A PRISONER

When I regained consciousness, I was already sitting in a moving carriage. A man sat opposite me, his head lowered, apparently having dozed off. The curtains were shut, but I heard multiple horses galloping alongside the carriage.

Someone had wrapped a fur cloak over the one I was wearing. My hands and feet were still bound, but they had removed the scarf wrapped around my mouth. Panicking, I attempted to open the door even when my wrists were bound and the carriage was moving.

But the noise I made woke up the man. He grabbed me and forced me to sit back down. I didn't give up struggling, kicking, and biting — I even tried to slam my head against him — but he quickly restrained me until all I could do was scream at the top of my lungs, hoping the carriage would stop.

It did.