FALLOCH

Excerpt:

THERE WAS A blinding darkness. Sounds were coming from above and some of it sounded like talking. It wasn't English, whatever it was. Coughing, I slowly sat up. I could feel rough material chafing against my skin. I looked down to see what I was wearing but was rendered sightless to it. Someone had changed me in my sleep. My eyes widened as I started panting frantically. The real terror set in when I realized my wrists were knotted together.
I shifted myself around and awkwardly stood up. My feet drag a few inches before I hit my head. "Owe!" Using my clasped hands, I felt for what I had marched into. It didn't take me but a second to gather what it was. Panic starting to overcome me, I opened my mouth to scream, then I heard someone else cough.
I knew that cough.
"Francis?" I whispered inaudibly. "Francis? Is that you?" I asked louder.
Another cough followed. "Yeah, it's me."
I touched the bars again. "Where are you?"
I heard scrabbling and a few curse words from my left ear. "What the hell is going on? I'm tied up."
Trembling, I hunted the black for his face. "Me too. I think I'm in a cage. What happened? How did we get here?" Footsteps as light as a feather were coming our way, and I caught it. I blurted, "What was that?"
"I don't know," admitted Francis.
"I heard footsteps." My words were almost inaudible. There was also breathing. It was getting louder and sounded thick, but it wasn't coming from where I would expect it. It was coming from the floor.
Francis yelled out, "Who's out there? What do you want with us? Show us your face, you coward."
"Delighted to." A jolt ran down my spine at the unfamiliar voice. A match struck and the fresh light gave the creature a face. A gasp escaped me before the light flickered out. Catching my breath, I screamed as loud as I could.