smelled dank as if it was a space that hadn't been used in ages. When he pushed his hands against the floor to sit up it gave slightly and he realized he was laying on a mattress. He slipped a hand out further until he found the edge of the mattress and beyond it the floor it sat upon.

It was stone covered with a fine layer of dirt. When he rubbed his thumb and index finger together he felt the grit grind between his fingers. It solidified his assumption that the space hadn't been used in a good long while.

"Well, no one has swept at least." He pulled himself up and stood in the darkness beside the mattress. "Well, now what?" he asked himself in a quiet voice. The space echoed slightly, which was another indicator no one had been here in a while.

Without light he had no clue how large the room was or if it was even a room. He turned a slow circle but it was useless. For all he knew, he was in a cave and could wander off the edge of a dropoff. He decided for the moment it was best if he remained on the mattress. It was a safe little island in the ocean of darkness that surrounded him. Perhaps it was night and when the sun rose he would gain some idea of where he was.

A light flared brightly and momentarily blinded him when it flooded the room. It set his head pounding again and he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes with a groan.

"Hello there, boy," a voice sounded from somewhere to echo through the room.

He pulled his hands from his eyes, blinked several times, and looked around him. The room was circular, about ten feet in diameter, and made completely of stone. He tipped his head back and sucked in a quick breath when he realized he was at the bottom of a tower with not a door or window in sight. How in the hell had he gotten here without a door or window? He dropped his gaze from the ceiling he couldn't see because it made him dizzy. The stone of the walls had been painted at some point but the job was sloppy. It looked as if someone had given a paintbrush to a child and let them go wild.

The voice spoke again, "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here, boy. I'd like to welcome you to your new home," the voice cackled with glee. The voice was deep, raspy, an almost breathless whisper of sound coming from nowhere and yet everyone and it was creepy as hell.

He looked around. "New home?" he muttered. He wondered where his home had been before he woke here. Did he have one? The frown he wore deepened when he realized he couldn't remember anything before the moment he woke in this room. "What did you do to me?" he shouted. "Why can't I remember anything?"

"There's no need to panic. How about I make you a little deal, how does that sound?" the voice asked cheerfully.

He had the feeling it wouldn't matter one way or the other if he agreed or disagreed. The voice obviously already had a plan in place or he wouldn't be stuck in this room.

"Here's the deal, if you can find your way out of this room then freedom is yours. No tricks, you find the way out, and that freedom is yours to keep forever. But ... until then my little cage will be where you stay. I like—cage. I think that's what I'll call you." The voice cackled again. "For one hour each day, Cage, there will be light and during that time you can search for a way out. I won't give you any more time than that. That will be all for today. Tomorrow you can begin your search for freedom."

Cage's eyes went around the room one last time before the lights cut out and he was plunged into darkness once again. An hour each day to search for his freedom. That was all the mysterious voice would give him. One hour to search for a life he couldn't remember and had no clue whether he would want back even if he did find it. Was it worth it? He fumbled in the darkness and found his way back onto the mattress. "Should I even care?" he asked himself quietly.

In the darkness, he felt very alone and tears flooded his eyes. All he wanted was to go home ... home to ... to who and what he didn't know. He prayed there was someone for him to go home to because wherever he came from it had to be better than this.