Lonely

Chapter 8, Sadie

I woke up suddenly, and forgot where I was. For a moment I thought I was still sleeping, but then I remembered it was just really dark. I sat up, and felt around me. I was still against the wall, slightly damp stones under me. My leg hurt where it had been resting on an especially large rock. For a moment, I was afraid the boy, Hanger, wasn’t there. I still wasn’t totally convinced that there really was a boy named Hanger in the castle. Not to mention the fact that he kept talking about monsters killing us, and him getting attacked. I assumed he may be slightly crazy. For all I knew, it was Josh or Brandon, pulling a trick on me. He was the only one, I was sure, who could lead me out, though. The only thing that kept me from completely believing he wasn’t Josh or Brandon was the fact that I believed everything he said. He was defiantly not lying. I knew that without a doubt. I half expected him to kill me in my sleep, though. He seemed to be able to see fine in the dark. Maybe what he said was true…

“Hanger?” I called softly. There was a stir in the darkness. “What? I got food.” I heard him say. He wasn’t far, just across the room. Suddenly, I felt something drop into my lap, and I jumped. “What just fell into my lap?” I asked slowly. I guessed he could probably see it. “Beef jerky, I believe it’s called. I like it.” He said. I picked it up and gnawed on it. I was so hungry, that I swallowed it practically whole. “What’s your name?” came Hangers soft voice. I paused before answering. I decided I might as well trust him. I couldn’t help but trust him, really. “Sadie. You said you can help me get out?” I said. I heard him move softly in the dark. “Yes, but it will be dangerous. I can’t go very far. How did you get in here, anyways?” he asked me in his soft voice.

I told him the entire story. Not once did he interrupt. I shivered again. It was so cold up here. “Are we up somewhere high?” I asked him suddenly. I couldn’t quite remember if we really had gone up stairs. “Yeah. It’s my steeple. I sleep up here, often. It is safer than down there.” He said. Suddenly, I really did believe that there were mythical monsters in his castle. Don’t ask me why, or how, but something inside of me knew it was true. Maybe it was the eyes that I felt watching me when I was wandering around, or maybe it was how truthful he was. “So, how come you haven’t left yet? You can see in the dark, so you must’ve been here for months.” I said. “Eleven years, to be precise. I don’t leave because I am cursed and if I try I get attacked. It’s happened twice, as I sad earlier.” He said. I vaguely remembered him saying it. Then the first thing he said hit me. “Eleven years? No way.” I said, incredulous.

“Well, give. I have been here since I was six. But I don’t know what day it is what year or anything like that.” He said slowly. I gasped. “You don’t even know what day it is?” I said. It was so sad. I shook it off. “Well, if it makes you feel any better. It’s Sunday, October sixteenth, 2011.” I said. He didn’t answer. I wondered what it must feel like, knowing the date for the first time in eleven years. I stood up, touching the wall the whole time. “Well ,I want out, so let’s go.” I said. I heard a slight scuffling noise, telling me that Hanger was up. “Okay. We need food and water, first. It may take a few days.” He said. I didn’t move. “Are you coming?” he asked. I didn’t know what to do. He must have understood, because h came over and took my hand. I felt a jolt of electricity run up my arm. How odd, I thought. No static here. His hand was calloused, and I could feel the muscles and tendons underneath. It made me feel safe, and I wasn’t afraid any more. I relaxed, and looked around. The darkness didn’t seem so dark any more. He led me down the stairs and paused at the bottom.

“What?” I demanded. “Nothing .Just a routine check. The main door isn’t far.” He said. “And if you get to close, you’ll get mauled, correct?” I said. I sensed more than saw him nod. “Yeah. If there were light, you would see the scars.” He said. I suddenly felt an over whelming urge to see him, to see what he looked like and see the scars.  We continued walking for a little ways, and I slid my hand up so I was holding his arm, as Sierra had been doing to Josh.  I felt us enter a door and a big open space around me.  “Where are we?” I asked. I swung a hand out and felt it thunk heavily against something smooth and wooden. “Is that a table?” I asked, running my hand along it as we walked. “Yeah. We’re in the dining room. There’s a long table in a corridor. There’s tons of chairs around it, and at the end is the pantry.” I nodded. It sounded very much like a castle would in your mind, when you thought of a king. I could almost picture the room, alight with candles, people dressed in robes and dripping with gold jewelry, a king with a massive bejeweled crown atop his head.

“Do you eat in here?” I asked him. He didn’t answer right away. Finally, after a few moments, he answered. “No. I rarely come in here except for the pantry and the kitchen at the other end.” He said slowly. I got the feeling I shouldn’t broach the subject. He led me through a small door and the smell of several different foods filled my nose. I wanted so badly to be able to see. I heard some rusting as he grabbed something’s and then took my hand again and led me back into the dining hall. “What do you look like?” I asked him, just for something to think about, although I was curious. “I dunno. I’ve never seen.” He said dully. “You don’t have any mirrors?” I gasped. “Wait, so what do I look like right now?” I asked, watching the bursts of bright light in front of my eyes I had grown use to. Hanger chuckled, then stopped abruptly, as if surprised by his own laugh.

“Well, your hair is sticking in all directions. You have a bruise on your face, and your pretty dirty.” He said. He sounded amused. I felt my bottom lip push out. I felt my way up his arm and shoulder, do his head, and ruffled his hair. “What are you doing?” he asked. I felt him almost shrink away from me, and it made me feel funny. Almost like hurt. I didn’t want him to know that. “Your hair isn’t gross and long.” I pointed out. “No, I suppose not. I don’t like it when it gets too long. It bothers me.” He said simply. His hair was slightly scruffy, but not even touching his shoulders or anything. We walked in silence for a while, Hanger leading me through out the castle to where ever we were going next. I thought of going back out side, and couldn’t wait. I missed the light. I wondered how Hanger had gone so long. I guess if he had never seen light, the feeling of affection towards it would be lessened. All the same, I thought that maybe if I could escape, Hanger could come with me…