Gangs Aren't My Style (A Black Death Novel)

Chapter 4 - Black Gold

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART ONE: Tears Fall When You See The Truth

Chapter 4 - Black Gold

Ally's eyes shot open as she heard the iron bars of her cell sliding open, her back going entirely rigid. Warily, she turned her emerald irises to the approaching figure, awaiting her fate.

A woman stepped into the small cell, obviously aged but still within her prime, with long raven hair flowing down her back in carefully arranged ringlets. She was clothed in fashionable shorts that left the skin of her long legs bare, a large t-shirt hanging off of one shoulder. Even down to the brown sandals strapped to her feet, she was the image of perfection and happiness. Her eyes however told a different story, the light blue swirls dim and lifeless, as well as the unmistakable slump of her shoulders as she sauntered into the room. Her steps were forced, as if even the swing of her hips as she walked had been practiced for years, and the slight smile she tried to offer the younger girl did nothing to offset the realization of her true appearance. She was as much a slave to this life as Ally herself.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," the woman soothed, her voice holding the tone of a mother, as if she were often required to step up to the role. She untied the bonds around Ally's wrists with steady hands, the ropes falling back to the small cot.

"Thank you," Ally whispered, rubbing her fingers along the sore skin of her wrists in an attempt to restore blood to the numb area.

The woman simply smiled in response, this one more realistic as her kindness seeped into her expression. "Come now, we don't have much time."

Beneath her affectionate countenance laid a visible layer of worry. Ally nodded, knowing that whatever had her spooked was no force to be trifled with, and allowed the older woman to lead her out of the cement enclosure.

Cells similar to the one she had been held in were visible on either side of the corridor as Ally followed the woman, nervously crossing her arms in front of her chest. Goosebumps lined her skin and she moved her hands up and down on her arms, the action creating a slight source of heat.

They stopped at the end of the long hallway and the woman opened a wooden door set in the surrounding stone. Inside, wooden boards had been constructed into a wide staircase that led up into the unknown. The woman began to ascend the pathway of steps without hesitation, and Ally once again trailed in her steps. The structure she was locked inside appeared to be large and she worried that she would not be able to find her way out if she were to let the guiding woman disappear from her sights.

Soon, the raw timber was replaced by smooth, painted wood and gleaming railings, their elegant crafting screaming the wealth of the house's owner. Even the air changed as the two women rounded a corner and mounted another set of stairs, leaving the dank basement behind them. The overpowering scent of mildew that had coated the moist air seemed to instantaneously give way to a calm vanilla, the new aroma bringing a false sense of security.

Ally shuddered, discomfort settling into her bones as she fought the rising worry over her new surroundings and just how she would escape. Even as her thoughts wound through her mind, so did the stairs. The decorative stairwell seemingly spiraled up indefinitely over their heads, with no sign of ending. Even after passing yet another level of the enormous mansion, they continued to rise up the winding row of steps.

Finally emerging from the seemingly endless flight of stairs, Ally was quickly ushered through a bare hallway by the older woman, smaller corridors branching off from the main but only two doors set into the stretched walls and even they were placed near the end of the passage. As they reached it, the woman held the last door open, motioning for her to enter, and Ally took a deep breath before stepping into the unknown.