Waiting for a Hero
As the sun began to rise, I felt its warm rays pierce through my small window, gently waking my body from a wretched sleep. Slowly, I got up from the floor and shook the dust off my pillow. I folded up my blanket, placed it gently into a corner, and lay the pillow on top. Hearing a clanking sound, I turned around to see a bowl of rice and a cup of water on the floor. There were no chopsticks or other utensils, so I simply approached the bowl and cup and began to have my meal, eating with my hands. I stopped calling it breakfast a while ago, since I eat rice and water for every meal of the day. Even though it's better than nothing, it doesn't stop me from complaining about my obvious decline in physical shape.
I stopped counting the days I had been here for a while. After I realized there was no hope in escaping, I accepted my predicament. I tried to find a bright side to all of this, but I couldn't. The only thought I could conjure in my mind was of Sokka busting down the heavy metal doors, storming the endless corridors with a bold new weapon, knocking out waves upon waves of soldiers coming at him, slicing the metal bars encasing me inside this desolate edifice, pecking my lips only for a second to still show he cared about me. He'd take my hand and rush me out of my cell, down the corridors, stepping over countless paralyzed soldiers, bringing me back into the world. Appa would be there waiting for us, and we would hop on him and fly away as I sucked in the nature I had taken for granted.
However, I realized after a while that these thoughts were only bringing me false hope, and I try to push them into the back of my mind.
After finishing my bowl of rice and cup of water, I clutched them in my hand. I wriggled my hand between the heavy metal bars and dropped the empty cup and bowl outside of the cell. A guard came to pick them up soon after. For the first time in a while, the guy spoke to me.
"Wow, you REALLY looking worse 'n worse ev'ry day, missy."
The guard was a tall stocky man with large arms and legs. His face was hard and strong, as if it had withstood generation upon generation of burdens. However, the man was still quite young, no doubt pulled straight out of school. I could tell he wasn't very educated, since he often spoke with a disregard to proper grammar and pronunciation. Back at Kyoshi, education was a top priority, and one could not begin training as a warrior if they did not pass the basic educational requirements.
I had no idea if what the guard said was true or not. There are not many mirrors in this prison, if any. I haven't seen what I look like in quite some time now. All I know is that my makeup has come off, and my skin has become paler. I haven't seen my uniform since the Fire Nation girl stole it from me after I was captured. A long, ripped, red blouse and sandals are all that clothe me now. My hair has become so disheveled, and my body has become covered in dirt and grime.
The only thing I still possess is my sanity. Often in the night, I hear women screaming and crying out for their loved ones. The woman in the cell across from me lost her husband in an Earth Kingdom raid. She and her son were separated, and she has no idea if he's still alive. I've rarely spoken to her, since all she is does is sing. Her voice is soothing and mellow, and she sings various songs about death and love. When I hear her sing, I kind of forget my situation and drift off into another mindset. However, as soon as I hear another girl's scream echo throughout the corridors, or a guard bitterly insult a prisoner, my mind immediately rushes back to this miserable place.
I often wonder if I'll lose my sanity. A few times during my stay here, I've almost given up to the insanity lurking around every corner. But something pulls me back. I think of Sokka, and I know that one day, he will come and rescue me, and our love will be stronger than ever.