The Bridge To Nihon (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 31 - Orì

The word prisoner went through Sofia's mind. She tried to dismiss it, but the hard, inescapable grasp of the statue's vise around her arm told another story. Sofia tried to pull away but this only resulted in her being held even tighter.

She was more pulled than walking on her own, and the statue's pace quickly made her feel out of breath. It was striding along evenly, rapidly, with a clear destination ahead, not like its almost leisurely pace from when Sofia had accompanied it to the library.

Thoughts were whirling in her mind, adding to her feeling of confusion and breathlessness. She had been deceived, the headmistress had said. She was being taken to the Lady of Shazar. She didn't know who that was, but the name sounded vaguely familiar. And her daughter. But it couldn't be. It couldn't.

You have been deceived.

But why? It didn't make any sense. And it couldn't be.

Could it?

She was led downstairs, one spiraling staircase after the other until she was dizzy with the realization of how deep underground they were.

Once more, Sofia tried to extricate herself from the statue's grip. Once more, she failed.

"Let me go," she whispered, all the air going out of her lungs as she beheld the caged doors in front of her.

If she still hoped that the word prisoner might be inaccurate, this was a prison, undoubtedly.

Two rows of barred cells. And behind the bars, in spaces adorned with the barest of necessities, there were children.

They looked at Sofia with more or less interest. A few came to stand at the bars, even gripping them with their hands or reaching out to her. Others remained sitting or lying in their cell, barely taking notice. The atmosphere was subdued, but there was no fear, only patience and surrender.

Suddenly, there was a quick motion in one of the cells, a rush that even caused the statue to stop and look.

"Sofia!"

A boy's voice. A familiar voice.

And then,

"Sofia, is that you?"

Another boy's voice, sounding identical.

Sofia turned.

Pip and Tin were in one of the cells.

The boys pressed against the bars as if trying to slip through them, but their bodies were plump as ever. They looked slightly comical in their endeavour. Their eyes were wide with surprise.

"What are you doing here, Sofia?" Tin asked.

"Did she get you too?" Pip added.

"Who?" Sofia asked dumbly. "How long have you been here? How did you get here?"

"We were only playing," Pip said. "She changed the rules. And then we -."

The statue yanked Sofia forward again with doubled force.

Sofia screamed out in pain and anger as she was pulled away from the boys. She craned her neck. They kept standing there, their faces pale and pink, just like they had used to look, but with a new wariness in their eyes, as if they were not children anymore. They were not innocent and foolish anymore, but something else.

"Sofia!" they called after her.

Sofia stumbled after the statue.

"What are they doing here?" she shouted. She didn't expect an answer from the statue, but she couldn't be silent anymore. "Where are you taking me? Who are you? What are you? Let me go! Let me go!"