CITADEL (Updated Weekly)

Three - The Observer

I was startled awake by the sound of nearby metal gates slamming closed. The long hallway I was exiled to could house many other prisoners, but I believe I was alone. Doors would open and close throughout the morning paired with masculine screams and the sounds of camaraderie and violence. From the comments and jokes I overheard, I was the only prisoner for miles despite all these other open cells. What about Mikah? Where were they keeping him?

    Although I was awake I could not gather the strength to sit up. I felt my face sitting in a wet puddle soaking the mattress where I cried myself to sleep. This was the closest thing I would get to relaxation, maybe forever. I rubbed my eyes which were swollen from crying. I did not want to think about where Mikah might be. I turned on my other side hoping to gather a new sense of relaxation. Instead of facing the sink and toilet, I now faced the plain stone wall.

My list of questions grew longer as my brain refused to continue sleeping. None of this made any sense. The question regarding why these new enemies attacked my village turned into wondering why all communities were being massacred. We weren't a one-off target, we were apart of a greater movement. I thought now of the other villages nearing mine that Mikah and I did not visit. Were they burnt to the ground also? Could they still be alive?

    The thought of not being able to prevent them from being attacked, or Mikah from being hurt, blurred my vision. Being stuck here made me feel useless and tears streamed down my cheeks again, but my face did not respond. It was hard, plain. I sat up before wiping them from my face. My ears and hair still damp from the night before. I took a deep breath and finally stood to my feet.

It took me a second but I finally found the courage to peek through the the window of my confinement. As I stood up I was relieved to find the space clear of giants and Mikah. Although that may mean something worse, I was glad I did not have to see him getting beaten. I scanned the outside, pressing my forehead against the glass, to really get a good look. The window was made of glass however it seemed to be a thick pane, one not easily broken.

    After a moment of observation I noticed a face in the reflection of the glass. A masculine face, still with subtle anger. I turned immediately, my body filling with shock. A man sat across the hall from me. He too, was in a cell but the door was wide open. He sat on the bed, slouched against the wall. We were directly across from each other like looking in a mirror. He wore the same uniform as the giants but as I examined him, I realized who it was. The man from the ride over, the only man to look me in the eyes.

He did not look away this time. An intense stare from his dark brown eyes traveled over to mine. The cell he was in was dark, only the light from my window shining a thin glow on half of his stone face. I walked slowly over to the barred door separating me from the open hallway. He did not move anything except his eyes which followed mine. My expression morphing from depression to curiosity. He sat up, still planted on the prison bed. His posture extremely straight and tense. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could send a word across the hall another man in the same uniform stepped in between us. He was tall like the others of course, blonde hair, and striking blue eyes. His teeth blinding white as he flickered a slim, devious smile.

"Grey!" The man called out, leaning his head into the door that framed my observer. "Stay in there any longer and I'll lock you up like her!" The man said in amusement. The soft brown eyes flickered from mine to his. "Don't you have something better to do than stalk me Alix?" The man I assumed was Grey said. "Nope!" The giant rebuttled, attempting to get Grey riled up. After the man made of stone stood, they started retreating down the hall and Grey peered one last time into my cell, meeting my gaze.

    I watched for as long as I could while they grew the distance between us. Alix shoving and joking with Grey. He was one to talk about stalking. Why on earth was he sitting across from me, and for how long? A chill shot down my spine as I remembered when our eyes first met. I took a step back from the door and turned to face the window. The two recent visitors walked across the stone platform away from me where Mikah was yesterday. I noticed under their feet, stains of blood.