The room was dark, damp, and heavy as the heat seemed nearly suphocating as I hung my head gasping for air. It was pitch black, but I had grown use to it. The ropes that bound my hand were so tight I could feel blood trickling down my fingers. My ankles too were now bleeding from my constant struggles to free them.
I had my back pressed against the stome wall of the undergrpund cave where I had been locked away for five years. Five years… a long time to be locked away, down in a dungeon of horrors. The only person you ever see is your step-mother who pays a visit about once a week just to torture you. A step-mother who is now taking your place as leader over the lands.
At first glance, I may not look like a prince, but I have every bit of royal blood that my father had. The day I turned eleven, my step-mother murdered him, and claimed it was a wild Grendal who had killed him and me. Why she did not not kill me along with him I will never know, instead, she locked me away so that my people would think I too was dead and she could take the place of leader of the lands.
Startled out of my thoughts, I jolted, looking up as I heard the familiar scraping of claws against the stone and dirt and the fainst glow of the torch as the two approached the cave, moving between the tunnels quietly. Once close enough, the Queen grinned down at me. A shiver running down my spine as her lips curled in that evil grin she always wore when she was about to say something cruel or when she got what she wanted.
Her long golden hair fell around her face and trailed down her chest and back as her pale purple skin glinted softly against the flickering flames of the torch. Her gold eyes sparkled in delight as she saw me in misery. “Hello dearest.” She hummed as she lowered her head so that I could plainly see the gold crown on her head, the red oval in the front scenter sparkling. “I know you’ll miss me, but I have a special surprise for you tonight.” She said with an evil smirk.
“Oh, wonderful. I’m sure if it is from you it is not very good.” I replied with a hiss in the edge of my voice, she grinned as the other figure stepped into the light. He was a good three feet taller then both her and me. His shoulder hunched and his yellow fur bristled he snarled at me showing his long sharp teeth that were tainted yellow and red from previous fights. His red eyes stared at me menacingly as he clicked his long claws together in a warning.
“Oh, do not be foolish my dear boy. You will love your new master.” She said with a horrid smirk that made my stomach tie in knots. She was giving me away? My heart raced at the idea, I knew she wasn’t stupid enough to give me away to another of my kind, which only meant… I looked up to her fearfully and she smiled back knowing I had figured out her plan.
“You evil, retched, horrible person!” I shouted in anger, earning a painful slash across the face from her faithful monster. She chuckled, putting her fingers to her lips and waving her tail back and forth in pleasure.
“I’ve grown quite tired of you, and seeing as I don’t want you t live forever UI have sold you to someone who can actually use you.” She snorted. “You don’t exactally have a say in it.” He chirped as she turned around motioning for her beast to follow along.
My heart felt hollow and my lungs empty as I couldn’t say anything in reply as I watched them once again leave, the light slowly fading. After a moment, I couldn’t keep back my tears as I started crying. I missed my dad, I wished it hadn’t turned out this way, alone, hurt, and now being sent away to someone not even of the same species. My whole body suddenly ached the worst it had ever had, nothing ever fealt as horrible as this. Such pain was unbarable and yet, I had been through so much worsetorture. It fealt as if the pain over the years was all the sudden just falling on my shoulders.
After hours slowly krept by, I mustered my courage and biting down hard on my lip I began to jerk and strunggle at my binds. The rope dug in deep as I fealt more blood trickle down my hands as I slowly began to pull them free. My wrists and hands were so thin now that it was farely easy to free them, but extremely painful as the bristles ab=nd frays of the rope poked and dug into my wrists.
Finally after what fealt like hours the ropes slipped past my fingers and to the floor. I carefully brought my hands around, my back and shoulders popping and cracking as they had been immobile for five months, the last time the bonds had been off. I carefully worked at unting the rope around my ankles as it was hard to see where the knots were in the dark. Once those too were off, I attempted to slowly and carefully stand. Moaning in pain as I used the wall to stabilize myslf, every joint in my body moaning along with my, the rope burns now feeling as if a torch was being pressed to them.
