A whisper quiet

Sound groans out of the darkness

Soft clanking of chains

Screams that prickle skin

The only things seen are the

Luminescent eyes

The ones held captive

The ones longing to be free

The darkness feeds on

Their minds, filling them

With thoughts considered insane

By the outsiders

They call out to you

As you dare stroll down their hall

From behind their cell

They beseech you, "Come!"

"Come! Be our friend! Set us free!"

Bone-thin hands reach out

Long nails scrape your sleeves

You shudder away, nearly

Dropping their food tray

You stop, and breathe deep

The air stinks of rotten flesh

You throw the tray down

Keys are jammed in locks

The door opens, and you slide

The tray in by foot

You turn and run out

Of the suffocating hall

The cell stays unlocked