Prisoner's Plight

Chapter 3: a bargain for healing

Pain shot through my body as I gasped for air and sat up feeling blood and saliva slip back down my throat. I opened my eyes to see I was laying in my bed and that the clothes from my ventures still covered me. My ribs ached as I struggled to stay up, my body felt so weak that I wondered if I'd die. Then my mind went into a sudden panic knowing I had failed my mission and those prisoners had gone hungry.

I suddenly felt uneasy as my body groaned in protest at its position, I looked around as my mind went into defense and suddenly saw the prisoner I had been feeding. He was just standing there swaying a bit and staring at me, his deep black eyes boring into me. I backed up in surprise and watched as he tilted his head in confusion before stepping towards me his face gaining a cold demeanor.

His body had been clearly beaten as blood oozed out of most wounds and his pain reflected in his actions as he pushed me back down non too kindly. I gasped in pain as he leaned over and took the corner of the blanket which he pulled back over me before returning to his corner.

I stared at him in confusion as he moved his hands in different ways as if he were crazy and I could feel my head start to pound. He then sat down on the floor as he closed his eyes and a second later his wounds healed over. Every cut stitched together as if someone was sewing him up and the bruises faded into nonexistence.

I was so shocked that I sat up immediately and gaped at him. "Can you do that for me too?!" I asked quickly causing him to look at me before frowning at me and moving his hands about with more feeling. "What are you even doing with those movements?!"

His frown deepened as he turned to look away and I felt bad for him though my anger was winning over my sympathy. I ignored the painful throb as I climbed out of the bed and made my way to the desk near the small window. I then pulled out a pen and paper which I set next to him, "here write down your thoughts." I told him as I backed up to watch what he would do next.

He looked at me then at the paper, before shoving it aside and turning away again. I took it as he either didn't want to talk to me or he didn't know how to write. So I took the pen and wrote a simple phrase 'what is the matter?' Then I set the pen on his lap making him glance at me, I pointed at the paper and he looked down at it for a second before actually growling at me.

He then took the pen and scratched a few crude words, 'I was betrayed!' I stared in shock at his bad penmanship as he turned away yet again. But before I could grab the pen he decided to write more, 'why did you ask for me to serve you?"

I had to back up at that and think of my answer that I didn't even know myself. "Well-" I began to speak but instead grabbed the pen and wrote the lengthy answer hoping he was educated enough to read it. 'I was caught in halls and to keep it all hush father said he'd give me one of you as a servant, but I never wanted a servant. When he got angry at you something in me just clicked and I acted out of reflex.'

I then got up and discarded the cloak I bore before making my way into the bathroom to clean myself. I had blood all over me partly his and partly mine, but I also bore the dirt and grime of the floor I had laid on. It took me almost an hour to get clean and comfortable before I wrapped the towel around myself. I then opened the door a crack to peek out and see he had fallen asleep with his head against the wall.

Encouraged I made my way on tiptoe to the closet and grabbed an outfit which I quickly put on before returning to my bed. My side ached and I could feel the ribs digging in my vital organs but I couldn't do anything about it. I sat down and felt my body shift and groan, it made me cringe and whimper.

Getting an idea I carefully made my way to the desk and sat on the chair before opening the drawer. Inside that drawer sat my witchcraft things, like cards and crystal ball. I reached in to grab the cards when suddenly someone screamed in utter agony making me turn to see the guy had woken up and was writhing on the floor. He was gasping as if he had been strangled, then he struggled over to me and punched my desk drawer closed before relaxing.

His body slumped on the floor at my feet as he gasped for air, he then lifted a hand as of to say something before pushing my chair away from the desk. I was so indignant as I stood with a huff only for my side to scream at my making me shudder and back away. He grabbed a pen off the desk and scribbled something on some paper before handing it to me.

'Don't ever do that again!' It read in all capitals as if he knew how to yell on paper.

"Do what? Use that drawer or what's inside it?" I asked him with a pained smirk. "You wouldn't heal me so I decided to try and do it myself!"

He looked at me as if I were crazy before taking the paper roughly and scribbling more. 'If you never touch that drawer ever again I'll heal you.' Was what he wrote and I felt my body lurch in protest before I grabbed the chair for support.

"F-fine." I muttered knowing it better to be healed than to hold onto such things in that drawer that I could always take out when he wasn't there. He stared at me for a minute before moving towards me with a wild look in his eyes. It made me panic and back away but he was faster than he should have been as he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me closer to him.

He then moved his other hand to my head before closing his eyes. As he stood there holding me in that manner I started to feel heat come from his hand and spread through my scalp into my brain. That heat felt like fire and made me squirm and try to escape but his strength was more than I bargained for.

A second later the heat and fire I felt became too unbearable as my spirit seemed to catch flame as well and I screamed in pain as I fell to the floor. There I lay as my body shook and writhed as he stepped back, his eyes stayed fixed on me. As the pain grew I felt myself fall into unconsciousness and the last I saw was he had smiled in triumph.