I fealt the blood drip down my chin where the beast had slashed at me and knew I had to get going, I didn’t know what time of day it was now but I knew it was getting about dark and I had to be gone before then. Gently taking a few steps, I fealt my way through the cave as I brushed my fingers against the stone walls. Silently, I was glad of the lack of food they had given me, for with it I surely wouldn’t have been able to free my hands. But I also now fealt weak as I stumbled along through the dark cave. Hunger creeping through my body as I began to wonder if the tunnels would ever end.
My fingers slipped and for a second I thought I was falling but then realized I had come to a wider path of the cave. Looking closely I saw a dim glow ahead and after perking my ears and listening for anyone, I started torwards the only like I had seen besides a torch for five years.
After stumbling up the smallslope, I was greated by a gentle breeze as I gasped in the air with deep breaths. It was so cool and clean, it fealt so wonderful. I turned suddenly when hearing distance voices, I saw the faint glow of red through the dense trees and knew it was her and I could hear three others talking alond with her as well.
I Forced myself to run, pushing through the branched and shrub, the forest seemed to give me new strength yet it fealt almost like it was pulling me back, pulling me away from freedom, begging me to stay. After hours of running I collapsed in a opening, gasping for air as I fealt like I had been through a brutal battle, the blood from my wounds dripping over my arms, legs and face. Closing my eyes I wanted to just fall asleep, to disappear from my troubles and pain. Another breeze fruffled the tall grass around me and I opened my eyes again, watching the full moon’s reflection glint off the dark green grass as I ran my fingers through it. I’d forgotten what it was like, the feeling of grass. I pushed myself over and stared up as the full moon and twinkling stars as they seemed to almost smile down at me, renuing my courage and strength as I pushed myself painfully to my feet and stumbled to stay balanced.
“I have to keep going…” I told myself weakly I I limped through the trees, leaning on them every so often to kep on standing. Up ahead, I saw another break and thinking it was maybe it was a territory or home, I approached it carefully, then froze in amazement and shock when I finally came out into the clearing. For as far as I could see both left and right, the trees had been removed and in placeof them was a long flat of black. I was confused as what it was and feared at first it was a cliff and just too dark that I could not see the bottom. I was about to turn back when I heard a distant growl and snarl that made my heart skip a beat. I glanced wearily to the trees on the other side of the blackness and finally took a deep breath and put my foot out and touched it.
The blackness was not a hole, but it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was hard, unlike dirt or stone as it was more like gravel that had been moulded together. It was not movable, just solid like a rock. I noticed now thin strips of white lines on it, I got down on all fours, to take in the scent of the white marks and then jerked back at the powerful fragrance they had. Again, they were so strange and focusing that I had hardly the time to notice the sudden bright light until they were about twenty feet away. They in fear  I hunckered down and wrapped my long tail around myself, the matted and dirty hair at the end of it, covering my back as I closed my eyes tightly.
I had never been so afraid in my entire life, at first I thought for a moment that a star itself was going to hit me. But after a moment I realized that it had stopped and I slowly unwrapped my tail from around me as I squinted trying to see the beast responsible for the light. I jumped when two loud snaps were heard and I began to side step still on all fours across the blackness. Two figures came out in front of the bright lights. My eyes slowly adjusted to them and I stared in awe and wonder.
Never before had I seen creature so remarkable as these. One was thin and short wearing a blue cloth and another blue cloth on his head. The other was wearing the same thing and was tall and heavy-set. They had no tail, and no fur besides what was on their head. Their skin was the same color, a tan. They stared at me, the short one grinning like my step-mother, making me shiver in fear while the other was looking me over a bit worried.
They began to talk, but I could not understand what they were saying. They spoke a different language. The taller on lowered himself down on one knee and held out his hand and made a clicking noise. He wanted me to come to him? Was that what he was asking? I didn’t understand, it was all too frightening and confusing. I took another step back and he one again tried to coax me forward.
