Disclaimer: I do not own PJO


The cell was dark and smelled like must. It was cold, too, despite the fact that it was crowded with girls from the island. Their eyes were dim, haunted by dreams of a paradise lost. Their faces, once bright and cheerful, were dirty and tear-stained. The ground beneath them rocked back and forth slowly, creaking and groaning.

Suddenly, a shaft of light spilled through a trapdoor above them, causing the girls to blink as their eyes adjusted. A man's head peered through the opening and gave them a pleased smirk. He them proceeded to dump ten pounds of guinea pig feed on top of their heads, letting out a low chuckle.

"Eat up, dearies," the man sneered. "I hope you enjoy your meal. It's cook's specialty."

A girl sprang up from the edge of the cell. Her eyes blazed with anger, her fists clenched. At one point, she must have been beautiful, but her dirt smudged face and messy black hair (littered with tiny food pellets) ruined her features.

"You can't do this to us, you coward!" she screamed. "You can't keep us caged in here! Let me out of here! Let me at him!"

The man smile grew wider, revealing his yellowed teeth. Two girls silently reached up to grab the angry one's wrists, preventing her from trying to lunge at him. "Cool it, Hylla," one of them murmured.

"Now there, girls," the man chided, his voice taunting. "You all seemed to like guinea pigs when we were on the island. I thought you might enjoy seeing what it was like to be one. Be good." The trapdoor closed, leaving them enveloped in darkness.