I Was Free Once

Chapter 1

Concrete walls and chains were all I could feel. The room was pitch black to prevent me from seeing their next move. But sight wasn’t needed there. I could smell them lurking about, pacing the floor, pausing before attacking me.

“Is that all you’ve got?” I spat at them, unfurling my wings. I felt one moving towards me and blocked him with my foot. I heard him drop to the floor, claws running along the wall as he fell. I laughed at his failure. “You two are pathetic. I don’t even have my hands free and you can’t lay a finger on me.”

“I wouldn’t be so arrogant if I were you,” I heard a voice, different than the others, say from right beside me. “It may be your greatest mistake.”

I felt the demon’s claw make a cut along my spine, between my wings. I turned to force him into the wall with my body, but he had already vanished from the spot. I couldn’t sense his presence, unlike the other two. The chains holding my arms broke from the wall and I managed to catch myself before falling face first into the ground.

I heard the same voice as before speak. “You think you’re so strong. You think you can destroy anything that stands in your way. You think you can get out of here and get back home to her.” He paused, moving towards me. “But deep down, you know none of those thoughts are true.”

“Fuck you,” I replied, automatically reaching for a dagger that I knew had been taken away from me.

“Looking for something?” taunted one of the others. He laughed, as I heard him throw it across the room. I moved towards him, but was stopped by chains now placed around my ankles. I looked to where my feet would have been, even though I couldn’t even see as far as an inch in front of my face.

“What the hell?” I questioned, feeling an angry beast rising with in me. “What do you assholes want?” The first one who had talked to and toyed with me grabbed me by my neck.

“We only want what’s ours, and you’re going to give it to us.” His grip tightened, making it hard for me to breath.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I managed to say.

“Don’t play games with us. You know you can’t win…” His claws were starting to cut into my neck. I could feel my own blood running down to my shoulders. “Now, are you going to cooperate with us, or are we going to have to force it out of you?”

“Whatever it is you’re looking for, you won’t find it with me.” He slowly let go of me and started to laugh. It filled the room and sent chills down my spine.

“He doesn’t even know. How could you not know what it is you’re capable of?” He was right next to me, as he spoke, though I had never felt him move.

“I know one thing I’m capable of,” I replied. “That would be kicking your ass.” I gave an arrogant smirk.

“You’re too cocky for it at the moment, but maybe a few years down the line…”

“Too cocky for what?” I asked. “I’m not cocky.”

“You and I both know that you’re an arrogant, overconfident bastard, because you’ve been on the top of your game for so long. I think it’s about time for you to be humbled a bit.” He grabbed both my arms digging his claws into my wrists, shooting a stinging pain through my entire body. I grimaced in pain trying to pull away from him. He let go of me saying, “Hurts a bit, doesn’t it?”

“Mother fucker!” I screamed. “What the fuck was that?!” I could hear him breathing less than a foot away. I reached for him, grabbing his neck, attempting to place any curse I could think of on him. As I stood there, though, nothing worked. Confused, I kept trying everything I could. Finally, he pushed my hands away from him.

“I think that will do,” he stated, chuckling softly.

“What did you do to me?!” I yelled back.

“I just want to teach you a lesson. Without any magic, you’ll be forced to work hard for everything, at least, until you leave this place. And, hopefully, that day will never come.” Even without being able to see, I knew he was satisfied and smiling.

“You’ll pay for this. I swear, if I ever see you again…”

“But, you haven’t seen me once today, how do you know if I’m who you’re thinking of?”

“It doesn’t matter, because I’d kill him in a heartbeat anyway.”

“Well then, I guess you’re all set.” There was a long pause and the next time he spoke, he was on the other side of the room. “Alright, boys,” he told the other two demons, “I think you can handle it from here. He’s only mortal in here. Have fun.”

I felt the other two moving towards me. I could feel they were happy and excited by this job. They moved in on me quickly, cutting me, hitting me, cursing me. Hurting me. My tolerance of pain had dropped significantly and I yelled out in anguish.

I could hear nothing but the words, “Falling is only the beginning of it,” echoing from somewhere off in the distance.