Punished By The Depths
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The first thing that came to mind was the fact that I had just been punished by my own body. My entire being felt like it was on fire, and all of a sudden there were so many things running through my head at once that I couldn’t even think straight.
It took me several minutes before I could focus enough to realize what exactly happened in those few seconds when everything went black for a moment. But then again, maybe not realizing would have been better…
I tried moving around but found myself unable to move much more than an inch or two without feeling pain shoot down from my chest into every limb below. When I finally managed to get out of bed and make it over to the bathroom door, I realized why: both arms were bound behind my back with some kind of metal chain attached to them.
And now that I thought about it, they didn’t feel as if they belonged to me anymore; rather, something else seemed to be controlling their movements.
“What’s going on?” I asked aloud while trying desperately to keep my voice steady. “Where am I? Why can’t I move properly?!”
My words echoed throughout the room, sounding almost ethereal compared to how loud they normally are. This time though, no one answered. In fact, nobody ever did answer anything I said after this point. Not until later anyway…
After taking care of business (and yes, you read correctly), I decided to try sitting up against the wall instead of lying down. That proved easier than expected since I wasn’t tied down anywhere near as tightly as I’d initially assumed. Of course, I still couldn’t walk very well, which meant that I ended up having to crawl across the floor using only my hands and feet.
As soon as I reached the edge of the bed, however, I noticed another problem: I had to climb onto it somehow. After a bit of struggling, I managed to pull myself up and sit upright. Then I looked around the room, wondering where everyone was.
There weren’t any windows or doors nearby, meaning that I should’ve been able to see outside. Instead, all I saw were four walls, including the ceiling above me.
And yet, despite knowing nothing about these surroundings other than what I already knew, there was something oddly familiar about them. Like I’d seen this place somewhere before…
That’s right! I remembered seeing pictures of rooms similar to this one during my research on the subject a long time ago. They were called ‘dungeons’ apparently, and they served as prisons for criminals who got caught breaking certain laws, such as murder, robbery, etcetera.
Since most people considered dungeons to be places filled with monsters, ghosts, and demons, it’s probably safe to assume that someone here is either a prisoner or has committed some sort of crime. If that’s true, then whoever built this dungeon must really hate him/herself…
As I continued looking around, I suddenly heard footsteps coming closer from somewhere within the darkness. A second later, I spotted a pair of glowing red eyes peering down at me from the shadows. At least, that’s what I thought they were until I realized they weren’t actually eyes at all.
Rather, they appeared to be made entirely out of blood, which explained why they glowed so brightly. Yet another mystery solved…
“Hello,” a soft feminine voice greeted me. “You seem lost.”
I turned around to face her, noticing that she wore a simple white dress, complete with matching gloves and shoes. Her hair was also braided together, making it look somewhat like a crown. She stood next to the window, staring directly into my eyes with hers, even though we were separated by quite some distance.
For whatever reason, I felt compelled to speak to her. So I opened my mouth to do just that.
“Who’re you?” I asked, hoping to start off our conversation on the right foot. “Why are you talking to me?”
She smiled softly, giving me a warm nod. “It doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is what I’m doing here…”
Her response left me confused, but I figured I might as well ask her what she meant. “Are you…here to help me?”
“Help you?” She laughed lightly. “No, I don’t believe I will be helping you. On the contrary, I think I’ll be punishing you instead.”
“Oh…okay. Thank you for your consideration, ma’am!”
With that, she disappeared from sight, leaving me alone in the dark. Although I didn’t know why I felt relieved. Maybe because I knew that I wouldn’t have to deal with anyone else today. Or perhaps it was simply due to the fact that I wanted to avoid getting hurt any further… Either way, I was happy to be rid of her. But not too happy, mind you. Because I still needed answers.
The first thing I did when I regained control of my body was taking a good hard look around the room. It took me longer than usual to notice anything unusual, mainly because everything seemed normal enough.
The walls were covered with various paintings depicting different scenes ranging from landscapes to animals. Some of them showed a group of women dancing, and others depicted men fighting each other. All in all, it was easy to tell that this room used to belong to someone important. Someone rich, powerful, and influential, if I had to guess.
Then again, maybe that was exactly what drew me here. Who knows…
Once I finished inspecting every nook and cranny within reach, I finally came upon an object hidden away behind a painting on the far side of the room. Curious, I walked over to get a better view, only to find that it was a small wooden box. I picked it up, opening its lid to reveal several items inside.
Among them was a golden ring bearing the image of a lion’s head; a silver necklace with a large gemstone attached to the end of it; a set of keys dangling from a chain; and lastly, a strange-looking book bound in leather. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the pages were filled with tiny writing, almost impossible to read without using a magnifying glass.
After taking a quick glance through the contents, I placed the objects back where I found them, closing the box once more. Then I returned to my original position, sitting cross-legged atop the floor. After waiting patiently for a few minutes, I decided to give up.
There wasn’t much point in trying to figure things out anymore. Not after discovering that my captor was a woman, anyway. Women are always unpredictable creatures. And I can never trust them. Ever.
