It was cold.
That was the first thought that entered the girl's mind the moment she woke up. She shivered as she got up from the icy floor which she slept on, surrounded by thick walls of ice on three sides and bars that reached the ceiling on one. On the wall behind her, three holes were punctured at the top and bottom, acting as ventilation. They were so small that she could only wiggle her little finger to the other side.
Alasie has been a prisoner in this cell for months, although for what reason she didn't know. She was just a 12 year old girl with long red hair and brown eyes, wearing a blue dress that reached her knees and elbows. However, she wasn't the only prisoner in this dungeon. There were six other children, all around her age, in cells just like hers. And just like her, they were extremely cold, tired, frightened, and didn't know why they were here.
The children hardly ever spoke to each other. In fact, they hardly ever spoke at all. They didn't dare to do anything that would be regarded as troublesome to the guards, as that would result in harsh punishment.
The guards were almost always bored and restless. If a child even so much as sneezed, they would use it as an opportunity to relieve their boredom and punish all the children, usually with a whipping.
Despite that, the children feared something even more than disturbing the guards. A pale, withered old man, who visited the dungeons twice a week. Alasie in particular, as well as two others, feared him more than anyone else. He would always torture the children, through unknown means, for ten minutes, trying to get some kind of reaction from them other than their screams. It was worse than what the guards did. But he tortured three of them, including Alasie, even more than the others, going on for twelve minutes.
Today was his second weekly visit. Alasie was rocking herself, trying so hard to be prepared for her incoming torture, but always started remembering the pain and agony that would course through her body whenever the old man simply held out his hand towards her. She remembered his evil smile, his cruel eyes and his maniacal laughter as the children suffered under his mysterious powers.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs that led straight into the dungeon. She knew it was him right before he appeared to them at the bottom of the stairs, which was also the entrance to the dungeon. He wore long black robes with gold and silver lining, had a small gold necklace around his neck, set with various jewels and two silver rings on his withered hands.
His face was extremely pale and wrinkled, with a bald, flat head, a hooked nose, and beady black eyes that gleamed with cruelty. His mouth was foul inside, as seen whenever he laughed. He looked around the dungeon, his face filled with sadistic glee. Alasie began trembling violently, almost on the verge of tears as she waited for the torture to begin.
"My dear children" said the man, who spoke with a slow, yet sinister, gravelly voice, "It appears that today is the last day of our quality bonding. A real shame, but do not fret! I am sure to come up with something that will be almost as good."
The children felt confused. What did he mean by that? Upon realising their confusion, he chuckled, saying, "I'm afraid I have some business to attend to, so today is the last day I will be able to see you for a while. Still, I will make it a day to remember!"
Everyone's heart went up upon hearing that! Alasie felt enormous relief. She would just deal with today's torture, and then it would be over! She wouldn't need to worry about what type of 'Quality Bonding' the old man was going to come up with until later on.
Her relief melted away as the old man raised his hand. When it was level with his chest, the torment began. Great pain and agony coursed throughout Alasie's body, along with everyone else. She gritted her teeth and tried to endure it, not wanting to give in and satisfy the old man's pleasure. If this was the last day he would torture them, then at least she would resist and give him a disappointing torture. Fortunately, all the other children had the same idea, and were resisting just as much as she was.
It was after five minutes that the old man suddenly shouted, "I was lying before! Today isn't the last time we do this! In fact, I'm going to be visiting THRICE A WEEK from now on!! And tomorrow will be our last day of the week to bond!!". With that last word, he threw his head back and laughed, his trap having been sprung.
His cruel words broke down any and all hope that the children had. Alasie felt her hope wash away like the ocean tide, only to be replaced by overwhelming despair. Tears began to form in her eyes as she and the other children broke down and succumbed to the pain. Their screams filled the dungeon, and could be heard all the way up the stairs and beyond.
Finally, it was over. The children were lying down on the cold, hard, icy floor, recovering from their torment and trying to catch their breath. Alasie felt the tears streaming down her face, but felt too disheartened to stop them or wipe them away. She felt broken, hurt, and lost all hope of escaping this nightmare.
The old man smiled with all his disgusting teeth, satisfied at his work. "Well, I'll be off. Until tomorrow, my dear children." he said, before going back up the stairs, leaving behind the devastated children to drown in their sorrows.
Alasie was cold. She was in pain. She was filled with despair. And she was still full of questions.
Why am I here? What did I do? Where did I come from? Who am I? Why can't I remember?
The last thing she could remember was being tortured by the old man, in a different room, before she was placed here. She could remember nothing from before that moment. All she knew was that the old man's torture had something to do with her memory loss. But everything else was a blank.
It was cold. The red haired girl shivered as she closed her eyes, desperate for freedom and answers, but unable to grasp them. Her last thought before she passed out was a cry for help, asking to be set free.