Chapter 4- Prey

I'm shaking. I don't know how long my senses have been surrounded by nothing but bitter earthly smells and damp freezing air. How long it's been since I've been left to die. I always knew I'd die this way. In a small, dark room.

I've been sobbing so long I think I'm dehyderated. Maybe I'll die faster now. My head is swimming and I'm dizzy, and my mother is standing infront of me.

"You stupid bitch. Hard to believe your even my daughter. Your dad and I are ashamed to have a weak little girl like you. You don't even deserve to hold our last name." Her voice is ragged and torn from years of chain-smoking, and the hatred she perpetually aims at me is evident as ever. But she's supposed to be dead. She died when I was 16. I went to her funeral. How did she get in here anyway? My thoughts are imprisoned in a looming haze.

Every drop of blood within me is becoming slow, creeping through my frosty arteries with a delay. The ends of my fingers run over the tip of my nose, and I think ice sickles may have formed there. If I could feel my fingers, I suppose I would know.

Did they forget me here? Will they ever come back to get me? No, probably not.

There's light in the room. I feel my hands fling at the person trying to attack me. "No," I hear my own voice, small and weak in my ears. I'm falling. The cold concrete that was just beneath me is replaced with thin air. I'm moving through the air and I'm weightless. But I'm safe because I know this voice, its familiar and it sounds like home.

I'm somewhere in a cloud. Its so soft and warm here. There are red numbers on a black screen in front of me, keeping me from slipping into the arms of sleep. 3:40 AM.

I stare the numbers down, demanding they tell me what they mean. I don't get an answer before I'm interrupted by sleep.

===***===

I wake to a large, empty room. I'm in a bed of black sheets, black blankets, and black pillows. Three of the walls surrounding me are black, the forth left grey for accent. The carpet is grey, the bedside tables are black, everything is dark. There's a glass desk in the corner farthest from me, and there's a glittering glass chandelier above me.

I scan the room for it's inhabitant. When I see none, I shimmy my way out of the comfortable, dark bed, and then move to one of the three doors. I open the first one to find a dark, tile bathroom. Not an exit. The next one reveals a walk in closet, filled with masculine clothing. I try not to freak out, try not to wonder what man carried me off in the night. Right now I have to get out of here, have to find a way home.

I find the hallway outside the third door, and seek out any potential guards. Clear. I inch silently along the wall, monitoring closely the sound of voices and eatery growing louder with each step. The smell of food hits me like a wall, and I'm abruptly consumed by hunger raging through me. I fight to ignore it. It's a feeling I'm well acquainted with.

I approach a large, arched doorway. The chatter is definitely coming from here. I don't know how to get past this door without being seen, and there's no other way to go. I can pick out Rixon's voice above the others. "So boss, what did you do with the psycho bitch?" he barks out a laugh.

Lusso laughs too, and it make my chest feel tight, "Locked her crazy ass in the chambers. Planning to leave her in there to rot for a few days." His words confuse me. Does he not know that I'm out? Who got me out if not under his order? It could have been Cidney, but why would she help me, or even know how to find me? So many questions attack my brain, before a booming, dominating voice centers my thoughts back to the room.

"I think it's time I meet the new girl," an ominous voice announces, and I can no longer refuse myself the impulse to glance around the corner.

The room is a long dinning room. A elongated dinning table that looks like it belongs to an ancient castle sits in the middle of the room. Tall-backed chairs sit all around it, and many people surround the breakfast food. Pancakes and waffles stacked high, mounds of scrambled eggs, thick syrup... I'm so hungry.

I spot Cidney next to Rixon, cutting pancakes on her plate. She looks severely bored. She looks up and my eyes must be the size of saucers because I think they're to big for my face. And she sees me. Her mouth opens, and I think for a second she's going to rat me out, she's going to tell and then I'll have no escape and I'm going to be thrown in that dark place all over again and I'm panicking again.

"If you guys could just excuse me one sec," she turns and smiles at Rixon, then casually makes her way out to me. "What are you doing?" she whisper yells after pulling me around the corner, "How in the world did you get out of the chambers?" Her eyes dart frantically over my face, and I don't have an answer to offer her.

"I- I don't know. I woke up in a dark room and I didn't know where I was so I came out her but-" I start to breath to fast and I'm going to hyperventilate if I don't control my lungs.

"What room did you come from?" a bit of curiosity tugs at her words.

"Um, that one," I point for emphasis, "at the end of the hall."

"Well I'll be darn. Okay then, we have to hurry. Mr. King is on his way to see you right now, and your supposed to be in the chambers. We have to take keys from Rixon's room, not be seen, and beat Mr. King to the chambers," her voice is rushed, almost to fast to be audible. I nod once.

We rush back down the hallway in the same way I came from- thankfully not having to pass the opening to the dinning area- and run into a door I hadn't noticed. It opens to a musty storage room, odd boxes and papers scattered about, and I think that's a spider web in the corner.

"Wait here," Cidney says, and then hops up onto several boxes and climbs into the ceiling. her blonde braid falls over her shoulder as she sets the panel back in place, and its like she was never here at all. I stand stunned, in the sketchy room all alone, with a constant stream of "What the fuck" on repeat in my mind.

In just a few minutes she drops back down, this time with a key in hand. My face undoubtedly displays my total shock. "Come on, we can have story time later." Cidney chirps, and with that, we're running again.

We stop in front of the door I unfortunately recognize.

"What you're about to have to face is going to suck, I won't lie to you," Cidney hastily lectures.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Listen sweetie, your about to meet Lusso's dad. He's like Lusso, but on crack. Try not to tick him off, and you'll probably be fine," she nods eagerly.

"Is this your attempt at a pep talk?" My mind it's able to process what she's saying right now.

"Kinda," she unlocks the door, "now in ya go."

I step once again into the dark cell, and I don't have to wait long before it creeks back open. I hope he didn't see Cidney in her retreat.

"Ah. Hello little girl. I'm just here to have a nice... talk... with you." A menacing voice seeks me out through the darkness, and I know that in this kingdom, I'm the prey.