Hmmm....

My hands flew to cover my ears as the ripping and tearing noises became worse. I remained crouched in the corner of the cell I'd been thrown into hours before. Had it been hours? I just couldn't be sure. I was filthy and tired and sore from being tossed about. The others around me were not my people, which scared me. Where was my mother? My mother's sister? Where were the other peasants from our village? Our village priest? Anyone...

A tear trickled down my dusty cheek and I quickly wiped it away. No! I would not cry in front of these strangers. Although they were prisoners like me, I would not show weakness. I looked at them more closely then, having been trying to avert my eyes up until this point. A woman and what appeared to be her daughter were in another corner of the cramped cell. They were hanging on to each other for dear life. The daughter was weeping into her mother's shoulder and her fingers were digging into the the woman's dark brown skin. The woman clung to the small girl just as tightly. Her eyes were closed and she was rocking her back and forth, whispering words I could not hear over the horrible sounds. A prayer no doubt. Perhaps that's what I should be doing right now. My eyes continued around the room; all women. All dirty and frightened and prisoners. I pulled my feet closer to me and hugged me knees. Taking my hands away from my ears was painful, but I was getting used to the sounds now. I could decipher screaming and clashing; perhaps metal on metal? It all began to blend together again, into the background, as my eyes began to droop. So tired. I pinched my thigh to stay awake. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and find a way out of here.