Chapter One: Where am I?

CAMILLA'S POV

“Argh”.

I groaned as I struggled to open my eyes. I could hardly see or hear anything. The place was dark and my vision was hazy as well but I could feel myself on the cold hard floor.

Why was I on the floor?

I was confused and tried to sit up then I heard the sound of chains clanking. I wondered where it came from. I tried to move my arms then realized that they were bound together.

Huh?

I tried to calm myself down and make sense of the situation. I looked around as my vision cleared up.

The place was dark and empty and looked like a dungeon.

Wtf?

I was home not long ago and now…

What was happening?

I couldn't understand what was happening or what I was doing in a dungeon. I thought hard, trying to remember what happened but all I could remember was me talking to my father and falling asleep.

My thoughts were disturbed by footsteps and voices. It seemed that people were coming to the dungeon. As they got closer I recognised one of the voices and when they got there I saw.. My father?

Shocked was an understatement.

He was discussing something with another man that I didn't know. I couldn't hear what they were saying but the man kept glancing at me throughout their whole conversation.

I tried calling out to my father.

“Dad!”. I cried out but he didn't answer.

“Dad, what's happening and why am I here? I'm scared”. I said again and this time he looked at me dead in the eye then looked away. He didn't say or word or move an inch. It almost felt like I was invisible or something.

He shook hands with the man, collected a package from him and then left.

What? Where was he going?

The man turned to look at me and then left as well.

My heart stopped. Did my father leave me here for dead? That's not possible. I was his only daughter. How could he leave?

Maybe this was a dream, but…. It felt too real. Or maybe he'd come back for me. Yes. That was the only explanation. He'd come back.

He'd come back, he can't leave me here. He just can't

I kept repeating it to myself over and over again. I didn't want to believe that my father had abandoned me here. He was a lot of things but he wasn't evil.

Or so I thought

I buried my face in my palms and cried silent but hot tears. I eventually slept off.

I awoke to the sound of the gate being opened. I didn't even have the strength to look up.

Wait? Did my father come get me?

I looked up and just saw a security guard dropping a plate of food before me.

He didn't say a word to me and turned to leave immediately after he dropped it.

I scrutinized the plate of food and decided against eating it. My stomach grumbled out of hunger but I still desisted from eating it.

What if it was poisoned

This went on for two more days. On the third day the guard came in and his face changed when the smell of the rotten food hit him. I was also smelling as I had not had a bath in three days.

I looked closely and saw that the strange man was with him.

Maybe I was being released? But where was my father?

The strange man came closer to me and bent down. He held my chin violently and forced me to look him in the eye.

“You rat. You refuse the food I give you? You're supposed to count yourself lucky that you're even being fed!”. He said and let go of my chin.

He stood up and faced the security man.

“Remove the chains from her legs and arms.”. He did as he was ordered.

I felt a sense of relief as the chains fell from my arms.

The guard held my hand and we followed the strange man to the main house. The light pierced my eyes and I closed them immediately.

We got to a room in a huge hallway and he led me inside. The security guard left and it was only the two of us.

I went inside the room and it was cold and almost empty. It looked like it had a working toilet and bathroom. I sat on the bed and it was a bit comfortable. The wardrobe had some clothes in it.

I still didn't understand what was going on. I turned to the strange man who was staring at me intently.

Weirdo

“Uhm, when do I go back home?”. I asked and he smirked

“Home?”. He chuckled. “This is your home now”

What was he talking about

Before I could say anything else he left the room and locked the door behind him.

I tried my best to open the door, even though I knew it was locked. I screamed and hit the door continuously but nothing happened.

I dropped to the floor and cried.

“No no no this can't be happening!”. I said as tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Why would he leave me here? Where did he go? What about mom? He lied to me. He lied”. I said as I continued crying and hitting the floor.

“Dad, where are you!? You lied to me!”. I screamed even more and banged my fists on the floor till they got bruised and bloodied.

When I stopped crying there was deafening silence. The place felt like death itself. Why was I here?

I looked around me and stood up. I walked around trying to distract myself from falling asleep.

Maybe I'd get killed in my sleep by that strange man.

He had this aura that I didn't understand. I sat on the bed when my legs started aching. I realised that I had slept on the floor for three days. The bed seemed so comfortable and soft. I laid down and almost immediately felt drowsy. And before I knew it, I was out like a light.