Chapter 4: Fiery Dungeons

"How about I help you with that wish?" Dan asked, minutes after I had blown the fire out of the candle. 

"If you could help me with that wish, you would have done it a long time ago. I know you can't do it. So I won't bother asking you to help me do it. Rather, I would pray for the one who can help me do it to do it for me which is what I just did."  I answered plainly until I realized that what I said had sounded very rude. 

I saw it as saying the plain truth but he took it the wrong way, judging from the look of hurt on his face. 

He swallowed. "Do you know that slaves escape? Do you believe that a slave's can help another slave escape from a bad place like this?" 

"I don't know." I answered with an implied shrug. "But I don't think so because masters are wicked people and they always watch on their slaves. So I don't think they can ever get a chance to escape." 

"Hmm." He was a bit hesitant but then he continued after a short while. "Can i tell you a story? I know kids love stories." 

"Kids love happy stories." I said and he looked at me like he was going to tell the exact opposite.

"Well this is a sad one. Do you still wanna hear it."

"No." I shook my head vehemently. I was tired of  seeing or hearing about sad things. A lot of that already happened today. 

"I will tell it to you anyway because only by hearing that story, would you believe that you don't need to wait for your dad to help you out of this place." 

"It's not like I would say no to anyone who wants to help me out of this place. No one just ever spoke about it. You especially. I believe that you could help me out with any other thing except from escaping because I thought you did not have the power to do it for me. If you did, you would have told me." 

"It's because you never asked for it." 

"Do I need to ask you before you know that I don't want to be here at all? I did not need to ask you that I wanted food to eat before you came and told me you wanted to give me food." I asked, slicing a part of my cake with the bread knife and dipped the vestigial triangle of chocolate bliss into my mouth. 

"Trust me when I tell you that some of the slaves here actually want to remain as slaves with hopes that the loan shark would take their hands into marriage and then all of their years of slavery would be worth it. That's why I never make any impression towards any slave when it comes to escaping. If you want to escape, you would ask me about it."

"But you should know that I don't want to be here." I insisted. 

"Truthfully, I was looking for possible ways to help you out. Those ways just were not working out in the way I wished they would." He paused and then took a deep breath then let it out dramatically in a long sigh. 

"So onto my story now." He said. "I lost my mother when I was just seven years old. My dad used to beat my mum so much. Whenever I hear a shattering noise or whenever I get a whiplash, I know it's my dad beating the hell out of my mum. I could not protect her. Nevertheless, my mum could not have died the way she did because she actually had a choice. My mum has a very good friend who was willing to help her. She was willing to take her out of that hellhole of a marriage with my dad if only my mum would give her the permission to do so. But my mum never did. She wanted to stay back in the marriage for my sake. She believed things would get better. She wanted to have faith her marriage. She did but she died right before my eyes."

"How did she die?" I asked, after he succeeded in spiking up my curiosity with his very sad story. 

"My dad smashed his whiskey bottle on her head one night. She left the house that day when she was never supposed to leave the house and when she came back, only to meet my dad's wrath, wrath means anger. My dad was angry. She was trying to explain why she left the house but he wouldn't have it. So he killed her and I cried and cried that night, hoping my mum would recover just like she had managed to through the previous times when my dad used to abuse her. But she never did." 

"Wow. That's painful. It makes me want to cry." I said. 

"We all want to be free from something or someone and then we later realize that we no longer want to be free because what we are going back to meet on our way to freedom would make us give our current situations a second thought."

"How does that happen? That sounds scary?" I asked, not understanding what he meant by that. 

"It doesn't just happen to anyone though. So don't be scared. Your family loves you." He said and took the bread knife from my hand and began to cut the cake into several vestigial triangles whilst thought about my mother. 

I never thought I would doubt my family's love for me particularly my mother but now that I was beginning to think about what Dan said, I realized that it was more than just being free, it was about being in a better place. So I decided to change my prayer to this as I prayed it silently; 

"God, I pray I don't hate my life at home like I already do In this place."

***

It was a horrible week. I missed Krystal so much and I wept very often whenever I thought of her. I dreamt of her very often and then I would wake up to realize that it was only just a dream; a swift moment of joy and a replica of reality but it always broke my heart to learn that she was gone forever and that I would never wake up to see her face. 

I was tired of it. I was tired of everything. 

I wanted to leave this dangerous castle. I had gotten to learn that this place was a castle and that the people here were servants and not slaves because "slave" was an archaic term to use but I didn't even know what the word "archaic" meant but nevertheless, there was no difference between being a servant and being a slave. In fact what give a name to something that is not worthy of a name? All this was about was pain, severe pain, endless pain, unbearable pain, inexplicable pain. Why glorify something that brings you pain? It only makes it worse. 

This week has been hell as usual only that I get to bear the pains of loosing my friend and having to deal with the gruesome loan shark and his enormous wife. Those were the only additions. Surprisingly though, I was able to go through the pain without fainting physically because I had something look forward to. 

