Hollace Graydem

Chapter 2 - Trapped

I open my eyes to see the grey and slimy canvas of the cellar ceiling. The smell of sweat, urine and the such like fills my nostrils. It's impossible not to gag on the foul odor.  The floor is damp with rain water, that has somehow filtered through the stone ceiling. The shear cold of it makes my hairs stand on end, and causes goosebumps to creep up my limbs. I instantly notice the poor ventilation, which makes breathing incredibly hard. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to deduct that I'm in the orphanage's cellar.

  I've heard rumors of this place. They say that anyone who goes in never comes out, that the door is locked and they're just left to rot. That's not what I'm worried about though. I fell 3 meters onto a marble floor then had 3 tons of rubble fall onto me, I should be dead right? And if I am then I'm not just going to have to stay here until I die, but for eternity!

  "Hey, Ah think she's awake!" Coll's familiar voice announced. Tears of relief roll down my grey cheeks, washing away some of the grime. Coll's dirt stricken face appears into view, eyes still startling blue, short mouse coloured hair more haphazard than ever. His cheekbones stand out, then again as do the rest of his bones. They slice through his skin, pulling it taught.

  "W-what-"

  "Ssh. Save yer breath. There ain't much air in 'ere.", he pauses before adding "Sorry. Ah always seem to be interrupting yer don't Ah?"

  I lift my head up to nod, when a burst of unbelievable pain spreads out through my entire body. It's only  through gritted teeth that I remain conscious.

  When the pain subsides, it's Aedar's head that peers at me anxiously. Aedar's hand is supporting my head keeping it off the floor, where infection could develop. "Nasty cut you've got there Holl. You should be more careful.". I grimace .

  "You don't look so good yourself .". And I was right. His usual deep brown skin was now nearly as white as Coll's. His raven black hair was longer than when I had seen him last, and  hung wild and untamed. But his brown eyes sparkle as he gives me a look of mock surprise.

  "Glad yer feeling better Hollace. Now about this 'hole escaping business, what do yer suggest?"

  "Give over Coll. She's only just woken up. But I'll tell you what I suggest. Shut you cake hole for a minuet, and let her breath." Something about Aedar's tone shut Coll up. Wonders never cease, I'll have to ask Aedar how to do it. Though I wouldn't have used the word cake hole to describe either of them.

1 Minuet later.

"So any ideas Holl.", Coll had looked fit to burst, any longer and he would have fainted from holding his breath for too long. "Please, we've been trying for ages. An' after all' 6 'eads is better than 5."

At this point I think it's safe to say you are slightly confused. I don't blame you. Well here goes.

My name as you know is Hollace Graydem, I'm 14 years old and my life is a wreck. I lived with my family in Old Stanchfield Town, when Rahway disease came and destroyed them with in 1 day. It took the whole town in 7. I managed to get out pretty much unscathed . I headed towards the only other place I knew of. London. I didn't know the way so I asked a couple climbing into their hover car. They asked me why I wanted to know. I told them my story. They gave me a ride with them. When we got to London, we went  to the police where I told my story one more time. And they sent me here, Miss Carnie's home for orphaned children. I was 7 years old.

  I ended up sharing a room with Coll and Aedar, which is probably the best thing that ever happened to me here. They are both funny, brave, and caring. You could not have better room mates. We were still treated like vermin then, but nothing in comparison to now. We were barely given any food or water, we had 1 day of school every week  which was taught by, of all people, the cleaner.  Each dorm had a certain job to do, such as cleaning, cooking, ironing, washing x,y,z.

  Now it's not so much looking after ourselves, but catering after others. You know the sort of stuff they used to do in the workhouses, e.g: sewing until your hands are raw and stiff, (the punishments were as cruel ever of course) working huge heavy machinery that Miss Carnie spent a lot of money on building a separate space for. The air was always hot and humid and dusty and the machines were extremely dangerous. Kids used to die in that building. I was absolutely terrified of the place, but then when I nearly got my wrist chopped of Carnie said I was not being careful enough and could have broken the machine. So she sent me to solitary confinement, because "I can't bloomin' well let you waste thousands of pounds, because you think it's funny to play 21 dares in a working environment. If that machine had broken then you could have bloomin' well hurt me!" she said, grabbing me by the ear and yanking me of to my room. Number 13. Unlucky for some.

  Miss Carnie locked me away with nothing but my own company and a bowl of food and water delivered to my room every morning. One day I grew to big for my little wooden stool and it broke. I then took to using one of the legs to scrape drawings on the wall. But I still sometime just soot blaming the world for my problems. 

That's when you came in.

Anyway about Coll's unusual remark. Which my poor frazzled brain has failed to realize was unusual until now.