The prison was surrounded by large green moss and long vines. I was tied to the slimy walls with a piece of thick rope. My breath come out in puffs of white and my brown eyes caught the attention of a skeleton still attached to a pair of large cuffs. When he had taken me, I thought it was for some innocent banter but now, I was stuck to the wall, unable to move for reasons unknown to me. The door creaked as he pushed it open and my heart was racing. He was holding a large, long, black whip and I knew at once that I would be punished for something. Abaddon loomed towards me, brandishing the whip as he came. I called for Caron in my mind, begging for her to help me. He pulled the whip back and I screamed. My only hope was that she had seen me. Although I was in a horrid state, she had to know that I needed her.

My skin was bruised and my vision, blurred. He hadn’t fed me in days and I could feel myself fading away. But I had to hold on. Hold on for Caron. Hold on for our future. Hold on for everything. The day we left together, we promised never to come back, we promised we’d have a better life. But I didn’t have to break my promise, Abaddon did that for me.

Lying on my bed, I waited for her to come home. It had been a long day of hard work in the factory. They had allowed a 5-minute break, rare for a factory like ours. I had retaliated when the boss had hit the woman next to me. It was my final warning and I knew I couldn’t blow it. Caron wasn’t making enough to support the both of us. She was barely making enough for dinner on the table. I wasn’t doing any better. I could afford 1 pack of gum a week and nothing else. I needed to keep this job. Upon hearing a knock on the door, I stood up and approached it cautiously. Caron would have opened the door with her own key, not knocked upon it like a mailman. Peeping through the keyhole, I saw him. Small, round and dark, a mischievous little man holding a whip. I only had time to widen my eyes before the door was blasted open. I tried to run but there was nowhere to hide in the tiny apartment. He was coming closer and all I could do was fall to the floor, yelling. He put a bag over my head and tied me hands behind my back. I couldn’t move, I could only scream.

My hunger was reaching breaking point. It felt like a year, trapped in the dungeon without light, food and fresh air. I knew it couldn’t be longer than 2 days, I wouldn’t survive that long. The door creaked open slowly and, for the first time in Abaddon’s capture, I saw a young woman. She was gorgeous. She couldn’t have been a prisoner; she was dressed to well in her long white dress. Her long blonde hair was swept up into a beautiful braid and her blue eyes were staring in my direction. “Come on,” she whispered. I stared at her then looked down at my rope-bound hands. “Right, sorry, I forgot.” Bending down, she cut the rope with a knife in her pocket. She helped me to my feet and dragged me down the hall. My mouth was too dry to be able to talk and my stomach was rumbling loudly. I couldn’t figure out what was happening. Was she my rescuer? Did she know Caron? Was I finally getting out of here? We reached the front door and, as it opened, I took a large gulp of fresh air which instantly filled my lungs. I felt free, freer than I ever had.

We hurried along the path, not daring to stop in case we were being followed. It was vital that we were alone, that we could escape without Abaddon knowing. I still didn’t know my saviours name but that wasn’t important to me. I couldn’t help but feel a moment of déjà vu, knowing that this woman had a familiar face. When we had reached a stream far away from the perimeter of the castle, we stopped to take a drink. I bent down and let the water wash over my aching face before scooping it into my hands and sipping at the cool liquid. Sitting at the water’s edge, we waited in silence for something to happen. I thought about talking, making a single sound to start a conversation. “Who...who are you?” My voice sounded cracked and hoarse. She turned to look at me and I thought she might laugh. But she didn’t, she just stared at me.
“My name is Aerona. I head of your capture and immediately started planning an escape.”
“But,” I stuttered. “How do you know who I am? How do you know anything about me? Why did you rescue me?” Aerona sighed and again, I felt déjà vu tickle my brain, taunting a faded memory.
“I know a lot about you, James. I know who you were and who you have grown to be.” She smiled at me. “I’m a seer James, I watch everyone.” She must have seen the look on my face.
“You…you’ve been watching me?”
“Of course. I’m Abaddon’s seer, his pride and joy. He made me watch some…certain people.” I heard the pause in her voice. It made a shiver run down my spine.
“What do you mean, certain people?”
“I…I can’t tell you.” Aerona stared down at her hands. I’d made her feel uncomfortable, I knew that now, but I didn’t know how to undo it. I couldn’t help but be drawn towards this girl. She was so mysterious but friendly and kind. She was different from Caron, very different. Caron. That’s who she reminded me of. She had Caron’s eye shape and heart shaped face. She looked exactly like her. But she was different, colder. The brown in her eyes was replaced with blue. Her hair was what put me off most. It had none of Caron’s warmth. It was replaced by Aerona’s own golden glow. But how could she be anything like her? They were different people from different sides of the country. How was any of this possible?