What I Don't Know: Introduction

    The soothing sound of the rain hitting against his window wakes the hero up, a warm sensation tingling at the tip of his toes. A small smile creeps upon his lips, for he had always loved the rain, ever since he was just a little boy. Memories of…of-

    He furrows his eyebrows, deep in thought with his eyes remaining closed. Memories of what? His heart begins to race. He racks his brain for anything, anything at all that he can somehow manage to grasp. His name? Brennan, and his age? Eighteen, I think. The basics he can seem to remember, but… nothing else. His throat begins to close up on him, the impression of many fingers wrapped around his neck dances in his mind. It would be better than this, he thinks to himself, anything would be better than forgetting your own past. He shakes his head, refusing to give in to the fact that he can’t remember.

    “Are you alright there, lad?” A voice echoes, scaring him half to death. He finally opens his eyes to realize that he isn’t in his bed. In fact, he isn’t even in his own home. The walls around him are made of stone; the ground made of cold, hard cement. Rain pours down on him from a window of bars across the small room, soaking him from head to toe.

    “Where the he-“

    “Hey! Ye best be careful about what you say next, boy.” The man lectures, the rattling of chains following. “My daughter is in the next cell, and if you get her cussing, so help me-“

    “Where am I?” He interrupts, not having the patience to listen to this stranger’s rant. The corner of the stranger’s lip curls up into a crooked smile, showing off his yellow stained teeth.

     “Can’t ye tell? You’re in a cell.” Brennan rolls his eyes, balling his fists up in frustration.

    “I know that, but where at?” The man bellows out a smoker’s strangled laugh, before falling into a hysteria of coughing fits. His eyes turn bloodshot from the strain, before finally catching a breath of relief.

    “You mean, you seriously can’t remember?” Brennan shakes his head, no. “You’re being held captive in Keld, one of the biggest villages in Tala.”

    Upon hearing this man’s words, he can feel his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. He can’t be- Keld? Keld has been said to be one of the worst places to be held as prisoner, in fact, it’s one of the most crowded. Everyone is warned as a child of the dangers Keld contains, but not a lot of them believe it; unless they have actually been there. That is one thing that Brennen remembers for sure.

    “But, how? What did I do?” He questions, trying to find an answer in his head. The stranger just shrugs.

    “That, I can’t tell you. I wasn’t there when it happened. Although… never mind.” He dismisses with a slight flick of his hand, trying to avoid Brennan’s demanding glare.

    “Tell me.”

    “You could always escape. Ye know, so you can backtrack as far as you can remember.” The answer seems so simple to him, but how he would actually be able to do it draws a blank.

    “Would that work? How would I even get out, I’m tied to the wall.” The stranger reveals a nasty smile once again, easily peeling off the cuffs from around his own wrists. Confused, Brennan eyes him up and down, trying to figure out how he did it. The man then shows him a key he was hiding on a necklace around his neck.

    “You-you could have left this whole time…”

    “And, I didn’t. I didn’t want to raise any suspicion. It’s not my first time being here.” Brennan gives him a questioning look.

    “I was brought here before. The main guard told me that if I were to escape again, then he’d have my family killed in shame as punishment.” He explains as he sticks the key into the first cuff. His breath wafts over Brennan’s nose, the smell of smoke causing a lump to form in his throat.

    “And that’s why they brought your family with you this time.” Brennan manages to cough out, his nose scrunched as he pieces the man’s story together. The man nods, sticking the key into the second cuff.                                                                                                                                  “That doesn’t explain how you got the key.” Upon the freedom of his soar wrists, Brennan rubs each one as blood flows back into his wrists again. All of a sudden, a fuzzy rodent crawls onto the shoulders of the stranger, resting its long body along the back of his neck. He gently pats its head with compassion, as if he was praising a beloved dog.

    “Finley, here, retrieved it for me. He’s more intelligent than some would think.” He introduces with a wink. He throws him the key before going back into his own spot, re-cuffing his wrists to the wall. Brennan still doesn’t quite understand why the man doesn’t just leave, family or not, but he finds that it’s best not to question someone who’s helping you.

    “Thank you, I promise that I’ll come back to help you some day; as soon as I can.” He promises with a salute, leaving him with a nod as he quietly slips the key in with a turn. The door clicks, and gives off a gentle squeal as it opens.

    “Good luck with that.” The man chuckles as he watches him leave, a dark glint in his eyes.