POV: Thelma

My head felt like someone had split it open with an axe. The pounding in my skull was so intense that it took several minutes before I could even think about opening my eyes. When I finally did, I immediately wished I hadn't.

I was in a room I'd never seen before. The stone walls were rough and old, lit by flickering candles that cast dancing shadows everywhere. It smelled like earth and dampness, like we were underground somewhere. But what made my heart start racing wasn't the unfamiliar surroundings. It was the chains.

Heavy metal shackles circled my wrists and ankles, connected to the wall by thick...