3. Prisoner

I crawled out from the table and ran back the way I came from. But instead of going upstairs, I took a sharp corner round a dark hallway on the first floor.

The damn house was like a maze.

"Max! You have the floor plans, tell me all the escape routes on the first floor."

"You think they haven't secured all of those exits?"

"What the hell do you want me to do then? Wait here until I'm caught."

"Whatever. If you're caught, you're on your own."

The line went silent and I cussed again. Now I'm on my own.

It was too dark, and I couldn't use my flashlight unless I wanted to get caught, so I felt around the wall as I run further down the hallway. It was so long and mazy that I have been running for a good five minutes without coming to it's end.

At first, there were few doors and windows illuminating the pathway, but for the past two minutes, I haven't come across a single door nor window. Just dark walls leading farther down to god knows wher-Omph!

The wall suddenly shifted and I stumbled on my feet following it down. A hidden door opened and I rolled down the stairwell bumping my head along the way down.

Thankfully it was short or I might have had a concussion or break my neck. Despite the pain in my body, I heaved myself up and climbed back up. But right before my eyes, the wall shifted again, closing this time.

"Nonono…. damnit!"

I slammed my fist against the wall but it was already closed. Amidst my panic, led bulbs lit up in the hidden space and I turned around.

"I can't believe I'm trapped inside tunnel." I grumbled in exasperation.

It was slightly dusty unlike the rest of the house. Faint sounds came from deep down the tunnel. I listened closely, and identified the faint sounds of dripping water.

"Is there a river down there?" But there was no wind. Might be just sewers. Either way, there has to be an exit.

I limped down the short stairs and followed the sound. The tunnel was narrow and long. There were tiny led bulbs attached to the wall but only two lit up at a time whenever it sensed my presence. The rest of the tunnel was shrouded in darkness.

Finally, I reaching the source, but I was not prepared by the sight in front of me. The dripping sound wasn't coming from sewers or river with a hidden escape route. No, rather it led to a deadend with a large cell locked with heavy chains waiting at the end.

That wasn't even what actually rooted me on the spot. It was the... thing, inside the cell.

A man? It can't be a woman, right? They had a long, dark, wet hair dripping droplets of water into a half-filled metal bucket sitting by their bed. It was the source of the dripping sound.

He sat with his head held by his hands resting on his knees on a small wooden bed with painful looking strings attached to the muscles–bulging and veiny ripped all over his body. The wires were connected to a monitor at the end of the cell. He was huge even seated.

"This is sick." I shuddered. Have I just stumbled across a human experiment? He did look like someone that had undergone a surgery. There was no way this... giant is human, right?

My voice caught the person's attention and slowly he raised his head. I couldn't see his face though, it was concealed by his awfully long and wet hair and there wasn't light inside his cage.

"Oh…um.. sorry I didn't mean to…um pry. I'm just gonna go now." I stuttered, inching backwards at his penetrating stare and glancing around for a way out.

But there wasn't a window here talk more of a door. My gaze fell upon some set of keys hanged on the wall, then back to the man in the cell. He was still studying me silently. It was so sickening. I don't know the deal with the De Loughreys, but this can't be legal. Whoever this dude is, they can't keep a person locked up like some animal.

He remained silent though, giving me the time to cook up a short plan. And when I was sure he wasn't mad, slowly, I approached the bars, holding my hands up.

"I don't know who you're, but I do know you're not here willing. Seeing as you're chained and all."

Silence.

"How about I set you free, and in return you get us out of here?"

Silence.

Maybe he couldn't talk, and time isn't exactly my friend here, so I did the only thing I could without thinking. We both don't want to be here, sticking together should be out only way out. He should know that.

I ran to the keys and grabbed them, then fumbled with the heavy chains of his cage. His gaze finally shifted from me to the wooden box I kept on the floor.

"Fancy isn't it?" I tried making small talks.

"I've never seen anything like it before. But then again, I don't often interact with wealthy people so that's a given." He still didn't reply, but I swear a faint rumble emit from his throat. I glanced up at him wearily.

