the next dark age: book two insanity

chapter 2 imprisonment

Angel finally recognized the smell. The smell was there when she woke up, and had gotten stronger throughout the day. Due to a lack of windows or light, Angel could not see what was producing the smell. What Angel could see very vividly was the memory of a dead squirrel she found at the edge of her town when she was young. After a few hours, she finally realized that the squirrel had the same smell as her jail cell.

Unfortunately, there was only one other life form when she had entered the cell roughly three days ago, some poor older gentleman who looked malnourished and dehydrated when she entered. She imagined that three days without food or water could kill someone.

The guards hadn't checked up on them yet, but Angel was hoping that the guards would smell the dead body and escort it out of the cell. Maybe Angel could finally see another human being. Maybe she could see anything.

Or maybe they would not come at all. Maybe they would never come. The people who had imprisoned Angel clearly did not care about keeping anyone alive. If they did, then they wouldn't have let this man die. That also led to the question of why her captors did not just kill them alright if they wanted people dead.

A noise was heard outside her door! Angel told herself that perhaps it would be her savior, someone could finally free her from this hell she had been experiencing these past few days.

The door flew open, and in the doorway was another emaciated but also angry female breathing heavily. The female ran over and grabbed Angel by the collar, pulling Angel close to her face and almost growled "where is Dawn?"

Angel held up her hands and used all remaining energy to make a whimpering noise. She had no idea what was meant by the question, so she certainly could not answer it.

The woman dropped Angel and muttered, "of course, why would you know. Why would anyone know anything?" she kicked the body that Angel presumed was making the smell.

Angel was grateful she hadn't been fed anything, as that meant that she couldn't throw up upon seeing the body. It had started to show bits of muscle and organs beneath the skin, which were being eaten by flies and a rat that somehow had managed to crawl its way into the cell.

The angry woman looked back at Angel and rolled her eyes, before ripping the chains that held Angel out from the wall.

From behind the woman came a very intimidating man with some tattoo on his arm who Angel recognized at the guard who had imprisoned her. Right as the guard was about to attack the woman, the woman grabbed his arm and shoved him against the wall, before bashing his face in with a punch.

"Could you not have warned me a guard was coming?" the woman yelled as she turned her head around.

"Sorry, Stephanie." said a sweet sounding male voice from outside "I didn't realize anyone was coming. Did you find anyone?"

"Yeah, I found two bodies. One is alive, the other is dead."

"Okay, all I'm finding are dead ones." a man that Angel assumed was the source of the sweet voice entered the room, "oh hello, I don't seem to recognize you."

"Good grief you talk like my friend Sapphire." Stephanie remarked

"Well I am her brother so that does make sense." The brother handed Angel a canteen "here drink some of this. I have some food in my car if you want some."

"No," replied Stephanie, "she just wants to starve some more. Of course she wants some food."

"Hey man, maybe she's like an author and wants to not eat. I don't know. Who am I to judge."

"Ugg whatever, I'm leaving you guys. I have to get back to Sapphire."

"Hey what do you know, that is conveniently where I am going too. We should travel together."