I wake in a semi dark place. I sit up holding my head. My shoulder burned wrapped with bandage. Exasperated I look around. It seems like I'm in a dungeon. Strange. The dark cell hummed and glowed a dark red. I feel alone, but I can see people's profiles. "It's the cage." A small voice said somewhere from behind. Though I turn I see nothing but the silhouettes. "You're not going crazy." "Never said I was." "You were thinkin' it." "Oh, great. A mind reader." The voice does a small laugh like its funny. "It is. You are talking out loud." "Oh." "It's the cage. It also records what you say so they can use it later." I say, "Who are you, little voice?" I waited. It felt like several hours passed before I heard it say something again. "There is a glitch. Interested?" Why not?  "Yes."

The little voice came forward. It was a 14 year old girl. She came closer, and whispered in my ear, "Not built for softness." "What?" That is the most confusing thing I've ever heard. "I'll show you later."

When she said later she meant it! Several guards have come and gone either taking her away or bringing her back broken and bloody. Every beating worse then the last. Some I recognize from the network. If only their boss new they committed treason behind his back. The almost evil thought almost came out, but no. I'll save it for later if the opportunity is ever presented. Now, after a bad day for her, she grips my hair holding my head in place while I hold her. "Sing. Remember, gentle." That's it? I don't know how to sing. I've never done it. I don't remember doing it. Then I whisper a song:

"Ring out wild bells to the wild sky

Flying cloud, the frosty light.

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out wild bells and let him die.

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out wild bells and let him die.

Ring out the old; ring in the new.

Ring happy bells, across the snow.

The year is going let him go.

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

The year is going; let him go.

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring in the valiant men and free

The larger heart, the kindler hand.

Ring out the darkness of the land.

Ring out the Christ that is to be.

Ring out the darkness in the land.

Ring in the Christ that is to be."

The one side I didn't see started to fade of darkness. "Come on!" The girl grabbed my hand and ran. She maneuvered us threw the vast maze of stone, wood, and metal walls. Turn after turn. It makes me wonder how long she has been here,and how long she has been tortured. Every now and then I hear someone coming and squish us to the walls. At some point she points at a small portion of wall close to a metal door. All the doors have a gadget of some kind on them keeping us out. I run my fingers over it searching for a crevasse or something. I turn to her. "What do I do?" She points at her hand and touched her heart. I rolled my eyes. This is getting ridiculous. I put my hand up to my heart. She shook her head and put my hand in the middle of the wall. I pushed.

It fell silently back. It caught on another wall behind it. She crawled in.Closing the hidden wood door I followed. The passage went on and on. After a long time we came upon another door made of metal which led down ward. Then a corner. My senses were going haywire. A deep rumble shook the floor. No wonder. A small hiss started to eco off the stone walls. Silent yet deadly.

There was nothing I could do. The floor gave way to a gaping pit. The child squealed. I did the one thing I knew. Gripping the walls with my legs I reached down to grab her only to fall short. All I could do was watch as she fell. Then I heard Musty's voice say, what would I do? Think about it. I jumped.

My heart wrenched into my ears and my stomach jumped into my chest. The odd thing is the peridot green around me. I try to touch it but it moves away. I never liked falling head first. No matter how much I do it there is no getting used to it! The girl is a little ways ahead. I try to wiggle to go faster, but it's no use. The walls slowly turn from stone to metal. A small light slowly appeared before us. It almost looked like it was coming from her.

Another rumbling shook everything. The green barrier shook the most. Dimming it shatters. I looked up, maybe down, I hate being upside down! Snakes burst through. The green broke like glass. Dancing all around us as we fall to the ground. Why is there ground?! I started to panic. The ground inched for us, and snakes grabbled above.

We hit the hard ground with a thump. The sudden landing knocked me breathless. The snakes fall right on me. In their rage venom sunk into me from them. The sad part is is I can't move. Their slithering all over me like they are scarred of dirt or something. Rapping themselves around my whole body the snakes freaked. The squeazing and waight made it hard to breath. A burst of peridot blasts the reptiles to ash. Rolling over I see her silhouette fall in the late light to the dirt.