Chapter 14 A Monster

• They wanted a monster, and I would give them one.
• The guards yanked me from the cold, stinking pit of the dungeon, my wrists shackled in iron, the chains digging into raw, blistered skin. The stench of sweat and mildew clung to my nostrils as they led me out, pushing me forward with rough shoves. Their cruelty was no surprise-nothing in this place had room for kindness. The edges of my vision were dim from hunger, exhaustion, but the further we walked, the more alert I became. Something different was happening tonight. This wasn't like the countless other punishments, the torment for their amusement.
• This was something more.