Roses' Ordeal (part 1)

[Mary Salle]

 Rose stirred slowly, her head pounding from the battle upon her ships deck. She slowly opened her eyes, but only a blackness surrounded her. There was no light to be seen anywhere. Slowly she tried to stand, only to be stopped abruptly as she did. Cold metal bars greeted her hand in the blackness. She followed them around, searching for the opening of her small cage. Her fingers found the heavy chain and lock that held her in. The rancid smell of vomit and feces filled her nostrils as her senses slowly came to her, the heavy feeling of fear and heartache pressed at her from every direction. Aching from head to toe, she laid there on the cold, wet ground, trying to figure out what had happened.
  What seemed like hours passed, she couldn't take it anymore, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Nothing, not a thing at all except her own voice screaming back at her. Had she been left there, thought to have been dead? Her mind ached as she strained to see and figure things out.
  The cold dampness dug it's fingers deep into her body, making her hurt even more. The blackness rang out with noise, the sounds of keys rattling against a wooden door pounded in her ears. "Someone had heard my scream and are coming to rescue me." she thought to herself. The latch of the door slapped open, the creak of the hinges sent shivers down her spine as it opened. Light tore into her eyes as it peeked out around the doors' edge, quickly she shielded eyes with her hand.

 "Ahh good, Our "guest" is finally awake." the heavy voice chuckled. The bright light from the lantern tore into her eyes like a dagger. She shielded her eyes as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden siege from the light. Two pairs of hands grabbed at her as the sounds of the keys rattled against the metal of the cage and lock, the sound of the chain clanging against the bars echoed throughout the cave.
 With little effort, the hands that gripped her pulled her from the cage, dragging her across the ground. Her clothing, tattered and torn did little to protect her bits of exposed flesh as it scraped and scratched across the rough floor. Her eyes barely began to slowly adjust to the light. she could see the cave walls and ceiling, her heart sank. A gruff voice grumbled as the hands shackled her to a heavy wooden beam. Her eyes adjusting more to the light as she started to look around. A blindfold stripped eyes once more of lights.

 "Where is your treasure?" bellowed the gruff voice.
 
 "What treasure?" she responded.

 "You lie! Tell me where you hide it!" yelled the gruff voice as she felt a searing rush of pain across her face from a gloved hand. The metallic taste of her own blood bit at her tongue as she spat it out.

 "I have only what was on my ship." she replied between spits of blood.

 "I desire your most precious treasure you speak of in your diary you useless woman. Give me it's location and spare yourself even worse then you just received." growled the gruff voice. Rose knew what he spoke of as he mentioned the words, but she could never tell him that it was not gems or gold that was the treasure, but her only true treasure, her innocence. For what seemed hours, the gloved hand hit across her face and body as she continued to plead that there was no real treasure, she even resorted to telling the gruff voice it was her books that she called her most precious treasure. But it was to no avail, a heavy hit from the gloved hand knocked her out...