14. Wind

She sagged listlessly against the wall, feeling the cold chains biting dreadfully into her wrists. After wasting a number of hours attempting to escape, she had finally understood that it was futile to try. Her captor would have assigned guards; security of some sort, to watch over her but the fact that they did not proved the fact that she was unlikely to escape. For three days, she had been stuck in this hell, hearing the guttural groaning of the machine that lay beneath her and the river of whispers above her, proving that she was, indeed, in a populated area. In those three days, she had not been able to eat or drink although her captor was kind enough to provide a tray for her every five hours, or so she thought.

What they had not thought of was that she was in chains. Physically, she was unable to reach the tray and tear the contents apart with a satisfaction that would sate her growling stomach. Thinking about it made her feel nauseas, and her head hung back with a weight that impacted upon her neck. For three days as well, she had been unable to relieve herself; knowing that she had to hold it off as long as she could so that she would not be living within a claustrophobic cell that stunk to the highest heavens.

Closing her eyes, she lifted her hands under the heavy metal of the chains, as high as she could so that she could stretch. There were a lot of knots in her body that left her unhappy and often very uncomfortable. Curling her legs to one side, she let her head rest upon her arms and closed her eyes gently, praying and begging that someone would show mercy.

Miraculously; lo and behold, the grate opened once again. She perked up as high as she could so that she could catch a view of her assailants but she was swung back down in a moment of terror. The grate closed, leaving her crying out to someone who would never help her, the mewling quims - the lot of them! A loud scraping of metal was heard and she witnessed the food appear glumly. So close but yet so far. It felt like they were tempting her; and she absolutely despised that. She was human, just like the rest of them. Alright; so she was able to conduct magic; but these things happened to multiple people without everyone being a risk to danger. They'd managed to lock her cell completely, refusing to let her magic flourish and accumulate and thus she hung between the strings of life and death; the delicate spider webs that refused to back down, no matter their enemies. 

She yelled out for someone to help her, feeling hopeful for an unknown reason and all she got for that was silence. Threatening, empty silence. Shivering at the sudden drop in temperature, she looked around her dim cell; her teeth started to chatter. "What's going on?"

"You see," a sudden voice startled her. "All you had to do was ask a question and I could help you. Instead you were being foolish, wailing and screaming. As if anyone could hear you! As if! What sort of idiot are you?"

She yelped, raising her arms in defence poorly. "Who are you?"

The voice gave an impertinent huff, taking on a masculine tone. "Always the same question. We've been through this before; you and me. And each time, you never fail to ask me that question. Do you have any imagination?"

"What?" She replied, bewildered. This person or creature was speaking as if it knew her; was someone or something that she was close to. "I don't seem to understand."

"Oh wait," she heard it murmur, somewhat glumly. "I've met you many times. It's you that's never met me. Sorry; I've been put here for punishment until eternity. A paradox all within itself; but soon enough you'll understand. I make this mistake every single time… except the first time; but I don't even remember that. Paradox, see?"

"No," she replied slowly… intentionally. "I don't see."

"Alright, so time is a continuous circle but it isn't really. A good friend of mine explained it to me; wibbly wobbly. Understand? My entire life is made up of waiting in this cell; this exact same time period for all of eternity. I meet you about - what - every year or so. So that's a year. I don't only meet you of course, but you're the only one that - oh. Er - can't tell you that. You'll find that out yourself eventually."

"So you're saying that you continuously live out a year over and over again?"

"Pretty much, sweetheart. Would you like me to feed your malnourished body?" It asked, its voice sounding explicably kind. "It's better you eat a little bit now."

"So," she interrupted. "You know how this is going to span out?"

"Well, not really. You could always make another decision but that would entail a paradox - as amazing as it would be. It would have to have occurred the previous times you've come here." It admitted. "And technically you live yourself continuously. It's an odd way of thinking, isn't it? We both actually live this year repeatedly. It's just that you progress on whilst I'm stuck here, with the knowledge of your next arrival."

“Do you know when I get out?” She asked, her heart racing as a dark mirage got closer to her; what she previously thought were shadows being anything but.
“Right about now, actually.” The shadow turned into something more decipherable, from a hard coal grey to a brown shade of cedar; revealing an elfin dwarf. “You know what I look like; that’s in the criteria.”

“What were you referring to earlier?” She asked, eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. “When you said you took a special interest in me because of … something?”

He looked at her sadly. “I might as well tell you. You die; sweetheart, you are executed. That’s why you’re the one I make an effort with nowadays. I’m sorry.” His head bowed, the weight of tension showing upon his large shoulders.

She started shaking, slowly sliding against the wall. “You’re not… joking?”

He shook his head in obvious regret, his scraggly beard following his gentle movements.

“I – thank you for telling me.” And suddenly the door opened, a large shape coming through. She cowered away in fear and twisted to ask the dependable dwarf to help her, but realised that he’s shrunk away slyly when her assailant had come in.

“You’re to come with us,” the guard or creature, whatever it was – such a grotesque figure that terrified her so dreadfully, ordered.

“Unchain me then,” she scoffed. “I can’t exactly come along.”

And she was led away in confusion, taken up stairs that went up ahead, hearing the loud cackling of the dwarf behind.