But it was too late, the chains had already unlocked. And before I could blink, the man was already barreling out of his bed, knocking off the monitor without even batting an eye at the wires tugging painfully at his skin until they break.

"Run." He growled, the sound reverberating throughout the tunnel.

And then he was charging towards me.

Screaming, I grabbed my box and ran back the way I came from.

"Shit, I'm fucked!" What have I just done? Did I just uncaged a madman? Maybe he isn't stable yet.

My short legs couldn't compare to his giant form and soon I was flying in the air picked up by him.

"Wait- stop! We're on the same side." I fumbled to escape but was held in place against the wall pinned by him.

"Stop it you monster! I just saved you!" I screamed at his face, glaring at his towering height. I was barely at his chest, and he wasn't even standing at full height.

Our little tussle had gotten the attention of the guards now inside the building, and soon footsteps echoed behind the hidden door trying to get it open.

But the man seems more threatened by my presence than his capturers. With one hand on my midriff, he reared back his free arm–a trunk of an arm might I add, and send it my way. Thankfully I was fast and dodge the punch. The wall behind me shook, caving in.

"Holy shit!" That would have sent me straight to my grave. "Are you trying to kill me? Seriously? Is this what I get for saving you?"

Nope, he was too far gone so I did the next best thing and bit his arm holding me and almost lost my teeth. Even though it felt like I had bitten a brick, it must have been painful because he let go of me on reflex. I didn't wait for him to react and slipped between his legs grabbing the box I had dropped when he picked me. It had opened up and the red stone had rolled on the ground. I grabbed it right as he turned back on me.

"Let. Me. Go!" I kicked, but he was prepared this time and anticipated my move. The stone being the only object to my defense, I hit him hard across the chest being the only part I could reach.

Swiftly, he let go of me stumbling back. Like a stone half the size of my fist could hurt him. I didn't even pack a hard punch.

But the man froze, eyes widened and staring at my hand. His hair was out of his face now and I could see his face. He had sharp facial features with magenta eyes that glowed in the dark.

It was so odd and unexpected that had me momentarily stunned. Such a handsome face was truly wasted on a mad man. Seriously, is he some sort of a faulty guinea pig?

A sharp pain on my palm had me winching and breaking me out of my momentary stupor, dropping the stone. It was glowing red in my had but dimmed down when I threw it away, returning back to it's dull red color. Did it… just glowed?

Glancing at my palm, there was a tiny cut that had bled but had already dried up.

Strange.

But I didn't have the time to dwell on it as the doors finally burst open sending debris down on us as the guards rushed in.

This is it. We so are dead.

"Don't just stand there! Do something if you don't want to stay locked up forever like a dog!" I screamed at the giant, my panic raising.

I didn't know what to do, right now this madman considered me as his enemy more than the guards. I was safer with the guards than him, I should run. I was basically caught between a rock and a hard wall.

His magenta eyes flashed, veins popped as he gritted his teeth growling lowly. His eyes snapping between me and the stone on the floor with a mournful, almost hurt look in those beautiful strange eyes.

Was he mad I stole the stone? Half expecting him to charge at me, I braced myself as he, almost unwillingly, got up and approached.

Then he walked by me, brushing me to the side and approach the guards.

As if finally seeing him, they froze. Then "Shit! The beast has been unlocked! Run for your lives!"

The almost twenty guards that piled in rushed back through the cramped door trying to get out. Some did, some didn't and I watch in horror as the man, the beast, run through them like ants.

"What. The. Hell. Is that?"

He was almost twice their size and sent them flying with a swing of his arm, I almost couldn't believe my eyes. Not only did he alter his body, he had great strength too.

Grateful for the momentary distraction, I slipped away when no one was looking and run with my prized possession secured safely in my bag.

I had gotten what I came for, I ain't sticking around to find out what become of the man. Or guards.

And in the middle off the night I fled out of the wealthy neighborhood with victory on my side.

Unbeknownst to me, as I scampered through the thick forest back to Willow, a certain magenta eyes had followed me along.

Watching from high up above in the sky.

___