I paused, not sure what to do. His eyes were kind, and he seemed to have no harm intended for me, but I still shivered. They had given me no proof they would not hurt me, and this species, so strange, I was still shaking in awe at their light beast and the way they seemed to be able to use this blackness to ride apon.
In my effort and focus on the tall man, I had lost track and focus on the other man, and when I realized he had stepped too close for comfort, it was too late. A thin noose was dropped over my head and as I jerked back, it tightened around my neck. I began to panick as I jerked violently against it, the noose only getting tighter til I was forced to stop, choking for breath. The noose loosened and I once again jerked away, it tightening with it. I quickly found out that my efforts of escape were what tightened my death hold and I finally stopped and stared at the mean coldly. All four limbs were shaking from both pain and fear as the taller man came up. The long pole attached to the noose kept me from lounging at the man.
He kept talking, his voice calming even though I could not understand what he was saying. When he was close enough he moved slowly then like a flash of lightning, grabbed my mouth and had my head pinned to the blackness. I struggled and thrashed, but he kept his hold until I finally settled down and lay there pinned, panting hard I blinked up to him in surrender. He was much larger then me and not to mention stronger especially in the physical state I was in.
He carefully unhook something from his belt and then putting a net light muzzle over my mouth and nose, he fastened the leather straps behind my head and then one that went from the top of the muzzle over my head and hooked into the other straps. He continued to talk to me, trying to keep me calm I believe.
Once he had finished with the muzzle, he took out two metal rings that were attached together with a small chain. He clamped them down around my wrists. I flinched in pain as they were right on top of my old wounds.
Carefully, he picked me up, with one arm behind my back and the other under my knees and he carried me to their light beast. At first I was extremely fearful as I thought the beast would hurt me. But they walked next to it, the lights not to bright I now saw that the beast was a box shaped monster with a smaller box on the front which the lights came from. This creature too was like nothing I’d ever seen before. It’s legs were even forein to me as they were more like bowls or circles and made me wonder how such a strange creature could move.
The two creatures brought me to the back of the beast and it made me jump slightly as one opened the back of the large box up, inside was empty and the large man care fully set me down inside. Before I could even let out a cry they had closed the box once again. On the door was a square hole with bars on it. The two of them stared in at me, talking to eachother. I wished desperately that I could understand what they were saying. When they finally left I peered out the small hole and was once again startled as the beast began to move. Watching behind it, I saw that the creature followed the blackness and wondered where such a strange substance would lead.
After a few minutes, I began to close my eyes, tired after what I had just been through when more lights made me once agaon open my eyes. I gaped around in wonder, there were not trees but square buildings of many shaped and sizes. All of them had the lights, even the blackness was lined in bright lights that illuminated it’s surface. Walking about, even in this hour, were more of the same strange cdreatures. They all had the same body structure, but like my kind, had different hair colors and even different skin colors even though they seemed to have a certain color scheme as I did not see a single one with purple, green, or even red skin.
I watched these creatures and lights for the rest of the journey until finally the light beast that carried me came to a hault. After more slamming I was once again face to face with the two creatures who had captured me. They opened the box and the large man once again picked me up. They walked up to a long sqare light the others, a dim light inside.
They walked through the enterance and the short one tapped the wall and the box filled with light. The square was made up mostly of a this stone and when you first entered was a block of wood and another thing of wood and sticks put together in a strange fashion. On the block of wood were more strange things as well. A black box, a stack of white flack squares and a few other things that were scattered about. To my right, were many bars that were made up into cages. Most of these cages were empty, but I froze as another of my species stared out back at me, his ears perked with interest.
The two men talked as me and the other stared at eachother until the large man took me into a separate room. This room was small and had a very large white bowl to one corner and white cloth to the corner next to it. The man tapped the entrance of the room and a faint click was heard before he carefully set me down and turned a silver nob that was on one end of the deep bowl. Water began to pour from another silver object next to the knob.
