Page 19 of Lost Girl

Following her screams, I start down the opposite hallway, passing one, two, three…No, three’s the winner. Her sobs echo from behind that door, somewhere beneath my feet it seems.

What’s most disturbing of it all is that every door I came across on my way here was the same dark paneling of the walls. Nothing out of the ordinary. This one, however, is starkly different. Either genuine silver or perhaps steel. Solely the door, too. The framing matches the rest of this place.

A dungeon.

It has to be. And yet here my sister was joking about its existence. I scoff in disappointment, ire washing over me at who she’s become. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but I can’t help myself from wondering if she knew and brushed it off to keep the Captain’s little secret underwraps.

Now isn’t the time to dwell on my sister, though. I need to be in and out.

Pushing all thoughts of her aside, I lay a hand on the knob and turn it out of habit. I’m surprised to find it open, turning without a single kink. Another coast-clearing glance to cover my ass and I’m pulling it open, meeting nothing but a long, dark way down.

How the hell am I going to get out of there?

“Somebody, please,” a weak, thoroughly spent whimper breaks free at the very bottom. “Help.”

“Fuck it.” I’m moving, pushing rationality aside to get to this woman, whoever she may be. I can’t bear another round of her screams and I sure as hell cannot walk off this property knowing she’s down here.

I’ll never sleep again.

Shutting the door behind myself, I stick close to the stone wall of the stairwell and make my way down the steps. It’s dark as fuck, but the further I trail down, rays from the sun beam brighter and brighter, illuminating the way.

Clearly, we’re notthatfar down then.

So why does it feel like I’ve descended to the seventh circle of hell?

Doesn’t matter because the moment I clear the last step, I see her. The sight of her all curled up nearly knocks the wind out of me, halting every move I could possibly make.

Every sound that could possibly escape my lips.

With her knees hugged to her chest, forehead pressed against them, she can’t see me, and I don’t know whether to make my presence known or just move. I don’t want to startle her, but I suppose that’ll be the outcome regardless.

A strange man she’s not met just appearing from nowhere; of course she’s going to startle.

Who are you?I wonder to myself. She’s a fair-skinned little thing, long, dark, mussed up waves hanging over her arms.

That’s when I notice the shackles, the chainsI’d heard clanking keeping her restrained to the stone wall at her back.

Who are you?the thought hits me again. Why is she here? What could she possibly have done to deserve this?

Answers you don’t have the time to unmask. Hurry!

I’m moving again, following my instincts with careful steps towards her. Not careful enough, apparently. Her head snaps up, these sky blue eyes widening in nothing but pure fear, mouth popping open to belt out another hoarse cry.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I whisper-hiss, holding my hands up in surrender. I make it a point to stop, too, just so she can take a good look at me with the few feet still separating us.

I’m still expecting to hear her scream, but it never comes.

Wordlessly, she observes me. Wary. Unsure. I can’t blame her for it, either. I’d be wary ofanyonewho came within twenty feet of me if I was chained to a wall, too.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” I keep my hands where she can see them. “I just want to help you.”

Still nothing, but I take both the silence and her fixated stare as a good thing rather than a bad thing. Bracing myself for the worst, I make way to take a single step. She recoils only slightly which still stops me in my tracks. I don’t want to elicit more fear than I already feel emanating off her.

If this is as far as she’ll let me come, so be it.

Crouching down slowly, I drop all the way to my haunches instead, offering a soft smile. “What’s your name?”

?Paint It, Black - Ciara?

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