A Familiar Stranger (1)

Before Nadia even opened her eyes, she felt it—the cold, damp stone beneath her, the musty air thick with the scent of blood. The low sobbing sounds that bounce off the walls as if they are in a cavern.

Her eyes fluttered open as she pushed herself up, groaning from the cold seeping into her bones. She was still wearing the dress from last night, yet it didn't shield her from getting the chills. She pressed a hand to her throbbing head, blinking against the dim, flickering light cast by scattered yellow lamps. It barely helped her see, but the rusting iron bars before her were unmistakable.

A cell.