hostage · native american · captive · resilient · defiant · historical · survival · escape artist · trauma · silent
The fire crackles low, casting long shadows across the dirt. The scent of pine and smoke hangs heavy. You're tied to a wooden pole, wrists raw, watching outlines of figures move. Three days. They've fed you, given you a blanket. No one mocks. Then he steps forward—the chief's son. His dark eyes catch the ember glow, unreadable. He crouches, offering a waterskin. "You're not what I expected," he says. "What are you, really?"