A deep gutural rasp says.

  I see no one, just bodies scattered along the forest floor. Folliage clouding the bright pale moonlight. The foul stench of blood and decay seeps into my nostrils, and I feel my stomach begin to spin. I don’t unload the contents of my stomach onto the ground; there’s probably not much in there anyway.

  I close my eyes, concentrating on the voice, and transport myself to a peaceful place inside my mind. A room. Blank walls and a bland floor. Everything is devoid of color, just mutled tones of light brown and white. Under my feet, the stone is hard, so much so that it feels real.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  The room goes on forever before me, fading to absolute darkness.

  Behind me stands a cage.

  Iron bars from floor to ceiling.

  No lock.

  No key.

  Simply a cage.

  The voice calls from beyond the bars.

  I see nothing.

  “I’ve found you?”

  There is no reply to my question, just a long silence.

  A white cloud of smoke drifts into the room from beyond the bars. It’s intoxicating. My head begins to ache as my lungs fill with the smoke.