The Cardinal's Memories

Drip. Drip. Drip. Water droplets fell steadily and echoed through the cave. I recognized this place. It was the place I’d come many times in my dreams.

Laying beside me was a boy. Wrapped in his arms was a girl with long red hair. They looked to be about the same age, sixteen or seventeen. Though water dripped down onto the boy’s head, leaving him soaked, he didn’t dare move and get the girl wet.

One of the girl’s legs was stretched out uncomfortably. A wound just below her knee bled profusely through the bandage they had wrapped around it. The girl shifted her position slightly with a grimace. The boy whispered a reassuring phrase in her ear and she relaxed again.

Suddenly, they both stiffened. “They’re coming.” The girl breathed, looking up at the boy. He nodded and moved the girl off of him, positioning her against the slick stone wall in the shadows.

Footsteps fell loudly outside the cave and echoed through the stone walls, drawing closer and closer. A figure, a lady by the looks of her, approached. Long blonde tresses framed her face, but they didn’t pull away any attention from her icy blue eyes. There was a sort of hauntingly evil beauty to her. Behind her, a few rows of soldiers holding guns blocked the exit of the cave.

“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here.” The lady smiled and turned her head to the side. The look on her face would’ve rivaled a child’s face when they’d just seen candy.

The girl leaned her back heavily against the wall as she stood up. Both of her hands were braced on either side of her on the wall just in case she fell. “Look… Amyra…. Just… take me instead…” her voice was strained as she spoke through gritted teeth. A glint of moonlight slanted behind the guards, landing on her face. She closed her eyes to the light.

The lady laughed softly and nodded. “Well, there’s an idea.”

The boy stepped in front of the girl and stuck both arms out, blocking her. “No. You aren’t taking her. Take me instead.”

The girl grabbed his shoulder and tried to push him aside weakly but almost doubled over. The boy caught her just before she fell and wrapped an arm under hers to keep her standing.

“Amyra…” the girl said, “please… I’ll make a deal with you. Take me… but don’t take him…”

“Oh, see there’s my problem. We actually need both of you.” The lady tisked. “And it doesn’t look like you’re in any condition to negotiate.”

“Take them.” As soon as she said the words, guards rushed towards the couple.

“No!” The boy screamed as a few guards tore the girl out of his grip and grabbed both of them. The boy ripped his arm from their grip and ran towards the girl. She turned towards the boy slightly, and the boy grabbed her chin and kissed her hard.

“Don’t forget,” the boy whispered.

“Never.” The girl shook her head. “I’ll never forget.”

The guards blocking the exit suddenly shifted, opening a way for the boy to escape.

“What are you doing?” the lady screamed. “Stop him!”

The guards stood still, making no move to catch him. The boy turned back. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back, I promise!” Those were the last words the girl heard from him before he was gone, disappearing into the dark.