The Unthought Fate [MxM]

Chapter 8

Vlad

The first thing I feel is my head pounding. I try to open my eyes, but the pain makes me squeeze them shut even tighter.

My whole body is throbbing in discomfort, all my muscles tense and stiff.

I don't remember what happened. My head feels like it's going to explode, and I hear myself wailing because of it.

I make an effort to open my eyes; perhaps my surroundings will help me understand what happened.

It doesn't. Though my sight is still foggy, I can tell this place is foreign to me.

Is this... is this a cage? I am in a cage?? I think, bewildered.

I try to stand up in a hurry, and that is a big mistake. It feels like my head is going to launch itself into orbit—the pressure behind my eyes is unbearable.

What is happening? What is this? I start shaking violently, and I think I'm going to have a panic attack.

"Try to breathe, deep breaths," I hear a soft whispered voice.

"If you make noise, Sir will come and punish all of us," she continues just as quietly.

I can sense her pleading voice is trying both to calm me down and warn me of the danger if I don't listen.

Taking deep breaths, in and out, like when I was preparing for meditation, I try not to focus on the pain spreading through my body and instead concentrate on opening my eyes.

A first short blink, then another. The pain in my head does not increase, and that gives me enough courage to open them fully. It is still blurry at first, but gradually clarity comes.

I am in a cage. I truly am in a cage. I try touching it with a shaking hand.

Gasping, I pull my hand back and press it against my chest. Yes, it's a real cage. A very small cage, roughly 1 meter in all directions. No wonder I was so stiff and tense.

Looking around from where I'm lying on the ground, I can make out another three cages, all of them with people inside, all turned away from me in the low light.

I take a few more breaths and slowly try to push myself up from the ground. Very slowly. The pain isn't getting worse; on the contrary, it is slowly subsiding, which is a relief.

With my still throbbing head in my hands, I take a proper look at the place I am in.

A rather dark room. Light comes from two very high, small windows with metal bars. The walls are stone, and the metal door is closed and, presumably, locked.

It is cold, and the air is humid and stale. It smells of bodily fluids, sweat, and something rotten—maybe food, or even a dead animal. I don't know, and I don't want to find out.

I can count ten other cages. Seven of them are occupied, including mine. Out of them, it seems I am the only one awake, along with this girl close enough for me to see clearly.

She looks dirty and malnourished. Her so-called clothes are rags that barely cover her body. Her dark, curly hair is shoulder length and tangled, her skin tan, and she has big brown eyes. She has beautiful features, and I am sure she would grow into a gorgeous young woman. I really hope she gets that chance.

She waves shyly at me, and I can see tragedy in her eyes. It is a look I have often seen in shelters—the look of those who have lost everything. They no longer have a home, a family, freedom... some have even lost their sanity.

"Where am I?" I ask.

She quickly puts a finger to her lips, her eyes widening with fear. She glances toward the door, then back at me.