So, I moved on. Instead of focusing on how I ended up here, I began thinking about what I should do now. Should I try to escape? No, that would be foolish. Even if I managed to make it outside unscathed, there was no telling whether or not I could ever return home safely.
Besides, I’d probably die before I reached the door. This place was clearly designed to kill whoever entered it. That said, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that the queen herself might come to rescue me. If she did, then I could use her presence as leverage against her. As long as I kept myself alive, she wouldn’t dare harm me.
But what would happen if I failed to convince her otherwise? Well, I suppose I’d just have to hope for the best. In any case, I doubted that I would live very long regardless of what happened.
Still, I didn’t want to leave until I at least tried to discover something useful. Something that might change my fate in one way or another. Perhaps this mysterious woman was holding onto some kind of secret that I could exploit.
A method I could follow in order to gain freedom from this hellish prison.
Unfortunately, however, I quickly realized that such a thing was highly unlikely. Why? Simply put, I hadn’t seen anything remotely resembling a clue anywhere in the entire room. Which means that either she hid it somewhere really deep down inside her heart (which was doubtful), or she purposely left it unguarded so that I couldn’t possibly obtain it.
Either way, I was stuck. For now, at least.
***
Several hours later, I woke up suddenly from a dreamless sleep. My eyes opened wide, revealing a blurry view of the ceiling above me. Apparently, I fell asleep while meditating. I let out a quiet sigh, feeling exhausted beyond belief.
Despite having spent most of the time lying flat on my back like a corpse, I somehow managed to stay awake throughout the whole ordeal. How is that even possible…?
I sat up slowly, allowing my senses to become fully aware of my surroundings. First off, I checked to see if anyone else was present. Thankfully, I discovered that both the queen and the maids were nowhere to be found. So, they must’ve gone out for their afternoon break.
Good, I thought. Now I don’t have to worry about being attacked by any of them. At least, not yet…
Next, I scanned the area for signs of danger. But aside from the faint sound of water dripping nearby, nothing stood out. Everything looked perfectly ordinary. Aside from the fact that I was trapped in a dark room full of weapons, of course.
With that settled, I got up from my spot and started walking toward the door. Before doing so, though, I made sure to check underneath the bed. Just in case…
To my surprise, I found two sets of metal shackles hanging from the wall next to it. They appeared to be quite old, judging by their tarnished appearance. Judging by the size of the chains, I guessed that each one weighed around ten pounds.
It seemed like these had been used to restrain prisoners who attempted to flee the castle in the past. Or perhaps they were meant for those who committed crimes against the crown. Either way, I figured that it was safe to assume that I was currently the latter.
Well, whatever the reason may be, I’m certainly glad that they’re still functional. Otherwise, things would’ve gotten messy real fast.
Taking note of all this information, I proceeded to carefully remove one of the shackles from its hook. Once removed, I tested the strength of the chain with my hands. Satisfied that it was strong enough, I attached the other end to an iron ring embedded into the stone floor using a small piece of rope.
Then, I tied the remaining length of the chain to a wooden beam protruding from the opposite side of the room. Finally, I stepped forward, placing my weight on the makeshift bridge created between the two points.
The moment I did, the chains tightened slightly, causing me to stumble backward. However, I soon regained my balance once again. With that taken care of, I continued moving forwards. Eventually, I reached the door. And after confirming that nobody was watching over me, I slid open the heavy-looking lock.
As expected, the door wasn’t locked. Not only that, but it also remained unlocked even when I closed it behind me. There’s definitely something wrong with this place…
After taking several steps away from the entrance, I turned around to face the hallway leading back to the main hall. The sight before me shocked me to no end.
There were dozens upon dozens of guards standing there, staring right at me. Their expressions ranged from shock to confusion. As far as I knew, none of them should’ve known that I was here. Yet, somehow, they spotted me anyway. What in the world are you people thinking?!
Not wasting any more time, I sprinted down the corridor without looking back. Fortunately, the soldiers’ attention shifted elsewhere almost immediately. After running through the empty halls for a few minutes, I finally arrived at the exit.
Unfortunately, however, I noticed that the gate was shut tight, preventing me from leaving. I took a closer look at the mechanism, noticing that it consisted of three large locks. One of which had already been broken free. That must mean that someone broke out just recently. Probably the same person who freed me earlier.
In spite of everything, I decided to try opening the second lock first. It proved much easier than expected; thanks in part to my newfound knowledge regarding how they worked. In less than five seconds, I successfully snapped the bolt lose. Next, I moved on to the third, snapping it off within another minute.
A quick glance outside revealed that the coast was clear. So, I quickly ran out of the castle gates, making my escape.
Once I was safely out of the city limits, I breathed a sigh of relief and began heading northwards. I didn’t know where exactly I was going, nor what I intended to do from here onwards. All I could hope for was that I’d find some sort of shelter somewhere along the way.
If not, then I guess I’ll have to settle for sleeping under the stars tonight. No matter what happens, I won’t let myself die until tomorrow morning.
The End