Safety is Relative

Chapter Twenty- Four - Blood Moon

I sit with my back pressed into the wire mesh of the cage, my head lolling against the metal side. We’ve been in this stupid cage for nearly a week now, and whilst we spent the first few days talking, we’ve lapsed into a vacant dismal silence. Nina is curled up in the corner. I don’t even know if she’s awake. I’ve sort of been staying wrapped-up in my own head, lost halfway between consciousness and that slow-brained dreamlike state you achieve just before sleep.

I haven’t seen Nate at all, and it’s starting to worry me. I figure that if he died, then James Dudley and Liselle would definitely have come and killed me by now. Alternatively, if he had gotten better, he would have come and seen me, made sure I am alright. Unless he is locked up like me too.

Liselle’s words play heavily on my mind. We’re going to have a lot of fun with you, she had said. It doesn’t fill my heart with confidence.

Also prominent in my head is my family. They must be going out of their minds with worry, and I have a near never-ending ache at the bottom of my ribs for them. It’s driving me mad, not doing anything, always wondering what’s going to happen. I wish I could just let my family know what happened to me.

I can’t imagine what it must be like for them at the moment. The last thing I did- completely disobey my parents, trick them. And now disappearing.

I miss them so much.

To my left, on the outside of the cage, the various humans who have been chained to the wall start to stir. Only one of them has disappeared since I arrived-yesterday Friedrich appeared and silently selected one of the men, dragging him off with barely a struggle. We heard his screams, muffled through the distance, but still tangible. They lasted about ten minutes, and then there was awful silence.

That was about the time Nina stopped talking to me. I think she blames me for this whole situation, and I agree with her. There’s no way Nate should have been left in the cellar, but it is my fault that she was involved.

I become aware that the humans are shuffling as far as their chains will allow them from the cage. I roll my head over to watch more closely, and the closest one, a young man holds my gaze. He looks terrified, but not a fear I have come across before.

A sort of apprehension, filled with pity and a hopelessness that chills my body. This man is very scared, but for me.

‘What’s going on?’ I say, my voice cracking, unused as it has been for such a while.

The young man looks down, his breath whooshing out in one long gasp.

I clear my throat and ask again, and this time the others look up as well.

‘I’m so sorry,’ he whispers to me, his strange terror mirrored in some of the others’ eyes.

One of the older men shakes his head, muttering to himself. It takes me a few seconds to figure out that he’s praying.

‘What’s going on?’ I say, shuffling over to them. I see Nina look up, her face streaked with tear tracks, at the commotion.

‘I’m sorry,’ repeats the man. ‘I’m so sorry that either of you are in this situation.’

‘Two young girls!’ cries the only woman, burying her face in her skirt. 'Such a waste of young life!'

I look at Nina, who has this look on her face like someone has just killed her mother right in front of her. Eyes wide and unseeing, her mouth open in a down-turned circle, I feel a swirl of horror in my stomach. She looks at me, her eyes filled with that same terror, but an awful guilt added in there too.

I feel that something bad is going to happen. Bad. Really bad.

Nina suddenly stiffens, her face screwed up in pain.