Today is finally Thursday. I've waited for this day for the whole week that it felt like I was waiting for three years. Dan told me he had somewhere to take me to today and that I should wait at the storehouse by five o'clock in the evening. It was dangerous to do that alone because if anyone catches me there, they would instantly think I was there to steal food, hence I had him promise me that he wasn't going to make me wait once I got there and he did promised me. 

He did not tell me what the journey was about so I and spent the entire week, anticipating, hoping that the journey would have something to do with me escaping from this place. 

I looked at the direction of the sun after working on the fields for only God knows how long only to see that the sun was situated wear now but hadn't begun to set fully which meant that now was the right time for me to go to the storehouse to wait for Dan. 

My dad taught me how to read time by merely looking at the sky; studying the position of the sun and the moon. Now that I'm in a situation like this, I don't know if I should feel thankful for the knowledge or sad that I'm using that knowledge for a purpose like this, in a horrible place. 

I guess I would be thankful instead for the fact that I can use the knowledge to probably save myself with hopes that this meeting with Dan would get me out of this place for good. 

I dusted my hands gently as the particles of sand dissipated onto the ground and I looked around carefully, the sun gazing dully at the fields, I saw that all of the slaves were now marching back towards the dungeons. It was going to be hard for me to go the storehouse with this strange woman here who was here to take the slaves back to the dungeon but I had to get to the storehouse by myself. 

This was where I needed Krystal's help because she was equally good with escapades like this but she was not here. 

For the second time, I was thankful for the high length of the weeds, hence I went on my knees partially like a frog, creeping over the paths that I knew would lead to the storehouse with my heart in my mouth, hoping that my head isn't spotted above the grasses by anyone. After a long while, my knees began to hurt, I rose up to my feet now, rest assured that I was far away from the fields where the slaves were exiting. 

I looked around me, the path was clear. When I looked towards the left direction, I saw Dan standing by the brick storehouse which meant that I was late because I knew he normally could not have been earlier than I was since he had more work to do than I did. Then I looked at the sky briefly and saw now that the sun was beginning to turn a faint but visible shade of orange. I was late and my heart took leaps of skidded bears. 

Lord, I hope I have not missed a big, rare opportunity??!!

I hastened my steps and ran all the way to Dan, holding my knee caps in my hands sand gasping for any available source of air immediately after I got to the storage house. He placed his hand gently on my back. 

"You are not late, don't worry." He assured. 

"But you watched me run like that and you could not tell me." I snapped, still panting heavily. 

"Well it's because you are." He countered. 

I raised my head to give him a look showing that I was confused by the nonsense he was saying. He shrugged, uninterested and looked around, trying to make sure no one else was around us. 

"Let's go." He said with a serious tone now as he took my hand in his and we began another race. 

Just like that day while I was approaching the mart, I felt the exact happiness that came with the wind hitting harmlessly on my face, and the joy that just came with enjoying the breeze; simply because someone was holding me by the hand. It did feel like, everything was going to be okay because I had Dan. 

***

The place Dan took me to was surprisingly still in ten castle but it was a part of the castle that I had never seen before. All though I knew I had not been to all of the rooms and corners in the castle I was familiar with, I could still tell regardless that this was an entirely different castle from the one I knew. It looked like an isolated castle and was far less aesthetic or elaborate like the one I knew. 

The high walls were a gloomy shade of blue in contrast to the golden designs and infrastructure of the loan shark's castle. Most of the things and outlines of the loan shark's castle had golden, bright yellow or custard colors whilst everything here were either in dark blue, black or grey shades. Down to the artworks that was hung on the walls in fact. Both castles were like fire and ice respectively.

"What is this place?" I asked Dan, and my voice seemed to echo. I was honestly expecting that he would answer my question since we were here already hence no use in hiding anything from me. I was not expecting us to be in the same environment so I was hoping he would tell me why or answer me but he did not. 

Instead, he gave this half smile, something like a smug or a smirk or whatever it was being called. He did not let go of my hand as we mounted the stairs, that felt bizarrely cold beneath my feet; like it was made of ice or some frosty stuff. The stairways looked very scary because of its narrowness. Besides it even looked like a twisted ladder. There was a floor beneath the stairway that seemed deep, hard and far. There was just a stairway, constructed on its own with no pillars by the sides, as though it were a stairway leading to heaven. 

I could not even imagine falling from these narrow, shallow stairs. There was no way out of it. I was going to die. 

I heaved a deep sigh and whispered "thank you God." beneath my breathe in gratitude that I did not tumble accidentally whilst climbing the stairs once we had gotten to the top floor. The floors felt so slippery, that I kept watching my feet and looking for every traces of water splattered on the ground but found none, instead, sparkly patterns and tiles of impeccable look floors. This place felt and seemed like a place no one should stay in at all. In fact, being here with Dan in this place felt wrong. Little wonder why it had that gloomy atmosphere. 

