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His presence and our exchange become a lifeline in this oppressive darkness. I want to be closer to him, but these damn bars are keeping me away from him.
“Please, keep talking,” I tell him, noticing that his head has slumped to the side. “Stay with me, Cal.”
“Are you scared?” I hear him ask. His words reach out to me in this dark moment, trying to offer a comforting touch.
“Yes,” I admit softly, my voice echoing around us although it was barely a whisper.
“It’s okay to be scared, El,” he murmurs, his voice a gentle reassurance when I need it the most. “We’re in this together. And I told you, Rock will leave no stone unturned to find us. We just need to stay strong.”
I nod, my momentary fear tempered by the shared understanding.
“I know it would be better if you were back at the village with Rock,” I say, a little ashamed of what I’m about to say, “but I’m glad you’re here, with me.”
He smiles. “I am where I need to be. And you won’t like to hear this, but I think you are, too. We are supposed to be here for a reason. We just don’t know it yet.”
“Do you have any idea why they would bring us here?” I wonder.
“No,” he shakes his head. “But it is obvious they need us for something. Otherwise, they would have either left us back at the village, like they did everyone else, or they would have killed us by now.”
I silently gasp at the thought of being killed, without even knowing why. Fear claws its way into my mind once again, only this time, I’m not sure that I can be comforted by any words.
“Try to sit down and rest, if you can,” he adds.
“I don’t think I can,” I admit, although I can already feel exhaustion overwhelming me.
“Sit down,” he suggests. “Lean against the wall, and I’ll tell you a story.”
“Like a bedtime story?” He actually manages to make me smile.
“Yeah,” his voice reaches me. “Something like that. Come on.”
“Okay,” I agree, finally letting go of the bars and doing as he told me to.
I take a seat on the wet dirty floor, trying not to pay attention to how uncomfortable it is. I lean against the wall, and strangely enough, my body adjusts itself to the unpleasant position.
“Comfy?” he asks.
“Hardly,” I reply honestly. “But you can start.”
“Once upon a time,” he starts, and somehow, my whole body unwinds just upon those words, “there was a brave girl who found herself lost in the enchanted woods. The shadows lurked like monsters, the branches of trees like hands of demons, aiming to grab her. Just when the girl felt the hardest weight of fear pressing upon her, a mysterious figure emerged from the shadowy woods. It was a wolf, sleek and silver-furred, its eyes gleaming with an untamed wildness. It approached the girl.”
He pauses, and I find myself fully immersed in the story. “Then what happened?” I ask, and he indulges me.
“Just when it seemed that the girl was in danger, a guardian appeared, a mighty bear, its form massive and powerful. With a roar that echoed through the trees, the bear confronted the wolf, warding it off with a fierce determination to protect the girl.”
As this sweet little tale unfolds, I realize that he intertwined elements of danger and salvation, creating a story that mirrored our own struggles. Despite the ominous beginning, he chooses to make the underlying message one of courage, unexpected allies and the transformative power of protection.
“The girl didn’t need to be told that the bear was a friend. She looked deeply into its eyes, and she knew,” he continues. “He became the girl’s protector, guiding her safely through the woods and ensuring that she reached her destination safely. Then, when she got home…”
This is where his voice trails off, and I drift to sleep. I know that in his story, I am the girl, and the two of them are the bear, protecting me. I smile in my dreams, feeling safe. But at one point, I am woken up by the sharp sound of squealing bars against the ground. I realize that the guards are here again. They’ve opened Cal’s cell, and they are picking him up.
“Hey!” I shout, jumping to my feet and rushing to the bars that keep me in place. “What are you doing? Where are you taking him?” I demand, but I don’t get any response to my question.
Cal doesn’t say anything to them. He gets up, his chains dragging along the floor. They take him out of his cell, and he stops for a moment, lingering by my side.
“We’ll be fine, El,” he whispers tenderly. “Trust me.”
I do want to trust him, but it’s difficult when I see him being taken away. Fear takes hold of me completely. I don’t know when he will be back, or even if he will be back at all. The thought sends shivers down my spine, along with a surge of helplessness.
