464: BLACK ROSE

Chapter 2

       She really shouldn't have asked, her head hurt as it hit something. 

Something?

How could her head possibly hit against something, the last thing the remembered was falling asleep on the porch but she was rocking, why was she rocking?
Her lids fluttered open and fell upon wooden bars.  She was caged?

    Something hit her, she then noticed the noise,  people were screaming and ranting endless profanities on her, 'monster' they kept on chanting, die she heard, the glares from the women were even worse. She was most certain that if she wasn't caged they would have done the work themselves.

She heard a curious boy ask "Mum, why does she look like that?"
The woman replied venom lacing her voice "Because she's the devil's brat"

    The cart carrying her stopped in front of a building, four soldiers flanked outside, an angsty looking man walked towards her with a scowl, his uniform different from those around her which meant that he was of higher authority.

"Is this the devil's brat that caused such a ruckus yesternight?" He spoke to no one in particular.

"Take her away she's a waste to look at"

She was dragged to the dungeons, she gulped when she saw the state of the prisoners. A gate was opened and she was flung violently inside, too weak to move she laid on the hay that covered the dungeon floors and shut her eyes. The dungeon erupted in noise, she didn't want to know what it was, the whole place could come crashing down on for all that mattered she could care less.

"Hey, hey" A voice whispered shaking her.
She shrugged it off.

"Child, child, get up you need to get up" The voice spoke again, why on earth was he bothering her.

"Get up and eat, you look weak. It's barely a meal but it's better hot" He paused "Get up child"

      Deciding to pay heed, she stirred, rubbing her eyes as they fell on a plate of rice balls with a lean broth that smelled suspicious.

"Thank you" She muttered courtesing not looking at the man, he nodded as he ate the balls furiously. She took a bite and guffawed it was horrible.

"It's horrible but it's better than nothing" she turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a young man, he looked rugged, he's skin dirty but not like that of the others. Just enough to show that he had been in here for a while.  His teeth white as he shot her a smile.  A week old stubble on his face?
Her stomach growled.

She picked up the ball and munched occasionally taking spoonfuls of the broth. He laughed but she didn't pay him any attention. Once she was done she crawled to her self and scanned his face this time, he was roughly her age if not younger why then did he call her child.

"You know it's rude to stare" She blinked, had she been so obvious? "I should be the one staring" He said startling her further.

"You caused quite a ruckus, it was fun I must say watching the soldiers squirm?"

Why was he still talking to her?

"You should have given them a tough time, you got caught far too easily" He stared at her with a blank expression.

"What's your name?"
She was taken aback, he didn't sound scared of her at all.

"Do you not speak?  That can't be you said thanks a while back.  Do you understand me?"

"You know where I come from its rude to ask someone's name without telling them yours" She spoke back.

"So you do understand me" he nodded "that seems fair, I am Young do"

What was he so happy about? She turned away from him.  He scooted closer to her.  Staring at her expectantly.

"I don't have a name" She lied

"Well that sucks" His mouth in a pout.

"You're not afraid of me?"

"Should I be?"

"Everyone seems to be"

"People tend to be afraid of what they don't understand" She wasn't looking at him,  he sat facing the gates.
"You're not scary you are different, yes I have a name for you. Jang mi"

"Jang mi" She repeated

"Yes, beautiful yet dangerous. Nice isn't it?"

"Jang mi" She said again allowing the name roll off her tongue.

"You are not from around here" He interrupted her thoughts.

"What gave it away?" A smile on her face.
Paying no heed to her sarcasm Young do pressed on.

"How did you end up so far from home? Not that where are you from and how do you understand Ang"

Ang?
Is that what their language was?
How could she possibly answer that without sounding completely out of her rockers.

"Silence seems to be your default answer" Staring at her face in thought Young do decided to lay off.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to"
Jang mi stared at him for a while before she spoke

"If I tell you I would sound crazy" He scoffed

"It can't possibly be crazier than mine" She arched her blows challenging him.

He swallowed as though contemplating whether to tell her or not.
"I am an illegitimate child of.. " He paused stared at her before glancing at the other prisoners even though they were the only ones able to hear what he was about to say next, even though they were the only ones in their cell.  "Of a well noble man, but he doesn't acknowledge me. My mom was apparently a servant girl from what I was told, she died while having me. I adopted my mother's maiden name instead of my father's. I live with my best friend's family, his parents raised me"
He didn't look sad which shocked her.

"I think I am dead" She said softly.
Unable to control his laughter, he burst out before stares forced him to chuckle lightly. Almost time tears.

"Oh wow that has to take the cake" 

"I'm serious, the last thing I remembered was being dead. It's either that or I am not of this world"

"You must have been hit on the head really bad" He joked. 

"Yes I was" She states matter of factly causing the young man to resume his round of chuckles.

"I hope.. You know you could have just said you didn't want to say" Jang mi huffed, turning around from him.