Chapter 7

     From what it looked like, the dungeon cells are completely empty. There wasn’t another living soul in here besides me. The guard opened one of the cell doors, which was made of thick wood with a small window and metal rods into the wood. He shoves me in with such force, causing me to fall to the ground and scuff my knee. I yelp in pain, but he does not seem to be bothered as he closes the door behind me, locking me in.

     “ No, wait! Please come back. There has been a huge mistake!” I call out after him, but he gives me the cold shoulder as he disappears down the hall and out of site. Seeing the guard leave me all alone in this cold, dark place made me feel so alone. Without helping it, I fell to the ground and burst into tears.

   Where was Merilla? Why wasn’t she there to help me?

      All these thoughts went through my head as I sit there and cried. I should never have left home and followed some fox into the forest in the first place. Now I am stuck in a strange place, an unknown world no one probably ever heard of.

    After there weren’t any tears left to cry, I stood up from the ground and surveyed the cell. In the right corner, there’s a pile of hay with a blanket on it. I would assume that is the bed, and in the left corner is a metal bucket with a reeking stench coming from it. I approach the bucket with much caution, covering my nose in the prosses. As I peek over the edge of the bucket, I could feel the vomit appearing in the back of my throat. I gagged, and luckily, I didn’t throw up. The bucket is filled with manure, so I guess the bucket is used for a toilet. It is absolutely revolting. How could they just leave it here to rot? They are supposed to dispose of it.  

   Late that night, I was still locked up in the little cell, and no king had shown up to decide my fate, or he did, and that is why I am still stuck in this cold dungeon. I wanted to cry, but all my tears were all dried up from the crying earlier. This is all so unbelievable. If I ever get out of here, the first thing I am going to do is go back home and never leave again.

 On that note, I hear footsteps approaching from down the hall, and It sounds like more than one person. Shivers run down my spine as I hear them getting closer. It must be the king finally coming to decide whether I am a thief or not. To my surprise, it is the guy from earlier who kissed me while I was asleep.

   “ Well, well. If it isn’t my sleeping beauty.” Hearing him say that made me want to go into a rage, but I just ignore him and don’t react to his comment. What is he doing here anyway? I thought the king was going to decide if I am innocent or not, unless this guy is the kings righthand man or something, and he is the one delivering the king’s message. Why would a king be in a dungeon in the first place if he could send someone to do it for him?

   “ I heard you tried to steal gold from the castle,” he said in a deep voice. His voice makes the hairs on my body to stand upright.

   “ I didn’t try to steel anything!” I throw back at him.

   “ So, you are saying that the guard is lying?”

  “ I am saying that the guard should get himself some glasses and stop assuming things that aren’t true.”

     “ So, you did not try to steel the gold from the pillars in the castle?”

    “ Are you just as dense as the guard?” My blood boils in my veins. I jump from the ground, facing the door so that I can look in the pervert in the face.

    “ No, I did not try to steal the gold, which would be physically impossible. I got tired of waiting, so I went inside to look for the fox, Merilla, but got captivated by the interior of the castle.

      I have never seen anything like it before. So, no, I did not try to steal it, I was just going to touch it, and if I did try to steel it, how would I carry a huge pillar by myself through a castle surrounded by guards.” The jerk listens intently, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk that makes my skin crawl. There’s something  unsettlingly captivating about his smile, making me both furious and drawn. I force my gaze away from his taunting smirk and turn my back to him, staring at the wall.

    “ Why were you waiting for Merilla?” he asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.

   “ Because she brought me here saying that she knew where I was from, and who I am, and that she is my spirit animal, whatever that means.”  I hesitate, feeling vulnerable under his scrutinizing gaze. The pervert stayed quiet, but suddenly, there was a loud clanging sound from the door, and it swung open.