Eternal Moon

Chapter 27: A Lass, Alas

Emma cracked her eyes open only to awaken to more darkness.

Her throat was dry as dirt and she worked her mouth in an attempt to get some moisture moving through it. The motion gave her a headache, pounding at her temples like a hammer. How long had she been out? And where was she?

Amidst the darkness, she used her other senses to determine where she was. The ground was dry but dusty like packed earth and her clothes were covered with dirt and mud. It was cool and just a tad damp like a closet. A rank smell filled her nostrils, reminding her of body odor and shit. But the darkness was oppressive. She had to feel around to get her bearings, shocked when her hands hit cold steel. A... cage?

Sure enough, her hands felt more cold steel only inches away on both sides. Definitely a cage. Flashes of Game of Thrones scenes and true crime documentaries flew through her mind. Was she in some kind of dungeon?

Memories started to assail her of a large Irish man and a thin, aging woman. The woman had been cruel and full of bite like an irritated snake. The man had grabbed her and was intimidatingly big, but he'd never hurt her. Not that she could remember. In fact, she had even felt a gentleness from him. His hands hadn't felt malicious or violent as they'd carried her. Hadn't he also argued with the woman? They had hardly seemed like a united front.

The two of them had kidnapped her in Aberdeen, she recalled. That long drive... Emma didn't know much about Scotland but they had clearly left the city and headed westward to the countryside. East was the sea. She could even remember mountains when they had stopped.

But when had that been? It had been hours if not days since she'd eaten. Her stomach rumbled and her limbs felt leaden as if she was nothing but dead weight. Tired, she was so tired. Even now, sleep called her name.

A rustling sound stilled her and she jumped when she felt something light hit her legs. Frantically, her hands reached down to find the culprit. A plastic bag?

"Eat it."

She recognized the voice as the Irishman but she still started when she realized someone else was there. "Who are you? W-where are you?"

A long, deep sigh. "In the cage next to you. Now eat something."

Instinct was more powerful than reason at that moment. She found herself opening the bag and stuffing whatever was inside into her mouth. Chips, actually. The sharp salty taste practically made her moan.

When she finished the entire bag, she dared to move a little bit towards her left where the man's voice had come from. It was hard to tell whether he was also in the same cage as her or not.

She asked, "What am I doing here?"

It was a long moment before he answered her. "You're the closest thing to Jamie."

Relief, hope, excitement. All flooded her chest at the mention of her sister. "You've seen her then? She's here?!" She hoped to God that her sister was still alive.

Another bag hit her and she didn't even pause to ask more questions until she had opened it and scarfed down the contents as well.

"You should focus on eating, girl. It's been several days."

"Please," Emma begged. "Do you know where she is? Is she okay? Is she here in this place too?"

Emma was mortified to realize that hunger and exhaustion also made her emotional as she was already crying at the thought of her sister trapped down in this dungeon, or worse. Tears slipped down her cheeks, wiping away the crumbs around her mouth.