I WILL FIND YOU.

Chapter 3: Touch

"No!" Minda screamed. He was once again awakened by the nightmare of what happened the night of his family's demise.

"Nightmare?" Kai asked from the other side of the wall.

Hearing Kai's voice instantly calmed Minda's rapid breath. They had been speaking for several days now. Kai was still stoic and a man of few words. However he had started initiating conversations more often.

Minda scooted closer and rested his aching body against the wall the two of them shared. He liked to believe the man he knew as Kai was doing the same on the other side.

"Kai, what kind of life did you live before your arrest?" Minda asked. He had been spending the days talking about himself. Now he wanted to know more about the mysterious man behind the voice.

"Military." Kai stoically responded.

"You're part of the military? Then... you must have dealt with death and violence frequently." Minda remarked.

"I have."

"Did... did you ever have nightmares?" Minda asked Kai.

"Yes."

"How did you get them to stop?"

Kai could hear the desperation in Minda's voice. He wanted to help but the reality was that he still had nightmares. Not as frequently as in the past but when they occurred Kai had no way to prevent or stop them.

"The nightmares never fully go away. Days might go by without them and you'll sleep fine. Then like a sudden storm you'll be pulled back to that horrifying day." Kai said.

Minda listened to his every word. They were far from comforting. Some might even consider his words depressing. However for Minda just hearing the man talk made him feel better.

"You know so much Kai. More than a naive sheltered child like myself." Minda said.

After listening to the young man talk over several days Kai had a good understanding of what kind of life Minda had before the arrest.

"Our lives were different. Do not dismiss your own life experience." Kai wisely said. Minda began to cry from his words. He had always been quick to tears.

"Please... Sniff* Tell me more about your life." Minda asked. As he quietly sobbed Kai was uncharacteristically willing to say more.

"I grew up in a military setting. My knowledge is focused on military tactics, war, and martial arts. To sit at a desk reading for extended periods of time is beyond my capabilities. You're ability to do so is amazing to me." Kai said.

His voice was calm and steady as he spoke. As Minda listened to him speak he felt himself relax. The exhaustion soon overwhelmed him and Minda fell asleep to the soothing sound of the man's voice.

...

"Waky. Waky. It's time to get up and meet our boss." The guard said as he kicked Minda awake.

Minda had always woken up the moment the dungeon door was opened. Surprisingly though, since Minda started talking with the man on the other side of the wall he had started sleeping more deeply. Unfortunately, this also meant he was also violently awakened on more than one occasion.

Startled and hurt Minda groaned. The guard didn't give him time to adjust and gtapped the back of his robe and dragged the slim Minda out of his cell. Minda tried to shake loose from the guard's hold but was hit by the second one standing close by.

"Don't move!" The guard shouted. Minda was struck hard. Frightened and in pain he tried his best to remain still as he was dragged across the hard rough stone floor of the dungeon.