Sir

1.

THE STENCH of copper and mould forced its way into her nose and mouth, waking her from a drug induced sleep. Her tired eyes stung from the horrid combination of scents that surrounded her. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to soothe them, but it was no good. Without thinking or trying she gagged into the hot, thick air after the scents filled her mouth, causing a burning feeling in the back of her throat.

Her steady breathing sped up to a point where she was almost hyperventilating, only making the burning worse as she gasped for the putrid air. At that moment, she found it impossible to breathe. "Breathe. Breathe. Breathe..." the voice in her head echoed softly. She tried her best to stay calm but her breaths remained shaky and thick, and her eyes were wide with panic as she scanned the room.

Her attempts to identify her surroundings were futile, the dingy room she had woken up in was almost completely pitch black. There were no ceiling lights, no windows, only a small hole in the ceiling where moonlight flooded through. The hole, no bigger than a bottle cap, was illuminating nothing but a small portion of the room. Mould had eaten away at it for so long that the outside world could almost, just barely be seen. Darkness had engulfed the rest of the room, including the corner she had woken up in, so much so that her own hands were barely visible an arms length away.

Her pale thin arms were outstretched in front of her, almost as if she was testing the darkness, but they were nearly entirely invisible to her naked eye. The white flesh that covered her dainty arms was swallowed by the black void around her and no matter how hard she tried, nothing could be seen. Her eyes blurred in and out of focus as she squinted, striving for better vision.

It was hopeless. The whole situation was hopeless.

Her eyes welled and a lump built in the back of her throat. She could barely breathe around it as she realized; she was nothing but a weak, demoralized girl. Her face grew hot in panic, along with the rest of her body. The heat of the room pierced her skin like a thousand hot needles all at once.

Fatigued and moist with sweat, she started her way toward the small hole, with only a shred of hope that she could claw her way out -- suddenly halted by thick chains at her feet, restraining her to the wall. The shackles were heavy and grated against her glistening skin as burning tears fell from her bloodshot eyes.

She dropped to the floor in anguish.

As she examined the chain, she noticed another next to hers. Only then did she realize the small boy to the left of her, shivering in terror. He did nothing but stare at her, fear clear in his eyes. They were glazed over like newly cut glass, his lips dry and cracked, and slightly parted letting out a quiet sob. A single tear slid down his cheeks and the girl's heart stood still at the sight of him.

He was only what seemed to be a young boy. He had messy, brunet hair that stuck to his forehead, soaked in sweat. His irises a bright blue, contrasting against the redness of the bloodshot sclera surrounding them. He had large lips, arched down into a frown, his bottom lip pushed out slightly into a pout. His skin; pale, more so than hers, allowing her to somewhat see his exposed skin.

The boy remained quiet, only allowing almost incoherent cries escape his lips.

He had tucked himself as tightly as he could into the corner behind him, his knees pressed tightly against his chest with his chin resting on top of them. He had a set of dirt-covered clothes on, and his hair was coated with sweat. His tears made small tracks down his cheeks, washing away the filth that rested there.

They were surrounded by tension so thick you could cut it. It was killing her. Nothing was said for minutes after they'd first locked eyes, and those minutes seemed like hours in that eerily quiet place. It was deafening.

"Wh-what's your na-me?" She finally asked, breaking the silence that filled the damp, heated room. Her words barely came out as a sentence, sounding almost like a whisper while she also cut herself off with short gasps for air.

Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing through her body and up into her ears as she waited in unbearable silence for the young boy's answer. Her eyes locked onto him as she patiently longed to hear his voice.

Anything to fill the stillness between them.

There was a long pause before he even looked at her. He kept his eyes locked to the ground until he managed to finally utter his own name.

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Word count: 826
Next chapter: In a few weeks time
Note: This is my first time properly writing a story so my apologies for any inconsistencies or mistakes! Feel free to correct them in the comments :) hope you enjoy!