what—all he knew was that the girl had fumbled with her skirts as she trudged back to her home, her head hung.
It was another secret Florian kept. It was part of his collection, one he would never share with anyone else.
After the cloaked man left the cave, Florian began his search again. Before long, the sound of snoring echoed in the tunnels. One set of footsteps crunched over pebbles. Soon, they stopped as well, and another snore, this one higher pitched, joined the first.
Florian stepped into the tunnel again, making his way down to the cavern.
"It's okay. They're sleeping. You may enter."
Florian gasped, looking around frantically. He didn't see anyone behind him. No one inside the cavern could see him.
"I don't need to see you to know you're there. They are asleep, and I promise they won't awaken anytime soon. Come to me."
Florian tapped his head a few times with the butt of his palm. It was almost as if the voice was coming from inside, not outside, which was completely impossible.
"It's not impossible. I can teach you to do the same, Florian. Come to me. Now."
Hope rose in Florian's chest. If someone could speak to him in his mind, maybe he could learn to read the minds of others. There were more secrets to collect, and he wanted all of them. Despite his better judgment, Florian’s feet propelled him into the cavern.
It wasn't as large as he imagined. In fact, it was more of a hollow than a cavern. Just enough room for a stool, on which a large man sat, snoring next to the man who'd curled up on the floor, and a small cage.
Inside the cage was a man. Just a simple man according to Florian's observation. He was of medium height and medium build. His brown hair hung in strings down to his shoulders. His intense eyes focused solely on Florian. Stitches ran over his face and arms, indications of recent, possibly grave, injuries. He had expected the man to be angry. Instead, the man was happy. Smiling, even, his teeth, glinting in the light of the torch.
Why would anyone smile inside a cage made of steel and fitted with three locks? What had this kind man done to be locked up so miserably?
Florian had a desperate need to know the secrets hiding within this maze of tunnels.
"Who are you?" Florian asked.
"My name is not important." The man stood, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Why are you covered in stitches?” Florian asked, unable to tamp down his curiosity.
The man chuckled. “I recently had to change some things about myself, and that works just as well as a name. You may call me Stitches. Now, can you get the keys from that man's belt and let me out? I'd be grateful."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing. These men abducted me in the middle of the night, claiming I have some secret. I have no secrets. Ask me anything, and I will give you a straight answer. I have nothing to hide." Stitches held up his bare hands.
Florian glanced over at the two sleeping men. "They might awaken. Then I'll be in trouble, too."
Stitches shook his head. "No, they won't. Trust me, Florian. They are in the deepest of sleeps, and won't awaken until I want them to."
Florian scratched his chin. The man didn't seem so awful, and he knew a little magic, which intrigued him. Florian's father often told him magic wasn't real, which irritated Florian because deep down, he knew it was real. He just needed someone to teach him.
"Tell me how you forced me to enter this cavern when I wasn’t ready to," Florian said. "If I learn how you did that, then maybe I'll let you out."
Stitches dipped his chin. "Very well. Close your eyes."
Florian squeezed his lids shut as hard as he could.
"Now concentrate, young Florian. Imagine me in your mind, then think your words to me. It is that simple."
Florian pursed his lips together. He drew a picture of the caged man in his head, then, as hard as he could, he thought one simple phrase: I will be back.
Then Florian turned on one heel and ran out of the cave.
His heart thumping in his
It was another secret Florian kept. It was part of his collection, one he would never share with anyone else.
After the cloaked man left the cave, Florian began his search again. Before long, the sound of snoring echoed in the tunnels. One set of footsteps crunched over pebbles. Soon, they stopped as well, and another snore, this one higher pitched, joined the first.
Florian stepped into the tunnel again, making his way down to the cavern.
"It's okay. They're sleeping. You may enter."
Florian gasped, looking around frantically. He didn't see anyone behind him. No one inside the cavern could see him.
"I don't need to see you to know you're there. They are asleep, and I promise they won't awaken anytime soon. Come to me."
Florian tapped his head a few times with the butt of his palm. It was almost as if the voice was coming from inside, not outside, which was completely impossible.
"It's not impossible. I can teach you to do the same, Florian. Come to me. Now."
Hope rose in Florian's chest. If someone could speak to him in his mind, maybe he could learn to read the minds of others. There were more secrets to collect, and he wanted all of them. Despite his better judgment, Florian’s feet propelled him into the cavern.
It wasn't as large as he imagined. In fact, it was more of a hollow than a cavern. Just enough room for a stool, on which a large man sat, snoring next to the man who'd curled up on the floor, and a small cage.
Inside the cage was a man. Just a simple man according to Florian's observation. He was of medium height and medium build. His brown hair hung in strings down to his shoulders. His intense eyes focused solely on Florian. Stitches ran over his face and arms, indications of recent, possibly grave, injuries. He had expected the man to be angry. Instead, the man was happy. Smiling, even, his teeth, glinting in the light of the torch.
Why would anyone smile inside a cage made of steel and fitted with three locks? What had this kind man done to be locked up so miserably?
Florian had a desperate need to know the secrets hiding within this maze of tunnels.
"Who are you?" Florian asked.
"My name is not important." The man stood, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Why are you covered in stitches?” Florian asked, unable to tamp down his curiosity.
The man chuckled. “I recently had to change some things about myself, and that works just as well as a name. You may call me Stitches. Now, can you get the keys from that man's belt and let me out? I'd be grateful."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing. These men abducted me in the middle of the night, claiming I have some secret. I have no secrets. Ask me anything, and I will give you a straight answer. I have nothing to hide." Stitches held up his bare hands.
Florian glanced over at the two sleeping men. "They might awaken. Then I'll be in trouble, too."
Stitches shook his head. "No, they won't. Trust me, Florian. They are in the deepest of sleeps, and won't awaken until I want them to."
Florian scratched his chin. The man didn't seem so awful, and he knew a little magic, which intrigued him. Florian's father often told him magic wasn't real, which irritated Florian because deep down, he knew it was real. He just needed someone to teach him.
"Tell me how you forced me to enter this cavern when I wasn’t ready to," Florian said. "If I learn how you did that, then maybe I'll let you out."
Stitches dipped his chin. "Very well. Close your eyes."
Florian squeezed his lids shut as hard as he could.
"Now concentrate, young Florian. Imagine me in your mind, then think your words to me. It is that simple."
Florian pursed his lips together. He drew a picture of the caged man in his head, then, as hard as he could, he thought one simple phrase: I will be back.
Then Florian turned on one heel and ran out of the cave.
His heart thumping in his
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