Vacant

Chapter 1

By the looks of things, I was trapped in a chamber of my own creation, only a small candle guiding my eyes, but it wasn't going to last forever. I could see it shrinking bit by bit.

From what I could tell, I was in a long hallway that didn't seem to have a definite end. There was a dim light far ahead, and I was hoping that just maybe, it could be my way out of here.

As I kept up a steady pace to the light, I heard what sounded like a pebble hitting the ground and spun around in a blind panic, shining my light at whatever dared cross my path.

After a few moments of silence, I closed my eyes, and whispered to myself, "Calm down. It's just a rock. A stupid rock," and turned back around.

I opened my eyes to see the light had grown. "Now that's more like it!" I exclaimed, starting to run.

After only a few footsteps, I was tripped. I fell abruptly on my hands and knees, scuffing my palms and causing an audible tear in my pants.

Looking up, I saw my candle had been extinguished from the drop. I reached for it anyway, but was pulled away as a cold damp sensation overwhelmed one of my legs.

My head popped up, and before I could scream, I realized I had been asleep and laid my head back down, laughing to myself. "That was a strange dream," I said, yawning. Something still wasn't right though. I sat up and rubbed my eyes before anxiously looking at my surroundings.

It hit me. Where am I? I had no idea of my whereabouts nor how I got here.

After quick observation, I deducted I was in a prison cell of some sort and got up off the floor. I walked up to the bars, shaking on them lightly. They were stiff, albeit slightly rusted. I didn't commit a crime, did I?

"Did you?" a voice said softly.

"Who's there?" I quickly retorted. More time passed, and I let out a breath of relief. I must be hearing things.

I had to get out of here though. I had a life to get back to, and I wasn't going to take being locked in a cell lying down.

I shook the bars vigorously, covering my palms in brown dust, but it didn't seem to have an effect. What am I doing? I sat down, looking at my hands.

"No luck, huh?"