She Mask

Chapter 18

[Maggie's POV]

        Darkness had never been so sullen as it had seemed when we entered the cells, taking the stairs down to the bottom level. Each step was further away than the last, or so it felt like to me, and my heart's pace picked up, incredibly. Earl held onto my shackles from behind me, trying to make it seem like they were locked.

        Suddenly, the row of torches that were hitched on the walls were no longer lit, and we stepped into a darker black than the night outside. There was no light, now, to guide us down the malicious and evil stairs that threatened to trip my bruised and splintered feet.

      I wanted to look at Devon, just to see how he was holding up, but I forced myself to keep my eyes on the hallway ahead. For once I felt afraid, but I hid my fear with a blank expression.

     We finally reached flat ground, leading through hallway after hallway,and my feet splashed through puddles left on the damp stone floor. The muggy smell of moss and mold hung heavy in the air.

    Eventually, we stopped in front of what I assumed was a grid of bars, that kept prisoners in. Xavier moved around Devon, pulling out loudly jingling keys from his pockets. He thrust the key into the door's keyhole, and turned it a couple times. He pushed on the large wooden door, hard, again and again. The door swung open, Devon and I being shoved inside the Cell. The door slammed behind us, a sound similar to a boom emanating from the impact.

    Devon sat down, maneuvering because of the shackles, and leaned up against the bars. I turned to him, smiling like a little devil.

    His hair was in front of his eyes, and I stood still waiting for him to look up. I stared at him, tracing the contours of his face with my eyes, even in the dark. He looked up eventually, and he took in my expression.

    "What?" He asked.

   My smile grew, and i took a step towards the bars.

[Devon's POV]

    Her silhouette moved swiftly, and suddenly I heard a loud clink of metal. I tried to peer through the darkness, trying to see what had happened. Small round pieces of metal lay on the ground, attached by a small iron rod. Her shackles had slipped off her hands, and now she stood beside me, with a large grin.

   "She Mask?" I asked, confused as to what she was doing. She had her back to me, her arm protruding through the bars.

   "Give me a moment..." She huffed out. In the darkness, her frame was lined in slight silver tone. I watched has she reached farther bit by bit.

   Suddenly, she let out a sigh. She pulled back and smiled at me, her hand grasping something small. She moved it into my face, so I could get a better look at it. She held keys in her palm, and my eyes grew wide. I looked up at her, as she bent down towards me.

   "He left them here for us..." She said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

   I nodded. "How'd you know?"

   She let out a quick chuckle. "I saw him hang them on the bars." She stated, like it was normal.

   I stared at her. "You saw him? How?! It's pitch black!"

   She laughed again, a sound that seemed so musical. "I have excellent night vision..."

   "Of course." I mumbled under my breath. "What aren't you good at?"

   She laughed. "I can't dance."

   I stared at her. I was about to say something, when she cut me off. "I also have excellent hearing."