The Dark Side

Chapter 19 - Strangler's Lair

I wake up in a room that seems to be made of rock. A cave? The room is lit up by flaming torches against the walls. I seem to be kneeling on the ground since I woke up, and in front of me a few metres is a door. It's made out of wood, so it should be easy to break down. I move to get up so I can get out of here, but it seems I've been tied up with rope by the wrists.

I quickly begin pulling on the rope and trying to break it, but the rope is too thick.

It isn't long before I notice the screams of other people in other rooms and places of the caves, and the blood splattered on the ground beneath me and the wall I lean against.

Suddenly, I hear the door open with such suddenness that it almost scares me. I look up to meet the eyes of a man. He wears a bandana over his mouth and nose. He holds a dagger. My dagger. He looks down upon me and tilts his head a bit to keep eye contact with me. "What do you want from me?" I ask, staying as calm as possible.

"I'm the one asking questions here." He says, his voice is deep, "And, you're the one answering the questions." He finishes, kneeling down to my eye level.

"I'm not answering any of your questions." I spit.

"Well, so be it." He takes the dagger to my right side and slices my skin once. I can feel it's pretty deep as I scream in pain. "Where were you headed with Drew?" He asks.

"How the hell do you know his name?" I yell at him.

"Oh, we questioned him too." He almost seems to hold back menacing laughs.

"What did you do to him?" I glare at him.

"Where were you two headed?" He ignores my question.

Once I don't speak after a few seconds, he brings the dagger back to my right side and slices again, going across the last one. I scream in agony and plead for him to stop as he cuts my side over and over.

"Answer my question! Where were you going?" He shouts at me, once he stops.

I look up at him for a second before muttering, "Fuck. You."

He slices my side again and again as I scream. Tears threatening to spill, but I hold it back. I'm not letting him win. "Hm. We're running out of space here. Guess we're gonna have to do the other side." He says darkly, before laughing like a maniac.

He's cut off by someone calling for him. He sighs and shoves the dagger in his leather jacket pocket in one quick movement. "Too bad. I'll be back though. Don't you worry your pretty little head." He says, before leaving the room.

A tear hits the ground from my cheek as I hang my head forward, having given up. At least until he comes back. I'm not telling him anything. He'll have to kill me first. My tears continue to fall one after the other, but I make no sound. I can hear my blood dripping on the floor I kneel on and there's already a small puddle beneath me on my right side.

I hear the door open up again, with a rusty screech from the rusted hinges. Already? I hear footsteps approach me, and the sound of a dagger being pulled from a sheath. Well, here we go again.

But, instead of a dagger to the side, I hear the snap of rope. Immediately, I look up and see Drew cutting the rope that holds me, "Drew? How-" I begin, but he quickly cuts me off.

"Long story." He whispers as he cuts the last rope. He kneels down in front of me, "You okay?" He asks in a quiet whisper.

"No." I mumble, looking down at my hands and rubbing my wrist from where the rope held me.

"Can you walk?" He asks quietly.

I nod and he helps me stand up. "We have to be as quiet as possible." He whispers to me, as he pushes the door open. It squeaks loudly and he quickly pulls me through with him. I wince as I limp on my right leg. Every time I step with my leg a searing pain burns from my right side where I was cut. I hold a hand on my injured side as I follow Drew.