I’ll probably wake up in a different place again. Maybe I’ll wake up in the Goblins’ cell, but this time with Karym. I bet I’m already there now. But it’s not damp. . .It’s hot. Oh my god, it’s so hot!

I woke up sweating. It was really hot, I wasn’t dreaming it. And I wasn’t outside, either. As my eyes adjusted to the blazing light, I was able to notice my surroundings. I was in a glass cell, reflecting the sun’s rays, making it unbearably hot.

Beside me lay Karym, still asleep. She looked worn down and sick. I suddenly felt guilty; she was used to the cold, and I brought her here.

No I didn’t. I didn’t bring her here. We were sleeping at the foot of a tree.

I groaned, realising that I’d been taken captive again. My hands were tied to the glass wall behind me with what resembled a charging cable, but thicker. It had strands of red glow flowing through it in swirls. I was sitting on the plain black floor, which was so smooth you could slip on it with the sturdiest shoes.

There was a black box on the wall facing me, with unknown symbols labeling buttons. I could see through the glass other rooms identical to this one, lined in neat rows.I couldn’t see through the glass behind me, but through the sides were other prisoners, weirdly looking healthy.

“Karym.” I whispered, for there were cameras stationed everywhere. “Karym.” I repeated, a little louder.

The Elf let out a groan. “Hot.” she mumbled. “Water.”

Her skin was a pale green, and she looked like she would throw up. Her black hair stuck to her sweaty neck like glue, and her clothing was ruined.

I didn’t know what to do. I was suffering from the heat, but I could manage. But poor Karym, who was born for cold weather, wouldn't survive.

The Personio’s eyes opened gradually, but closed again in the reflecting sunlight.

“Where are we?” she whispered.

“I don’t know.” I responded.

All nearby cameras turned to them and flashed red. Not a minute later a figure stood by their cell, punched in a code, gave a fingerprint, showed an eye, and mumbled a password, and then entered the small glass chamber.

She was a fine woman, taller than an average grown man, which skin as white as paper, long perfectly clear nails, and a completely bald head. It reflected the sun, giving the woman a strange orange glow, like an aura. She had pale lips, pale brown eyes, long white eyelashes, and almost invisible eyebrows. She only wore a light blue tank top, and very short matching shorts.

A Witch.

I cried out in surprise, because like the Goblins and Elves, this was exactly how I’d pictured a Witch.

“Good afternoon, my unwelcome guests.” she said in a raspy voice like crackling paper. She smiled, showing round pearly teeth. The Witch looked at Karym, and laughed cruelly. “Oh, a Personio! And what better than an Elf! We’re complete opposites; I’d perish in your climate and you’d perish in mine. What fun! You’re in mine.” she turned towards me. “And what are you? Mardaug or Personio?”

“Human.” I responded, still shocked that she looked exactly how I’d pictured a Witch.

“Human. Where do you come from, Human?”

“Earth.”

“Earth. Hmm, we’ll investigate that one.”

“What are you?” I dared to ask.

“I’m a Witch, sub-species of Mardaugs.”

She turned and left without goodbye, thoroughly locking the door she’d come through. Karym somehow looked worse than before. She was breathing heavily, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry.” she mumbled. I cocked my head in surprise.

“You’re sorry? I’m the one who brought you here! This is my fault entirely!” I cried, ignoring the rotating cameras now pointing at me.

“I never should have left.” Karym explained. “But even if I do escape, I’ll be killed back home. I’ll be killed here.” she burst into tears, her now pale features hidden by her shaking hands.

I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? Ever since the day I met her, her destiny was sealed to die. It was my fault.

But I had no time to cry, because the almost naked Witch came back, with two others. They looked like her, but one was wearing pink, and the other a lab-coat. They unlocked the door, and grabbed me without a word. In my despair and the heat, I had no strength left to fight.

I was practically dragged down the clean hallway, and tried to leave as much of a mess I could. It was childish, but I was a child, and an angry one.

I was so hot that I was falling asleep, my eyelids failing to stay open. I saw white walls, smooth double doors, hallways of no end, then I was in a room. There were eager faces, a bed, and I was asleep.

And all the worst, my mind wouldn’t rest on bad things, even when I was sleeping.

A sharp pain in my arm. I closed my eyes as the doctor took a sample of my blood. I was used to the pain, of course, but it disgusted me to see my own blood taken from my body. But then it was over. The doctor left with the sample, presumably to check it. Others took her place. They attempted to speak to me. They seemed calm and patient, but I could see through the lies. On the inside, they were impatient and eager to know more about me.

The first doctor came back. That was fast testing. She whispered to her co-workers, while they nodded along.

“-wake up.” I heard a part of one’s sentence. There was a metallic clank, I was blindfolded, and then everything became clearer: the sounds, the colors, the feelings. Everything, like I was waking up from a dream.