We approached a particular huge door with a medium sized patch of a fox's fur hung on it. Dan looked over at me to confirm that I was okay, but I could not possibly lie to him that I was, because my expression clearly pictured how scared I was. 

He caresses my palm gently with his thumb and balled his other hand into a fist as he knocked audibly at the huge door. My beast raced madly. 

"Who goes there??" A faint, mysterious, scary voice responded. 

My heart stopped. 

"Dan." Dan replied simply and then I saw the beaming of a blue light right above the door, flashing through our faces and I could tell quickly they it was a cctv camera. My palms were starting to glisten with sweat. 

"You are here with a little girl. Why so?" The voice called out again after a short moment. The camera muse have projected our faces of the ones who were truly at the door so the person who owned the voice could know if it was truly Dan who was at the door or not. 

"We are here to see you." Dan answered. 

The huge, wide door opened automatically; the fox's fur separated into two, leaving us with a view of the room behind the door. We walked in and door shut behind us. 

A gust of harsh, cold hair swept through my face. The room was like a cold room. A dull blue light was casted over the entire chilled space; furs of winter animals were woven to make several furnitures around the room which was honestly looking beautiful. Then there was this big patch of panda skin at the center of the room, woven into a seat. There, the owner of the voice, sat. 

My jaw dropped as a gasp of intense shock escaped my lips. It was the loan shark. It was loan shark we'd come to see. 

Or was it? I could not see his face very distinctively because of the blue ray of light casted over his face but that silvery lined mustache that nearly covered all of his lips was present on this man's face and he seemed to have the same highs as the loan shark even though this man was seated but unlike the loan shark, this man's voice was as tiny as a chicken's crow. 

But maybe he was actually the loan shark. 

A bead of sweat ran down my face in confusion and uttermost fear. I was beginning to loose my breath or perhaps, was about to faint. It no longer felt freezing cold like it was minutes ago; now I felt like vomiting and It was like I had been placed into a large pain of hot, bubbling oil by some magician. 

How could Dan ever do such a thing as this??!! I want to slap him on the face badly or spit on his face, probably spew the bile rising in my t throat at him or yelling on top of my lungs but I could not. Instead, I was struggling and fighting hard to remove my hands from his hold, but he would not budge so it remained a silent tussle between us. I could not yank off my hand away for fear of the loan shark blowing my brains out. 

I wanted to kill him so badly and I never knew that holding a grudge or the desire to express anger at someone could feel this painful or extremely disturbing. 

The loan shark looked at me for a while; his expression was bland and unreadable whilst he stared and then he gave an expression of utter disgust or disapproval rather; something like a grimace. Then I knew god sure that he was the one. Only the loan shark would look at a person like this. In fact, that was his default look. 

"Dan, why?" I asked audibly enough for him alone to hear me. But he clearly acted like he did not and instead swallowed hard, facing the loan shark. 

"Sir, I am here to plead for this young servant. She's the youngest slave here and is just ten years old. She does not deserve all of this. She does not even deserve to be here. I beg that you help let this girl free. I know that no slave deserves to go through what they through in this place or any other place but please sir, I beg that you let this particular girl go."

I was confused. Why was he talking to the loan shark like the loan shark was not the loan shark I knew, or like he was a different person? Or has he always been this close to the loan shark? I kept looking at dan, wanting badly to slap his face for disappointing me because I really through he had a clever plan in helping me escape like he promised me on my birthday. I had also wanted to know what was going on, because I still had no idea. 

Like how could he bring me to the loan shark himself to plead for my freedom? How daft a thing to do. Tear cracking lame.

"You know it's not in my power to do that. I'm stuck In this place as well. How can I possibly help in getting a slave free, when I myself is not?" 

It then dawned on me that this man was not the loan shark. He just happened to look so much like him. Or maybe he did not because I could not see him under a bright light. My chest dropped a bit in relief. But who was this man then, if he was not the loan shark? And how could he possibly be in captivity in a mansion like this? 

A loud, thunderous knock came at the door. 

Dan and I shared looks. Dan stared at me for the first time since we walked in to this room. And he looked extremely scared and that scared me. We turned towards the unknown man and suddenly the screen flashed on the dimly lit wall like a projection and we gazed at the face on the screen; the identity of the person knocking at the door. Why did the man not asking who was knocking at the door? 

My heart picked up from where it stopped in a speedy motion, beating rapidly now that I even thought Dan could hear it. My eyes went wide and did wild movement and sweat toppled on my face amidst the ones that had dried on my face.

This time around, it was the loan shark, knocking at the door. 

"Damn. We are in serious trouble..." Dan whispered, as he bit his lip. He let go of my hand now as he could barely even get his own hands to stop fidgeting. Both hands slippery against each other with sweat.  

Look what this bastard has put me into....

**************

Psalms 55:12-14 - "For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng."