A scream suddenly echoed through the forest. It was filled with agony and despair. It shook the walls and lingered in the air long after it had stopped. The prisoners immediately stiffened. Some of them lowered their heads, their faces ashen, while others trembled silently within their wire cages. One woman covered her mouth to stop herself from crying. Another prisoner squeezed his eyes shut, as if pretending not to hear would somehow make it disappear.
Then came another scream, carrying the same desperation and terror as before, only longer this time. It dragged on for several unbearable seconds before finally dissipating, leaving a suffocating dread hanging in the air.
Lory's expression hardened, her fists trembling. Anxiety and anger mingled in her eyes as she stared into the basement. Lory wondered what terrible things these people had done here. What had they done to those innocent people?
