Depth’s of the Fortress
By: Stephanie Fortner
It’s finally dusk, and as the sun slowly creeps below the horizon it leaves the sky painted crimson. A sense of glooming evil can be felt as the fresh, cool, green grass is slowly being engulfed by a sea of blood. The putrid smell of burning flesh began to fill the hot and humid air in the surrounding area. The ones taken as prisoners could only pray and beg to die, for what they were about to experience would be far worse than an eternity in hell.
In the pits of the stone and iron fortress the air of the dungeon had dropped to a cold and damp chill. An ominous feeling crept through me while my muscles began to tense. An eerie chill of corrosion and death surrounded me. The blindfold that was tied tightly around my head disabled my sight as it cut into my scalp. All I could hear were the sounds of screaming children crying out for their parents. Screams which were soon silenced by the crackling fires in the stomach of the iron furnace doors clanking shut against the dungeons stone walls. If this wasn’t torture I don't know what it is, until I felt a terrible pain as my eyes were slowly being gouged out by a dull knife from their sockets followed with excruciating pain as the nerves were severed. I choked and gagged on the blood when my tongue was cut away. The stitches that held my mouth shut made it impossible to do otherwise. One by one the pain of having stakes deeply driven under each fingernail was more than I could bear. I couldn't determine what was worse, my throbbing fingers, the taste of blood gagging me, being blind, or my words forever silenced.
I was left for what seemed like and eternity, hanging in pain and agony. The only sounds were the continuous screams of children being silenced again by the furnace doors clanking shut. I thought I was going to be left to die, but they soon returned. The sharpening of blades against stone wheels could be heard near by. I soon begin to feel some warmth; I welcomed it at first until the searing hot irons branded me for death. I was soon taken off of the shackles that held my limp body up and was pulled along the cold, stony floor. My limbs felt the tear of rusted nails and tools that were along the path. I was dragged onto a ridged table, hands and feet nailed to the wooden surface. I felt a small poke in my left arm, much like a needle, and I was soon engulfed by a paralyzing serum. Unable to move, see, or speak, I could only hear. I could hear the sound of a surgical saw as they prepared to cut through my chest bone to remove my heart. At last their final incision was made as the saw hacked away at my chest plate. The severed arteries gushed blood as they removed my heart. I am now no longer of any use to them, and I am being thrown into the crackling fire that roars in the stomach of the furnace. Finally ending all signs of my existance as it did the existence of all those before me, the fortress now became a place for the souls of the condemned.
By: Stephanie Fortner
It’s finally dusk, and as the sun slowly creeps below the horizon it leaves the sky painted crimson. A sense of glooming evil can be felt as the fresh, cool, green grass is slowly being engulfed by a sea of blood. The putrid smell of burning flesh began to fill the hot and humid air in the surrounding area. The ones taken as prisoners could only pray and beg to die, for what they were about to experience would be far worse than an eternity in hell.
In the pits of the stone and iron fortress the air of the dungeon had dropped to a cold and damp chill. An ominous feeling crept through me while my muscles began to tense. An eerie chill of corrosion and death surrounded me. The blindfold that was tied tightly around my head disabled my sight as it cut into my scalp. All I could hear were the sounds of screaming children crying out for their parents. Screams which were soon silenced by the crackling fires in the stomach of the iron furnace doors clanking shut against the dungeons stone walls. If this wasn’t torture I don't know what it is, until I felt a terrible pain as my eyes were slowly being gouged out by a dull knife from their sockets followed with excruciating pain as the nerves were severed. I choked and gagged on the blood when my tongue was cut away. The stitches that held my mouth shut made it impossible to do otherwise. One by one the pain of having stakes deeply driven under each fingernail was more than I could bear. I couldn't determine what was worse, my throbbing fingers, the taste of blood gagging me, being blind, or my words forever silenced.
I was left for what seemed like and eternity, hanging in pain and agony. The only sounds were the continuous screams of children being silenced again by the furnace doors clanking shut. I thought I was going to be left to die, but they soon returned. The sharpening of blades against stone wheels could be heard near by. I soon begin to feel some warmth; I welcomed it at first until the searing hot irons branded me for death. I was soon taken off of the shackles that held my limp body up and was pulled along the cold, stony floor. My limbs felt the tear of rusted nails and tools that were along the path. I was dragged onto a ridged table, hands and feet nailed to the wooden surface. I felt a small poke in my left arm, much like a needle, and I was soon engulfed by a paralyzing serum. Unable to move, see, or speak, I could only hear. I could hear the sound of a surgical saw as they prepared to cut through my chest bone to remove my heart. At last their final incision was made as the saw hacked away at my chest plate. The severed arteries gushed blood as they removed my heart. I am now no longer of any use to them, and I am being thrown into the crackling fire that roars in the stomach of the furnace. Finally ending all signs of my existance as it did the existence of all those before me, the fortress now became a place for the souls of the condemned.
