Saving the Princess

Hawkin's Prison

Attention: there may be some mildly disturbing talk about rape. It is not said directly but it could make some people uncomfortable. Please read at your own risk.
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Audrey's POV

Surprisingly, the big iron doors were fairly easy to open. They creaked and groaned with old age, as we stepped into the giant mansion. We were greeted with a long, narrow hallway with ANOTHER small door at the end of the path. The only light source we had were six old lightbulbs hanging by threads. They flickered.

"Well this is lovely!" I exclaimed sarcastically, eyeing the stained, concrete floor.

"It's a prison, what did you expect?" Retorted Rae.

I shot her a nasty look.

We made our way down the long path. Our shoes echoed on the concrete floor giving a slightly eerie vibe. The third light flickered and died. A steady dripping sound from a leaky pipe and the humming of the lights were the only sounds.

Scarlet arrived at the door first. The handle was a gaping skull. I cringed.

Here goes nothing.

Scarlet turned the creaky knob and pushed the door slowly open. It was a jail all right. We were presented with another long path, and on both of our sides were jail cells.

I gulped and continued to walk. The strangest thing was that there were no hostages.

"Where all of the inmates?" Carlin asked curiously, peering into one of the cells.

"Maybe they're all having lunch!" Indie suggested.

"Guys shush, I hear something," Scarlet whispered.

About three cells in front of us on the right side, there was a faint whimpering sound.

"Princess Lydia!" Rae hissed.

Quickly, we scrambled over and I put my hands on the bars.

"Princess Lydia!" I whispered, loud enough so she could hear. "Princess, are you in here?"

A shadow stirred in the depths of a cell. A small girl emerged hesitantly. She was incredibly thin to the point where I could almost see her ribs through the thick ball gown she was wearing. Her deep violet dress was shredded at the edges, and he crown placed atop her head was cracked in two places. The princess's pale face didn't even have a hint of rosiness and her deep brown eyes were dark, sunken circles. 

"Oh my gosh! Princess Lydia! Are you alright?" Scarlet gasped, tugging on the padlock. "We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

"No!" Lydia shot forward and grabbed the bars. "Don't you dare come near me! Leave now! Get the hell out!"

My shocked expression mirrored the others.

"Princess, we need to bring you back to the castle," Scarlet explained gently. "We were sent to come find you by your mother."

"Well tell her I said thanks but no thanks." Lydia retorted, sniffing snobbishly. "I'm not going back. Not ever."

She turned, and plopped down in the middle of the cell, her back facing us.

"Princess!" Scarlet pleaded.

There was no way we were going to just leave her there. Frankly, it annoyed the hell out of me that she was refusing to go with us. She should know how much trouble we went through to get to her.

A fleeting minute passed. The princess sniffed obnoxiously. "Are you gonna leave or what?"

"What's wrong with you?" I exploded. "We've gone through dark forests, defeating monsters, the near death of Scarlet, the harsh winds of the Snow Peak Mountains, and the terrors in the waters of the Crystal River!" I took in a breath. "We almost lost Indie as well. And now you're telling us you don't want to leave? Well, fuck you!"  I turned around, tears pricking my eyelids.

There was a moment's pause.

I heard shuffling coming from inside the cell and turned to see the Princess staring at me. Her expression changed to a sullen one as she grasped the bars.

"I'm...sorry," she whispered. "I know you guys risked your lives to save me but...I don't want to get punished."

"Who's punishing you?" Scarlet asked gently. She reached into the cell and placed her palm on the princess's cheek. "We won't let them hurt you again."

Lydia blinked hard, her eyes watering, and she bowed her head.

"I...I don't know his name. But when he comes in here he...he..." she shuddered. "I can't say it...I..."

Lydia could not control her emotions, and she sank to the floor sobbing.

"Oh no..." whispered Rae. She covered her mouth with her hand.

The silence was deafening.

My heart hammered in my chest.

Lydia didn't say it directly, but we all knew what she went through. I wanted to throw up just thinking about it. Dizziness erupted in my head, and I leaned against the cell bars to steady myself.

Scarlet swallowed.

Suddenly, a banging sound came from the door we just came from. The knob rattled.

"It's him!" Gasped Lydia, backing away from the bars. "You girls must hide! Go! Quickly!"

"Where?" Carlin cried frantically. She whipped around.

"Damn this blasted door..." someone muttered on the other side. The voice was muffled, but we heard every word.  "God damn this stupid ding dong wackadoodle..."

Scarlet tugged my arm. "In here," she whispered.

We slipped single file into the cell next to the princess, and sank into the shadows.

"Ew! There's a moldy sandwich in here!" Whined Rae.

"Shut up!" I snapped, giving her a shove. "Do you want to get us killed?"

We waited in silence until the door slammed open.

The sound of rattling keys and heavy footsteps combined with the smell of something sour filled my nostrils. The man stopped in the cell next to us and promptly slammed his fist on the bars.

Scarlet crawled over silently, and was about to look through the bars when the man spoke.

"How's my little slut doing?" He asked gruffly.

Carlin's head shot up from it's place between her knees. Rae let out a small gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Scarlet began to hyperventilate.

No. It can't be.

"Get up you lazy ass whore!"

The voice was all too familiar. I didn't think I'd ever hear it again. And I started to shake. Because I never thought this would happen. I knew there was something suspicious about the man but I didn't think much of it. I couldn't contain the quiet sobs that began wracking through my body. Because only a few feet away from me stood a man that I never thought I would have to face again.

Cody.
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Are you guys surprised? Or were you expecting it? So many questions! How did Cody get there and why is he holding the princess hostage?? Next chapter will reveal it all. Stay tuned, loves <3