First Draft - The Cage

One by one, a dozen locks were until the solid door pushed open. A heavy creak sound echoed off the barren walls with every inch further. In the archway, a blinding light beamed around a towering motionless silhouette.

The stale air of the dark poured out of the room. At the same time, the cool breeze of the unreachable escape replaced it, sending goosebumps racing up and down the already shivering and quivering second figures hidden away body.

In the center of the dreary gray room, a shaking woman lay locked in a barred crate, her hair tangled and her clothes tattered from overuse. With nothing to give her comfort other than a cot, a few stray books, and a single tattered blanket, she stayed quiet in her makeshift bed.

Attached to her ankles, a thick chain kept her attached to a hook that was built into the rugged floor.

"You know why you're in there, right, love?" The figure asked and the girl shook her head no.

"Of course, you don't." With a sigh, the man chuckled and walked into the room to squat in front of the caged girl. "You know I don't like keeping you in there.. but you keep making the same mistakes!"

"I-I'm sorry." She whimpered. “Please… please let me go. I-I won’t do it again!”

“See…” Disappointedly, the man shook his head and wagged his finger. The sharp claw on the end of his digit glinted in the light from the hallway, flashing in the woman’s trembling eyes. “You keep making the same mistakes, darling…” His words became agitated and loud. “And you keep giving me that same worthless apology!”

“I-I’m sorry! I-” Midway, the girl’s sentence stopped when the man slashed at her quickly through the bars and warm blood began to trickle down her neck. As she slumped over in her makeshift bed, the man stood and licked the blood from his nail.

“And here I thought you would be different from the others… How disappointing.”

With nothing left unsaid, the man stood and left, the darkness overtaking the room and the woman helplessly clutching her bleeding neck, alone. Cold and alone.