Try and Catch Me

When curiosity killed the cat (1)
‘I’m just going to take a peek. Then if there’s any movement or weird things or suspicious people around, I’ll go back and report.’ Lia told herself. The dagger, which Eldric returned to her before they left the manor felt cold and heavy in her hand.

She strained her ears, hoping to catch any sound but also hoping not to catch anything. Because if there was so much as a rustle then someone should still be inside. And that was not good.

But her hyperawareness brought more harm than good when even the sound of her breathing puts her even more on the edge.

She found the entrance and her threadbare courage wavered. But a single thought persisted in the midst of all of her doubts and fears – Eldric could be lying there for all she knew.

With one last look over her shoulder, she entered the tent. It was dimly lit but from what Lia could make out were the scattered cages on the side. These were big, like for large animals, not the kind that one would normally see in a pet shop. She wondered what could be there because she did not see any animals the men could have brought in the camp. Why would Unseen need animals? For entertainment? Punishment?

She did not stop walking though to ponder on Unseen hobbies and continued. She crawled on all fours even though there was no other soul, no movement inside. She expected guards or any loitering members of the group. If the members of Unseen had already escaped then why did Eldric remain? Or perhaps he was somewhere else, taken by the dark group?

Lia shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. That was just not possible. Eldric could handle himself. Hopefully.

While there were three big tents on the outside, on the inside, they were connected with one another. A thin curtain-like flap was the only thing that separated each tent.

When she was about to cross to the second tent, the fingers clasping the ends of the flap paused. The deeper she went into the tent, the eerier the atmosphere seemed to be. The air felt bleaker and heavier with each step.

This was stupid. And it was getting more stupid the more she lingered in the place. But she could not back down, right? Not when her gut feeling points her in this direction to find him.

Lia took a careful step and gulped, looking over her shoulders once more. Why was this place so deserted and quiet and wrong?

She released her breath through her mouth, hoping to ease the tension. ‘Just one more tent and then I’m out.’

She crossed to another tent and it was not much different than the first one. There were still cages but with slightly more crates and rumpled makeshift beddings? Not to mention the rather questionable things lying around – things she had not seen all her life.

She trudged deeper. This tent was basically an extension of the first. But now that she was in the middle and with more light, she noticed that it was much tidier and slightly move lavish-looking compared to the simpleness of the first one as if this was an entertainment area of some sort. She could picture people lounging around doing what bad guys were supposed to do in their free time.

Then she reached the end of the second tent and faced the curtain that connected to the third tent. She let herself breathe out. This walk had taken years off her life. But she had not encountered anyone which was a good sign in all the wrongness of the place. It was also a sign to go back.

Yet she found herself staring long and hard at the flap that connected the second and third tent.

No, she would not go there. She promised. So she took a step back.

And a laugh reverberated in the air.