Back to Reality
My eyes widened as the reality of my situation hit me. None of this made sense, except for one terrifying fact: the man standing before me was the Beast to whom I had been sacrificed.
"W-Where is T-Tabitha?" I stammered.
No response came. Tabitha was the girl who had been tied to the tree with me. The last thing I remembered was her hopeless, tear-stained face staring at me in the dark.
"Where did you take Tabitha?!" I demanded, my voice rising with desperation.
"Do not raise your voice at me, little one!"
His powerful voice thundered, rumbling deep within his chest. Beneath his words, there was another sound—an unfathomable, howling noise, as if another creature lived inside him. A gruesome, hungry beast.
Terrified, I looked down at my shaking hands and took a step back. Then another. My chest heaved with fright.
"You know… you do not have to be afraid of me, little one," he grimaced, stalking toward me. "But there are rules here. Rules to be followed. When they are broken, the punishment is severe."
He closed the distance between us. I stood there shivering, wondering what horrors he had in mind. His firm hand reached out, lifting my jaw in the poorly lit room. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the worst.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Captain!"
Captain?
"What is it, Helen?" he growled, his head snapping toward the woman who had entered. His hand remained clamped firmly on my jaw.
"The code has been breached! The other girl stole one of the boats and is getting away!"
"WHAT?!" He roared with such power that the walls seemed to vibrate. He released me abruptly, as if I were nothing more than filth.
"You stay here!" he spat at me. "Try anything funny and you're dead."
I watched his bulky silhouette retreat, followed closely by Helen. My hands flew to my chest, my heart hammering. What would have happened if she hadn't interrupted? Would he have forced himself on me right then?
I sank to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. I prayed that Tabitha was the one who had escaped. I hoped my mother was safe. And Moses… I hoped he was staying true to his word.
It wasn't until dawn began to break that I realized I was on a ship.
At first, I thought the turbulent sounds and the "earthquakes" were part of some strange land. But between the "Sail ho!" cries from the deck and the way Helen addressed the Beast as "Captain," the truth became clear. I was at sea.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open again.
"Stay here! Pull a stunt like that again and you're dead!" It was Helen's voice.
She tossed a heavy sack into the room and slammed the door. I stood up, approaching the bundle with slow, hesitant steps.
"H-hello?" I called out, my voice faint and husky.
I reached for the top of the sack and untied it. Immediately, a tiny, high-pitched scream erupted from within.
"D-don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me! It wasn't my fault, I promise!"
I helped the person out and gasped in surprise. It was a young girl, no more than twelve years old. She had blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, and wore a peach-colored gown with a neat collar.
"Hey, hey… it's okay. You're safe. I won't hurt you, I promise," I said, reaching out to her.
"Pinky promise?" she asked, extending her tiniest finger. The terror on her face told me she had been treated cruelly by the crew.
"Yes, you have my word."
I pulled her into a hug, then guided her to the corner where I had been sleeping.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"P-Piper," she replied.
"Well, Piper, that's a beautiful name. I'm Ava Goodchild. I was one of the selected… virgins. Are you here for the same reason?"
"N-no, I'm not of age yet. It was a mistake," she whispered. "The girl who was supposed to be here escaped. She arranged for people to put me in her place. I was stolen, locked in a box, and I couldn't even scream for help. By the time Captain Caspian and his crew found me… it was too late. They were already too far out to return me."
Pity swelled in my chest. "I am so sorry, dear…"
"You're one of the chosen, right?" she asked.
"In a way. I was selected because I can read," I explained. "In my village, they think girls who read are witches. They think we're the work of the devil."
"Then I must warn you about Lydia," Piper said, her expression turning serious.
"Lydia? Who is she?"
"They say she's the leader of the girls. She grooms them for the Beast. Rumor says she is mischievous and roguish."
I frowned. "How do you know all this if you were locked up?"
"I picked the old lock," she whispered with a small, mischievous grin. "That's why Ma'am Helen was so angry. She caught me eavesdropping."
I couldn't help it—I giggled. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh."
"It's okay," Piper chuckled. "Back home, I was known as Piper the Thief."
We talked for a long time. She told me she was an orphan who had survived by pickpocketing. She was incredibly sharp for her age, teaching me more about the world in an hour than I had learned in years.
Eventually, Piper fell asleep with her head in my lap. As I massaged her shoulders and hummed a low song, the lock clicked.
"Here," a mean voice muttered, sliding two dishes into the room.
It was dinner. I gently woke Piper. "There's food!"
We shared two pieces of fish and a loaf of bread. As I watched her eat, a small sense of relief washed over me. They were feeding us, which meant they didn't plan to kill us yet.
Or so I thought.