Everlasting Agony

Chapter 7

The figure made his way toward the balcony, his sleek black coat fluttering softly in the wind. His gaze fixed on the servant beside him.
"So which one of them is it?" his cold voice spoke menacingly, the sound reverberating across the hall.
"We...do not know for certain, Master Gray." the servant cowered, shrinking back in fear, visibly bracing himself. The servant eyed him carefully, watching his master with hesitancy.
His master had literally shrunk with the reduction in his unfortunate circumstances lately. Not in height, but in size. He was distinctly skinnier. One could almost see the outline of his ribs through his suit. Still, he was towering, a tall figure of 6'4, although he was less buff than compared to his previous days.
Yet the distinctive menace had not abated. "You don't know which one?" he enunciated, threat evident in his voice. His sea-green eyes blazed into the servant's brown ones.
The servant was visibly shaking. Anyone could tell that he was terrified. Perhaps it was the constriction of his pupils or the way he recoiled with terror, breath bated with trepidation, but he was certainly frightened.
"Bring them to me." he hissed, eyes devoid of all emotion except for rage.

"This is all your fault, Kona."

Elizabeth sat adjoined to Kona, both with wrists and ankles bound by constricting ropes. Although Elizabeth would be lying if she said she was enraged, or even annoyed. In actual fact, she was excited, the thrill of the event and the adrenaline pumping through her veins was always something she particularly enjoyed.
"Well if you'd just did what I said, you wouldn't be here," Kona stated matter-of- factly, while slightly grumbling. "And we wouldn't have been kidnapped, to be stuck here, bickering like an old married couple."
Elizabeth had zoned out ages ago, her gaze solely fixated on the one of the caged windows. She was quite certain she could climb out through it. It was rather high up the wall, were rather large, and were held closed by a simple lock. It would be far too easy, if she were honest. She just had to free her hands.
She was still contemplating her plan when, for one shameful moment, she considered just leaving Kona there. But she dismissed the thought as fast as she conjured it up.

"Elizabeth, reach your hand into my pocket for my knife."

And she was about to, when the knife clattered on the floor, having fallen out of Kona's pocket. Kona proceeded to let out a string of curses. Elizabeth teetered in the edge of her chair, angling her feet to curve up and clamp around the knife.
Kona grinned, her brows lifting in a way that was so decidedly Kona that Elizabeth found herself having to struggle to focus on the task at hand. "Oh, kinky. Now pass it to me, so I can cut the ropes."
Elizabeth's eyebrows almost immediately narrowed in suspicion."How do I know you won't just leave me tied after you cut yourself free?"
The usual amusement in Kona's eyes suddenly hardens into something sincere. "Trust me."

So Elizabeth did.

Then they heard it. Footsteps. They were barely audible but still echoed through the hall, drawing their attention, rubber soles crossing the dusty floor. All at once, the nearby world hushed as they filled the air with feverished whispers of escape plans. In the darkness, all they could see were little rats scuttling across the floor, their little white paws mincing towards the exit.
What seemed like a miracle happened, when Kona managed to get free from the ropes, and frantically tugged on Eliz's ropes until they came apart. They both set their eyes on the window, silently working out the plan.
"Give me a boost," Kona said in hushed whispers, that graced Elizabeth's ear while motioning to the window. "I'll pull you up once I'm outside."
Elizabeth nodded her understanding, being surprisingly quiet. The type of quiet that one would have when one was deciding on something. She seemed to have decided, because she crouched down, bracing herself for Kona's full weight. In less than a moment, Kona's feet were already firmly planted in Elizabeth, slightly wobbling despite Eliz's firm grasp.