At first, I was startled and scared as I began to shiver, not liking how this was going . He began to talk softly again trying to calm me down as he carefully grabbed me up again and forced me into the bowl despite my efforts to push away from it. I shivered again, even hough the water was warm, it was scary and I fealt uncomfortable as he grabbed my shoulders to push me down into the water and then took a jug of some sort. After rinsing and soaking the hair on my head, elbows, knees, legs, and tail, he poured a thick goop substance that wasn’t sticky but creamy and cool. He then rubbed it theroughly through my hair until it was drenched and poured water over me again.
Some of this substance got into my eyes and it burnt but I forced myself not to cry out or show any signs of weakness. Once it was washed out, he used a different substance to coat my body, working carefully around my wounds. This burned as well when this substance got into the open cuts, only this time I let out a slight whimper as it burned much worse then the other in my eyes.
Finally after what fealt like hours on end, he drained the water and pulled me out and dropped me on the flour, shivering and curling up from both shock and surrender. Never had I ever been through such a strange event at it was slowly sending a shock to the very marrow of my bones.
He then grabbed up one of the white cloths and dropped it over me and began to rub it through my hair and over my body, the cloth, drying me even though my hair still dripped with water at the ends.
Then next, he pulled out a sharp object that made me flinch in caution and eye it suspiciously. He then held me firmly as he began using it on my hair, cutting out the mats and tangles that had not come out in the water. He also trimmed the extra hair that fell into my eyes, giving me a better view then what I had. By this time I fealt nearly ready to pass out from exhaustion and pain that I barely noticed I was picked up again and carried from the room and was set down on a soft pad that was in one of the bared room’s corner.
I watched him wearily as he walked to the desk and sat in the smaller object next to it and began to move a small silver object over the white squares. The other of my species looked to me through the bars. I barely took notice of him as I tried to force myself to keep my eyes open but was unable as I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
The next morning, I twitched my ears as the familiar sound of the unknown species reached me. I jumped awake startled as he walked up to the bared room I was in. It was the shorter man, he held a bowl and opened the door and set it on the floor next to the pad I was laying on. He left and was met by the taller man who was now looking at me through the bars.
The taller man began saying something as the other locked the door back. The shorter man shook his head in disagreement at whatever the other had said, but the taller continued to speak excitedly as he cast glances to me.
      I watched them until they walked away still talking to eachother. Moving, pain coursed through my body as I let out a groan and sniffed at the strange shiney metal bowl. It had been filled with water and now at the thought of it, realized how thirsty I was and began to drink it feverishly.
      The other of my kind moved up next to the bars that had separated us and perked his ears as he sat on his haunches waiting for me to finish. When I finally stopped he moved his tail back and forth happily.
      His brown hair was shorter as it parted and fell on one side of his face, the hair on his shoulders, down his back, and on the back of his calves were also brown and stood out on his muddy green skin. He stared back at me with his bright green eyes and grinned.
      “You act as if you’ve never seen an Insider before.” He said as I painfully laid back on my side on the pad, he moved over with me and once again sat back. I looked to him a bit puzzled.
      “A what?” I asked in confusion. What was the object or creature he talked of? I hadn’t seen just about anything I had been use to in the last twenty-four hours. He shook his head and motioned to the two creatures.
      “They say they’re humans, but around here they go by insiders. They call us Outsiders, because we live on the outside of their homes. Where’ve you been for the last four years?” He asked incrediously. Not wanted to say I was the prince and had been locked up by my step mom who was now the queen, I shrugged.
      “Not around here obviously.” I said rolling my eyes. He snickered and grinned to me again.
      “They catch us if they find us on their territory. In this place, they take you in if you have no owner and then give you out to an insider that wants you.” He said, licking his lips in content. I staed at him a moment taking it all in when he continued. “They came in on a brilliant star that crshed into our planet, they then built this great place they call a city. But for us, they treat us lower then them, and the other cdreatures on this planet, they call Inbens, are treated even lower.” He said, making my stomach churne in disappointment. Not only had my mother managed to let this race take over the creatures on this planet, but she let them take over us as well.
      “There is nothing that can be done?” I asked as I began to eye the cages bars. He shook his head.
