The Five

5. The Boy in the Basement

Freya let out a bloodcurdling scream, backing away from the wall as swiftly as she could. Her legs wouldn't carry her very far. She fell backward, landing hard on her butt, her eyes never leaving the spot where she'd heard the voice. Her blood pounded in her ears. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

"Freya, what is it?" Addey's frantic voice cut through the air. "Are you alright?"

Freya glanced back. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. I-I just fell. There's someone down here, Addey. I can't see him, but I can hear him. H-He scared the crap out of me just now." With a shaky arm, she lifted her wand.

The wall was still there, as it had been when they came upon it. The only difference now was the chains were moving violently. Addey shrieked behind her, which set her teeth on edge. The girl could scream like a banshee. Someone was there they couldn't see. The most important question was: friend or foe? Freya slowly got to her feet and moved toward the wall again. If there was someone here who needed her help, she couldn't abandon him. It would help if she could see his face. She might know him. One of the spells Takuma taught her would come in handy right about now.

"Freya, where are you going?" Addey asked. She still hadn't moved from her spot on the bottom step. She was too petrified to move.

"I'm going to help him," Freya said bravely. "Stay there and keep watch for me, okay?"

Addey didn't argue. As long as she didn't have to move from her spot, she was happy. "I will." She silently thanked her friend for understanding.

"Who are you?" Freya asked. "Tell me how to help you."

Silence.

Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration. She recalled the last few lessons Takuma had given her. Besides a revealing spell, there was also a breaking spell he made her master. Both of them she could use.

"Just be still," she told him. "Don't hurt your wrists. I'm going to get you out of here if I can."

The response was a breathless whisper, but it was full of gratitude. "Thank you."

The chains on the wall stopped moving, and Freya got the feeling he had collapsed with relief. She cleared her throat and her mind. The revealing spell would have to be cast first. She wanted to see this man before freeing him.

"Manufesto."

Slowly, a pair of battered and bruised bare feet appeared. The mystery man's legs were revealed next. The pants he was wearing were ripped and torn. The revealing spell slowly climbed up the rest of his body. His chest was bare and bruised like his feet. It was covered in slashes, too. Some of them were bleeding. Whether he opened them up thrashing around in the chains, or if someone had done this to him not long ago, she did not know. She gasped as his face came into view, flabbergasted. He wasn't a man at all. He was a teenager about her and Addey's age by the looks of him. He had a darker complexion, and his hair was thick and dark. His eyes were closed tightly like he was prepared for her to strike him. It hurt her heart to see someone like this.

"Well, spank me cross-eyed," Addey said loudly. "There is someone there."

Freya pressed her lips together hard, trying not to laugh. It had been a while since she'd heard one of Addey's off-the-wall phrases. When she was sure she wouldn't burst out in a fit of laughter, she asked, "Did you think I was hallucinating?"

"I was starting to wonder," Addey admitted. "What now?"

Freya stared at the boy. He had broad shoulders, and he was well built. How in the world were they supposed to get him out of there? He didn't look well enough to offer them any assistance, and she wasn't even certain she could get Addey to come any closer. She inched closer to him. "I'm going to break your chains, okay?"