Shackled Crown

5

I put my foot on the first rung and looked at Joseph. I set the candle on the floor by his feet.

"Hand this to me when I get to the bottom then climb down after." I couldn't tell if the look in his eye was awe or if he thought I had completely lost my mind.

I moved my second foot onto the next rung placing my free hand on the hard, wooden floor. I took a deep breathe and continued. The rings leaked an icy coolness onto my hand, which seemed to show through my skin turning my nuckles white.

"Are you coming?" I yelled up to Joseph.

"Uhhh...umm..yeah." he sounded like he would rather die than go down but down he came anyways.
The ladder seemed to be way longer than it need be but I was at the bottom soon enough. 

"Joseph hurry" I said in a hushed voice full of both fear and exitment.

"I'm coming I'm coming."  It was unmistakably his voice, but the sound didnt come from above me. But I hadn't heard him come down the ladder. I turned but it was to dark to see and the faint light of the candle was still above me.
Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder and I screamed.
Joseph laughed. He had set the candle on the ladder (with a little difficulty getting it to stay) and snuck down behind me.

"I hate you." I grumbled under my breath trying to suppress a smile. I took the candle and went to examine our new discovery when a small voice came from a few feet to my right.

"H-hello i-i-is someone there?"
The small voice trembled. I could tell it was a female, she sounded about my age maybe older. I turned to shine the light in her direction and I will never forget the emptyness that seemed to fill her eyes, removing any light she might of had.
I was dumbfounded. I couldn't move.

"Who are you‽.." Joseph began but I cut him off by bring my hand up abruptly and he reluctantly obliged.

She looked terrified and turned to run, and Joseph and I sprinted after.
The basement had one large main area and a hallway that cut away from the room. Down that hallway there were two doors one, I assumed, a bathroom. But the girl turned into the closest doorway and attempted to close the door behind her but to no avail.
Joseph easily pushed it open against her frail strength. She Bagan to whimper and I was suddenly over come with sympathy. I quickly ran to the girl and threw my arms around her hoping it would comfort the poor thing. I sat there to rocking back and forth like I was holding a child untill she could stand.

When she did I decided to look around the room.  In the corner, there was and and rusty bedframe Wich held a small mattress that smelled of mold. There didn't seem to be much else on the room but a stack of what seemed to be my old clothes.

"I'm sorry but may I ask your name?" I said turning towards the girl. Her hair was matted and dark but I couldnt tell if the darkness was just from the dirt, Her eyes were a shimmering green and I thought about how much life they must have had once. Her lips were small and cracked and cheekbones stuck so much out of the skin I knew it was unhealthy. I could tell that she would have been beautiful.

I felt a rush of empathy grip my heart at the thought of how long she must have been down here for her to be in this condition.
The girls nightgown hung loosely around her shoulders and to threatened to slip of at any moment. She was clearly Malnourished and dehydrated.

"Where is Lavinia?" She asked suddenly, ignoring my question.

"How do you know our mother?" Joseph stepped closer to her and she lost any confidence she had built.

"S-s-she was the one who- who brought me here." She sounded afraid. Like any movement she made could awake some kind of monster inside of me.

I looked at the circles under her eyes and the bones protruding from her skin. I saw the scars that littered her body and the paleness of her skin. She was in no position to be lying and she definitely didn't do this to herself.

"Joseph," I started "we need to help her."

"But we hardly know her, she could be ly..." He stopped when he saw my face. I had a look of steel but my insides felt like jelly.

I gently grabbed her hand and led her to the ladder. She looked up and saw the brightness above us, the girl stood there seemingly uncertain. I sqeezed her hand twice before nudging her towards the ladder.

She grabbed the first rung and began.