      “Go with it, it is the best thing to do.” He said closing his eyes and shaking his head sadly. “The queen will not offer help to us of no importance. Unless yo are rich, she will not protect of lift a finger for you.” He looked away sadly. “I miss the king, he was a great ruler.” He said moving away and laying on his own pad.
      I sighed curling up in dispare. “I do as well…” I sighed quietly, a tear slowly falling down my cheeck.
      Later that day, the tall man came and stepped into the bared room with me, holding another bowl. I sat up and looked at him, my ears pinned back as I glared to him half-heartedly. He bent down so that he was levelwith me and held the bowl out. He talked gently and it didn’t take me long to pick up the warm scent of food. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it smelled delicious but that may have been because I was past the starving point.
      I waited for him to put it down, but he didn’t. He only sat their, holding it out in front of him and I finally caught on to his game. He wanted me to come to him? I waved my tail back and forth in frustration as I looked from him to the bowl and let out a huff as I refused to move.
      He stayed their for a bit longer and then sighed standing up, making me perk my ears again and him to pause at my sudden change of attitude. He slowly took a step forward and I pinned my ears again. Bending down, he held out the dish once more in front of him and cooed gently.
      At first I wasn’t going to approach, but my stomach growled at me forcing to think different and I painfully took a few steps torwards him, still on all fours. He smiled happily as I carefully bent down and began to eat the food that was in the bowl. It was some sort of meat that had been ground up, it was good and for a moment I was too hungry to realized he was brushing his fingers through my now clean hair.
      When I finally realized he was touching me, I jumped back growling at him, flattening his ears once again in fear. He seemed a bit shocked at my response. What had he been thinking? Surely he knew I wouldn’t want him touching me! I thought for sure he’d leave now, but he kept his place as he continued to talk softly and get me to approach again.
      Grumbling to myself I approached him again more cautiously this time as I didn’t take my eyes off him as I started eating again. Once I finished he slowly started to put out his hand and I jerked back quickly, flattening my ears again. He sighed and set down the dsh and then pointed to himself. “Bob.” He said as he continued to point to himself. He repeated the word a few times then smiled and stood taking the dish and walking out, locking the door behind him.
      Bob? Was that his name? I assumed it was as I watched after him as he once again returned to his wooden square. If this creature’s name was Bob, then I knew immediantly that I liked Bob more then I did the other man.
      That night, Bob came back again with more water and carefully poured the new water into the dish. I barely noticed he was there as I lay on my side curled up in sadness, pain, and depression. This was all too much for so little oftime. I missed my mom, I missed my dad, and I missed my freedom. What was this that was happening to me and my planet? This place seemed to be falling apart and so soon had it happened that I never even knew about it. I had to help my people, I had to show them that they didn’t have to put up with this! I had-
      He was touching me again! I pulled back startled as I finally realized ‘Bob’ was brushing his fingers through my hair again, but istead of pulling back, he just continued to troke me and I let out a long sigh and let him do it as I lay there, and instead of making it worse, it helped slightly, he was very gentle and didn’t make a move to hurt me so I let him do what he wanted.
      After a few more minutes he stopped and patted my head before standing and leaving the room and leaving me to once again be swallowed in my pain and memories. Suddenly I wished he would stay with me, it fealt better to have someone there to take your mind off the pain, at first, I thought I would have the other ‘Outsider’ to be with me, but I quickly realized that would not happen as family of these Insides came in that afternood and the young boy chattered about my neighbor excitedly until it’s parents talked to Bob and they took the Outsider away.
      So I was once again along, though I was as far as I could now tell, being taken care of, my wounds still hurt as the deep scars began to form on my wrists and ankles. The claw marks on my check too had not disappeared as I quickly learned from glancing into my reflection in the sliver bowl.
      Before Bob once again left the night, he came back into my cage with more food. I hesitated for a few moments as he once again crouched down and held the bowl in front of him, but I finally approached him slowly and as I ate it, he stroked me gently as he had done earlier, I flinched slightly but let him do it this time. I had now given up trying to fight him as he seemed to only want to be friendly with me. I wuld preffer him being friendly over being harsh any day.