5

M.R 5

Time passed by. How much I don’t know and it was playing havoc with my mind. I wanted out of this place. I needed to get the Gnome to speak. He was always in the back of his cell in the darkest part. I had been trying to get him to talk for what felt like hours. Over and over I called to him always being polite. No matter how frustrated I got I refused to use bad language or raise my voice in anger. The others were getting mad at me but I would not stop. Susan even told me to stop.

“Hey Eddie.”

“Yeah.”

“Shut up.”

 I have never known anyone who will never answer you if you don’t stop poking at them. Eventually they will give in. They might not give you the response you want but you will get one. At least there were two sets of bars and a hall way between us. So he wouldn’t be able to get to me. If it went the wrong way. Not that he would be able to punch me above my thigh. Gnome was the word I eventually picked and stuck on.

“Gnome. Gnome. Gnome.”

I was like an annoying kid saying mum over and over until I got a response. It was looking like it was working. I must have been going at him now for over an hour. There was signs of him cracking. He was moving. My throat was getting sore and my mouth was dry but I carried on. When he lost it. He jumped up at the bar’s and clung to them around face height.

“Shut up. What the fuck is wrong with you. How can you carry this on? Fuck me I have never met anyone as annoying as you. You fucking cock sucking piece of shit.”

His insults continued get more and more colourful. Something about getting fucked by a Centor and liking it and more about Elves having small members. While he continued his rant I took a drink of water. Susan started laughing.

“Well done Eddie. No one has ever got him to talk before. Maybe because no one is that annoying. I wonder when he will stop. I hope it takes a while I’m getting some new insults.”

“Yeah, thanks. I don’t know if he will be any better when he stops he might just go back.”

“Hey, you two. How fucking rude? Look at me while I tell you what I think. Don’t you ignore me.”

Both me and Susan stopped talking as the Gnome shouted over our discussion. Maybe he would calm down a bit now. So I told him to go on.

“Oh, sorry. Err go on.”

“Oh, what’s the point. I haven’t spoken for years. Then you come along. At least you weren’t rude like most of you guys are.”

The ugly little man dropped off the bars his shoulders slumped. Be paces back and forth. I just waited to see what he would say next. When he eventually stopped pacing he looked back at me.

“Go on then what do you want?”

No sooner had he spoken but the rumble came from the other end of the hall. Everyone stopped there conversations as always. Marching footsteps came down the hall. This time they walked straight past my cage. When they got to what I thought was the other end I heard quiet voices. Then a door open.

The guards came marching back with a cyclops. He was so big he had to stoop down so he didn’t bang his head on the ceiling. Every now and again the hit him with there batons. His hands were tied behind him. They went to the end and the rumble cane again. Then they marched back.

They did this ten times until they got to me. They had marched creature after creature past. Most of them different. Ranging from women who were ridiculously good looking to gremlin looking things.

“Move back turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

I wasn’t sure if one or more guards came in. What I did know was this was a mistake I could use to my advantage when I’m ready. The snake rope wound around my wrists.

“Move.”

“Where are we going?”

“Exercise. Now shut up.”

One of them hit me across the back of my knees. I dropped to my knees. Two guards grabbed me under the armpits and lifted me back to my feet.

So we have exercise time. This will be interesting. Will we be all together in our own individual groups or on our own. I hopped we would all be together. I was desperate to see what everyone looked like.

I was put into the lift thing on my own. The guards stayed back. I guessed they were going back to get the other inmates. The lift moved upwards this time. It felt like a long time just going up. Eventually, the roof opened and the lift stopped with my feet at the same level as the floor the walls were gone and I was outside.

I stood still feeling the warm sun on my face and breathing in the air. The air was thin and breathing wasn’t easy. It was like I was on a mountain top. When I opened my eyes I saw the guards and saw I was on the top of a mountain.

“Move.”

Commended a guard. These guards were heavily armed and there were many of them all around. Some were in high watchtowers but mainly they were on the ground. There was no fence or wall surrounding the mountain top. I wondered why but I will soon find out. I was pushed forward towards a large flat area where there were tens of beings. My mind was struggling to take them all in.

 When I was near the other prisoners the guard stopped me and the rooms were taken from my wrists.

“Join the others. Don’t turn around.”

To say I was nervous was an understatement. Some of the things out here were big enough to eat me in one bite. There was a fucking Dragon. It had enormous chains around it’s neck bolted to the rock floor. Giants stomping around looking depressed. In fact all of them looked depressed. Some of the creatures were in small groups all of the same species. Talking to each other. There were men that looked to be as old as time just watching everyone else. Some of the things were small winged people about four inches tall.

I walked over to a group of tall human-looking men and women. I was guessing they were Elves like me. As I broached them they stopped talking.

“Hi, I’m Edward. New here.”

One of the men looked me up and down.

“Edward. From Nottingham?”

His question took me by surprise. No one knew me. Why would he ask me this? I formed my response slowly. As that was the speed my mind was working at slowly.

“How did you know?”

“I knew your parents. You look just like your mum. She had a boy and called him Edward. We hoped you would never see one of these places.”

At this point my mouth worked faster than my brain.

“You knew Clair?”

“Clair no. That must be the woman who brought you up. No your mother.  Loriel and your father Elrond. They gave you up so you might have a chance in this messed up world.”

Ok so now I find out I’m adopted. This really is too much. Clutching at straws now I ask.

“Are they here? Are they still alive?”

“Sorry boy. No to both of your questions. They were here but they were killed five years or so ago. They tried to escape. Nearly made it too.”

I felt defeated before I even started. My parents had been here and tried to escape. I had another question for this Elf now.

“Did you know them before here or after they came here?”

“Both. I grew up with them. We knew each other all our lives. Tell me what do you know about this place and the world you have grown up in?”

I didn’t need time to think about the answer to this question.

“Looks like nothing. I only just found out in an Elf.”

“Ok come with me we will walk and talk. I will tell you all I can in the limited time we have.”

We started to walk and he started to talk.