Chapter 39: Prisoner

Fresco found the switch, but turning it on did little to illuminate the basement. A single bare bulb dangled at the bottom of the stairs. It smelled like dirt and mold, old decay and death. He forced his feet to move one step at a time, socks sliding on the old wooden boards. It wasn't the basement itself causing his reluctance. It was the occupant.

Fresco found Daniel in the far corner where the cinder blocks gave way to blackened earth. His brother curled up into a ball on his side, hands fastened behind his back with duct tape. His feet were also secured, but his twitching legs fought for freedom. He had already worn a track in the dirt with the heels of his crumbling sneakers. Fresco paused, forcing himself to watch as Daniel lashed out his legs, moaning, only to pull them to his chest again. His scarred and sunken face was hidden from the faint light, but when he opened his eyes they glowed the blue of Wasteland with a spark all their own.