The Hope Collection

Imprisoned(unedited)

            "Throw her in a cell for a couple days. No food or water. She will suffer for sneaking into my territory when she knew she wasn't wanted here," King Johnathon growled at me.

            His bright blue eyes had turned a harsh and cold blue. His icy glare cut through me like a spear as the five guards who had chased me down led me off to the dungeons. The general and the king walked back to the meeting room while the high wizard followed the guards to make sure I didn't escape. The wizard was a better guard than the five guards working together. If it wasn't for him I never would have been caught.

            "You never should have come here. The king is a harsh and cruel person towards enemies such as yourself," the wizard's voice cut above the guards' iron shoes stomping on the ground.

            The wizard looked back at me over his shoulder. This was the first time I got a good look at him. He wasn't like the other 'Merlins' in books i had read. He was young, just out of basic schooling, just like me. He didn't have a grey beard or a drooping face. In fact, he was well shaven like any scholar was and his face was very well shaped. His eyes were a soft cocoa brown and his hair was beach blonde and as straight and shiny as it could be. His face was as pale and when he smiled at her sadly he had dimples.

            "I was only following orders from my own king," I squeeked trying to hold back tears and images of what was to become of me.

            "I understand, but my king doesn't like intruders just as much as your king does. After three days of no nutrition you will be brought before the king again. He will interrogate you for information about your king's plans," the wizard's voice became quieter as our small parade reached the thick wooden dungeon door.

            The wizard moved to the side so that one of the guards could open the door. As the door creeped open it produced a sound much like a dying animal squeeling for help. I'm marched down the slick, bumpy stone stairs. I don't even want to think about what's making the stairs so slick. We passed many prisoners along the way to my cell. They all had the same terrified and insane look in their eyes and many of the men had long beards that showed how long they had been stuck down here and left to rot.

            The cell I was placed in was walled in by bricks of stones and sealed by magic so the prisoner couldn't use their powers to escape. I could feel the strong magic tugging at my powers in an attempt to steal them away from me. The only light that shined in the small, cold cell was from an iron-barred over window near the ceiling on the far wall. The sound of the iron-barred door slamming shut made me turn to look at the guards and the wizard who had toured me to my death.

            "By the way, I forgot to tell you my name. My name's Rylin," the wizard said as he turned and walked out of the dungeon, his green wizard's cloak flowed behind him.

            For three days I paced the cold, dark stone cell. I tryed to plan an escape in my head, but how was I supposed to jump up and squeeze out of the barred window. I never would have been able to shift into a mouse and scurry out of the cell because of the magic power-stopping barrier. I was starving by the third day and just layed on the dirty straw bed in the corner of the cell staring up at the grey stone ceiling.

            The sun was in the middle of the sky when Rylin came to take me to my interrogation with the king of cruelty. Yes, I had lots of thinking time while I was locked in my clausterphobic cell for three days. The cell's barred door opened with a gut-wrenching screech and I didn't move. I simply stared at the ceiling stubbornly. I heard Rylin sigh and footsteps walking over to my small starving body.