Prey

Chapter 2 - Sacrifice.

Chapter 2.

Sacrifice.

Without daylight it could have been days before our next visit from the enforcers, luckily this time they came back only to deliver food. A small tray of food slid in via an iron plate at the base of the door.

Each of the room’s inhabitants scurried about grabbing a handful and heading back to their respective locations, all to eat alone. You could hear several weep as they ate, wether out of gratitude to have something for their withering belly’s or just general fear, which would be odd considering none showed anything at any other time.

Zed approached me still seated in the corner he had dropped me in. “Hold out your hands mate, and eat in remembrance”. I did as he asked forming my hands into a bowl and as softly as a mothers touch he placed the food from his right hand into mine.

It felt partly like wet cloth, and plastic, and smelt like nothing I had ever experienced, only to be overpowered once again by that accursed communal squat toilet in the opposite corner.

But I was too hungry to care, scooping as much in as I dare into my mouth.

“Slowly lad, slowly, you haven’t eaten in a while and you don’t want to waste what you have, they may not be back for some time with more”.

Again as though his words had philosophical meaning, I obeyed.

“Also lad, we don’t talk while we eat, we pray for those that have been taken” his voice had gone sombre all of a sudden, he sat and began to eat his meal.

We ate in silence, finally with something in my stomach I felt the need to rest and allowed myself to drift off to sleep pressing my cheek gently to the icy wall.

Sleep was brief, broken with an all too familiar sound of keys rattling in a lock. I lifted my head to see everyone in the room crouching with their heads down trying not to draw attention.

Again the door slowly drew open revealing the same shaft of light as before and as before three figures overshadowed the threshold. A hand lifted pointing in my direction. “That one” the voice boomed.

This time nothing, I could see the finger as clear as day being pointed at me but I felt nothing. No shock or fear, just acceptance. This was it.

Without thinking I raised myself from the slumped position I was in and stood. As near as I could tell it was the same two enforcers who entered and made their way through the submissive mass taking my body under the arms and beginning to drag me towards my fate.

“STOP”!

My head jerked up looking for the shouts source, it was Zed.

“What’s the kid done to you ay lads? Probly a bit stringy anyway, not fit eating for your lords”

Before any of them could retort he lept and dashed towards the enforcer still in the doorway.

“FUCK YOU MATE”!

As he raised his fist towards his target the enforcers holding me rapidly let go preparing to dash to their brother’s aid.

Zeds punch had hit its mark, right into the enforcers steel helm, with an almighty ping of man and metal clashing. In the brightness of the light you could just make out a sizable dent made into the finery of the metalwork.

“HA! Gotcha big guy”! Zed screamed as the remaining enforcers wrestled him to the ground. Restraining his arms behind his back.

“Hmmm, well I didn’t think any of you had any fight left. You!” the dented enforcer pointed at Zed, “You have been cordially invited to dine with his high lord Andres, no need to dress. Bring him, leave the little lamb for now”.

As they picked Zed up from the ground, his eye’s caught mine, those unforgettably blue eyes, and he nodded goodbye. He made a motion towards my hand then raised his head in proud defiance as the enforcers walked him from the room to god knows where, to do what we all knew they would.

The door closed and latched once again drowning us in darkness.

My eyes began to well with tears, knowing I would never see the man that had comforted me in this horrible place again, my hands raised to cup my face feeling the hot burning of the tears mixed with an unfamiliar coldness.

I wiped my eyes clear to see what this cold disturbance could be, in the gloom I could just make out a glint of silver on my left index finger, a ring…

I ran my fingers over the filigreed surface feeling out the pattern, coming to the sharp points that made up a raised “Z” that felt so out of place from the rest of the flowing pattern.

Again my eyes welled up and I collapsed where I stood. Thanking him for both gifts he had given me.