Chapter 1
Unknown female POV
It’s dark, damp and mouldy in this place, wherever here is. As for who I am well your guess is as good as mine. Don’t get me wrong I know a lot but who I am, where I’m from, how I got here and even where here is, is a complete mystery.
I don’t know exactly how long I’ve been here but I know it’s been about 10 years which is most of my life, just sat here waiting. For what you’re thinking, well I don’t know myself, everyday they send some old man down here. He watches me and then leaves, that’s it, that’s all he does, like come on at least talk to me. Not that I’d be much of a conversationalist now anyway.
I’m not alone down here either not that any other prisoners stay longer than a month, I don’t know where they go when their taken from this hole but from the screams it can’t be anywhere good. Saying that the hole’s not much better (that’s what the guards call this place) everyone that comes here screams and screams and screams until their throats can’t make any more noise. I learnt a long time ago that there was no point making a sound so I haven’t for years.
I know your thinking if she can’t remember anything then how does she know it’s been years, well this place is the only place I remember since I was five/six.
....FLASHBACK TO FIRST MEMORY....
Opening my eyes to a fuzzy feeling in my head which really hurt, I couldn’t see anything but black not even my hands in front of my face. Suddenly I could hear footsteps, I started shuffling back on the floor until my back hit a brick wall. The lights outside the room came on and I could now see I was in a room with 3 brick walls and 1 made of bars. I was sitting with my knees hugged to my chest and my head down when I first heard his voice.
“Ahh sweet girl your awake, finally.” I keep my head down because I don’t want to know who he is I just want to go home. That’s when it hits me I can’t remember my home I can’t remember my name or anything. “Come on angel show me them blue eyes.” I look up at the man and my body automatically shrinks further into the wall, I will never forget them eyes peering at my through the bars. “What is your name?” sneered the man, “I, I, I don’t k, know.” I reply quietly. “HA” he bellows at me, tears fill my eyes as I look up at him confused “How old are you?” he asks next, I just looked down at my feet.
A loud cackle comes from the man and he asks “Who are your parents?” I keep my eyes down and my mouth shut. Laughing he says “Ok, ok last question what are you?” this question made me lift my head and stare at him even more confused. He regarded me for a silent moment then stepped closer to the bars but not close enough to touch them, he cocked his head to the side and said “As you don’t remember anything you will need a new name.“.
I looked at him confused, what was wrong with my real name whatever it was I thought. “Your six or seven lets say seven so that’s what we’ll call you, yes seven it is.” he mumbled more to himself then he looked me in the eye and said “Welcome to your new home seven I hope you like it.” then he just turned and walked away leaving me in tears.
....END OF FLASHBACK....
That was ten years ago now and my new name is Seventeen because that’s how old I am meant to be now, I didn’t see that first man again for a long time but everyday since the day after his first visit the other old man has been coming in for a while a day and then leaving.
The first man I met whose name is Gregory came back exactly a year after our first meeting (so he told me, he also told me his name on the second visit), he brought a cupcake with him for me for my birthday and told me I would now respond to the name Seven.
This continued every year it’s the only time I see Gregory and I only get a cupcake if I’ve been good all year. The only time I don’t see the old man is on my supposed birthday he has never told me his name, never answered any of my questions nothing. I tried to ask Gregory a few times but if I do anything other than answer Gregory’s questions he would get up and leave, so I just stopped asking.
The first year here was the scariest after Gregory left a guard came in with some water and to tell me the rules, I could scream all I wanted because no one could hear me outside the hole, the lights come on at 7 am and go off at 7 pm (that’s how I know whether it’s night or day), don’t expect answers to questions as no one will talk to me. I wouldn’t be leaving the cell so I have to use the built in toilet and shower.
The first 2 or 3 days I was alone and only saw the guards that brought my meals, When I say meals that’s extremely generous breakfast is a slice of often mouldy bread and warm water, lunch is warm water and dinner is 1 chicken breast 1 slice of again often mouldy bread and black cold sugarless tea. I tried asking the guards things but they just walk away so again I stopped.
After the first few days the first prisoner was brought in (that’s what the guards called them) and that’s when the hell really started. First the screaming OH GOD the screaming it didn’t matter what time it was, it was the worst part. I was seven and I was forced to listen to grown men and women scream, cry and plead all for nothing.
No one ever stayed more than a month and even less time if they tried to speak to me. After the third prisoner was ripped out of their cell as soon as they addressed me and never returned I figured I was one being watched and two I really couldn’t speak to anyone.
The second year wasn’t much better than the first year, I had gotten used to the screaming so much when there was none the panic started. I remember my first panic attack, breathing was so hard it felt like a ton of weight on my chest. When I realised that no one was coming to help me I learned to control them and if I ever felt one coming I could now stop it pretty quick.
In the second year the guards started bringing me school books, news papers and novels, with the school books I was always given a piece of paper with the work I had to complete and if I didn’t do it I didn’t eat that days dinner or the next mornings breakfast. Luckily I knew how to read write and do basic math, I become extremely smart as the years went on and I started to be given fight training books. One morning I woke up to a punching bag hanging in the corner with instructions to use it for at least an hour a day, that’s what I started with but now if I’m not learning, eating or attempting to sleep I’m training in my tiny cell.
