Caged

Chapter 4

Cage groaned when something prodded his shoulder and he curled away from it.

"Cage, come on the lights are on."

Shade nudged his shoulder again and he batted her hand away. "Okay, okay, I'm awake."

He rolled onto his back and scrubbed at his tired eyes. It was weird how they seemed to sleep so soundly yet he was still tired all the time. With a yawn, he pushed himself up and stretched. "Time to get back to work I guess." He jammed a fist into the small of his back to attempt to rub away the ache that had settled there. Once he'd worked most of the ache out, he bent and picked up the shard of stone then made his way over to where he'd left off yesterday.

There was a routine to his work now. Inch along while feeling the mortar joints, mark the wall, inch along while feeling the mortar joints ... it was a slow progression across the surface of the wall. He stopped and stared for a moment before he realized he was staring at the mark he'd made when he began his search. His arm fell to his side and he hung his head.

With a strangled cry of rage, he spun and flung the shard of stone across the room with as much force as he could muster. "Bastard!" he screamed. "How the hell did we get in here? There is no goddamn way out, is there? This is some sick fucking joke! You're just sitting back and watching us as we try to escape like fucking mice in a maze." He sank to the floor, wrapped his arms around his knees, and sat there in a huddled heap sobbing.

Shade sat beside him and curled her smaller body against him. "We'll find a way out. I know we will." She rested her head against his shoulder with a small sigh.

After several minutes the tears subsided and he spoke, "I don't think there is a way out."

She didn't respond. She simply sat beside him and lent her support.

It was what he needed at the moment. Just silence and to know she was there. Words would do little to help cheer him.

The quiet stretched from seconds into minutes and soon the lights clicked out and darkness surrounded them once more. Neither of them moved, they remained where they were beside the wall where his journey had both begun and ended. After a bit, he wrapped an arm over her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled like that," he told her.

"It's all right, I understand. You've been here a lot longer than I have, it was bound to happen eventually."

"What was that exactly? Me losing my marbles?" he answered with a chuckle. Where he managed to find that bit of humor, he wasn't certain. Maybe he was losing his mind.

A giggle rose from her in the darkness. "You haven't lost your mind. Losing your temper over this situation was bound to happen. We both know that whoever is behind that voice wants to drag this out for as long as possible. He won't make it easy for us to escape."

"Right, so the bricked-up door would have been too obvious. How stupid of me."

"It would have been nice if it was that easy. You're not stupid, Cage. We needed to eliminate the possibility of there being a door," she told him.

He sighed. "Yes, it would have been nice. I don't think he's that stupid though."

"We should probably sleep."

Neither of them felt much like eating after the failure of the door search so they curled up and went straight to bed.

***

Cage grumbled and slapped at Shade when she tried to shake him awake. "The lights aren't even on," he mumbled.

"Cage, come on I need you to wake up!" She shoved his shoulder again. "The building isn't right! It should be that old castle replica at the edge of the forest outside of town! But it isn't right! Part of it is but then it isn't!" she rambled.

He sat up and rubbed at his eyes. "What are you babbling about?"

"I recognize the building. Well, not specifically, I recognize the structure. It's difficult to explain. It's the architecture." She clutched at him in the darkness. "I know blueprints and something isn't right about this building. It's been changed." She gave him a little shake. "I also realized something else, you're my boyfriend, aren't you?"

Her quick change of topic caused him to chuckle. "Yes, I think I am, though the memories are still a bit foggy." He pried her hands loose from his shirt. "My mother's name is ... Samantha and ... I have a stepfather but I can't recall his name."

"Why can we suddenly remember some stuff but not everything?" she asked.

He shook his head, realized she couldn't see it in the dark, and sighed. "I don't know. I'm having problems pulling up some memories.

"Now, children, I've given you every opportunity to find your way to freedom and you haven't made any progress. I honestly believe the two of you were smarter than this."

Cage's lip curled at the sound of that damn voice.

"I suppose I could be generous and give you more time to search each day but I shouldn't because, after all, there are two of you now to continue the search." The voice went quiet for a minute or two. "Cage, my dear boy, how about I give you some added incentive to make certain you find your way to freedom, eh?"

"I don't care very much for your incentives, they suck," Cage replied.

The voice chuckled. "Come on now, I gave you the lovely Shade to keep you company, didn't I?"

"I would have preferred to remain here alone if it meant she was home where she was safe," he growled.

"Tut tut now, let's not be so ungrateful. I would suggest that you be a little more assertive with your search, boy. If I believe that you aren't well then, I think the lovely Shade and I might have to get better acquainted."

Cage jumped to his feet. "If you lay a hand on her you'll regret it, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

Laughter echoed through the room. It was high and slightly insane sounding. "How will you stop me when you haven't even come close to finding a way to free yourselves? Now, you have more incentive, don't you?" More laughter echoed around the room until it was cut off abruptly when the speakers went dead.

Cage dropped down onto his mattress. After several minutes the mattress gave and Shade curled next to him. When he felt how violently she was trembling, he wrapped her in his arms and held her close with her back pressed tightly against his chest.

"It's going to be all right, I promise. I'll find a way out and I won't let that creep anywhere near you. I swear it."

"I know you won't," she whispered back. Yet she still shook with every breath that she took.

He knew they needed to find a way out and they had to do it sooner rather than later or all would be lost.