Caroline struggled against the grip of the guard who held her. He pushed her into a cell that reminded her of a medieval dungeon. “Such strange words,” the man muttered to his companion as he locked the door and turned away. Caroline stared at the bars and fought a wave of hopelessness. She hugged herself and shivered. She’d not gotten a warm welcome when she’d reached the city she’d seen in the distance after her arrival. This was the second cell she’d been pushed into by a people who were obviously not human, at least not completely human. She was cold, tired, hungry, and completely terrified. “Hello?” came a deep voice from the depths of a pitch black cell next to hers. She turned, examining the cot and chamber pot, the only two items in her prison. “Hello?” she called back. “Are you all right?” Those simple words, spoken in a voice that seemed to genuinely care were almost her undoing. She swallowed back a flood of emotion and sat down on the cot. “Physically, yes.”
