Cards of Our Fate

The Apple

Day Six of Thirty

I woke like I always did in the dungeon, barely awake with a stiff back. And, as usual, I was one of the first ones up. Not including those who just didn't sleep.

I stretched, wincing when my back popped violently. Breakfast hadn't arrived. Though, it had arrived by then the days before. I was mid knuckle-crack when I saw Imani from the corner of my eye. When I looked over at her, she covered the distance between us. Resulting in her being very close.

"Back up, geez." I said, shoving her away. She just smirked, tilting her head a little bit, "What do you want now?"

"Nothing much, but I'm bored." She wined, leaning her head back, pouting.

"Go entertain someone." I said, shooing her with a wave of my hand. She groaned, sprawling on the ground like a child.

"But I don't have anyone else who does entertain me." She pouted, stomping her foot. I shot a glare at her, which caused her to smirk for a moment, "Do you, I don't know, do something?"

"Go find someone else." I said, standing, pacing around. I was deep in thought about where Leif was, that I didn't notice Imani following me around. A simple shake of my head was all I gave her, before continuing to pace.

"Whatcha thinking 'bout?" She asked, speaking quite loudly in my ear. I flinched away before answering.

"If it's any of your business, I'm thinking of the prince." I said.

"Want help?"

"With what?"

"Thinking," Imani answered, I sighed.

"What could you, of all people, help me out with?" I asked, with a roll of my eyes. My back was still to her, but I stopped to rest my hands on the cell bars.

"Remember, I know all the humans." She said, standing next to me. I shot a side-ways glance at her.

"Like the human prince, right?" I asked, she simply nodded, but even that seemed to be laced with mischief, "Well, speak up, I guess."

"What makes you think I'm going to give you info for free?" Imani asked, wearing the most smug face I've ever seen on her. I glared at her, before sighing again.

"Fine, what do you want?" I half-said, half-groaned out, speaking through my hand as I turned to look at her.

"A promise," she said, rocking on her heels, independent from the bars.

"What promise?" I asked, running my hand down my face.

"I want you," she said, poking my shoulder, "to promise me," she motioned to herself, "that when you do overthrow the king, you'll help me."

"What could I do to help you?" I asked her, she suddenly became uncharacteristically quiet. She looked down at her feet while she spoke to me.

"I wanna go home." She said, rubbing her foot into the ground, "After you're banished, you can't go back. Pieces can't enter on the grounds, but humans can. Harold did." She stopped for a moment, inhaling sharply, "I wasn't thinking back then, I was young. I was expecting forever, but I only got a hundred years. My children turned against me. I was just doing whatever my feelings directed." She said, she took a step away from me, through the bars, "Sorry, I'll tell you the information later, just give me some time."

"Wait." I said, reaching out to grab her, but she just walked through the wall, ignoring me. Before I could draw my arm back in, a guard came around and sliced me, "Ah!"

"Next time, you'll be punished thoroughly." The guard said, as I fell back onto the ground. I winced in pain as I crawled back to my usual sitting spot.

I ripped a strip of cloth from my pants, and tied it around my cut forearm. Tracey still slept as I propped myself back where I always sat. I waited for something to happen, but, like most of those days, I was cursed to sit in the agony of boredom.

Until I saw someone across from me, someone about my age, but I couldn't tell the gender from the hood and baggy clothes. They were playing with an apple, peeling it with a knife they were obviously not suppose to have. I didn't say anything, knowing plenty well that something was bound to happen.

They motioned to another person. With a lift of their head, I recognized the face as one of a girl's. The girl threw a peel to the person, who didn't eat it right away. He seemed to study it for a moment. She nodded to him, before glancing around. Peeling another piece, she flicked her wrist, and seemingly sketched something into the skin. Then proceeded to pass it to another prisoner.

One would have to be very stupid, as not to know that there had to be some kind of meaning of the actions of the girl. She was obviously passing messages, no duh, but what was she planning on doing. It was such an interesting thing to happen in such a boring place. I started wondering why I didn't notice it, but I put it off to the back of mind. I would talk about it the next day with Eddie anyway.

"I'm up, whassup?" Tracey said, stretching as much as she could.

"Nothing much, breakfast is late though." I said, leaning back, relaxing a bit.

"Hopefully they'll remember to bring it this time." Tracey said, before noticing my arm, "What happened?"

"I was leaning on the bars for too long, a guard didn't really like it." I said, tightening the make shift bandage, wincing at the little sting of pain.

I dazed out, ready to take another boring day in that prison. But hey, I thought, only twenty-four days left. I looked down, twenty-four.