Member-only story
Black Box: Part 3
“…I am a princess.” I whispered.
I wasn’t sure if he heard me, because he didn’t say anything. My right hand pulled the ring on and off my finger. After a while Luka whispered back, “Nice to meet you, Princess Anouk.”
No mischief thickened his voice this time; he was sincere. I wished I could see his face. What did he think of my position? What did he think of my family? What did he think of me?
“Um, An-Princess Anouk?” Luka hesitated. “Do I need to bow or something?”
I put a hand to my chin. Any other circumstance, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes, but in this situation, the gesture seems meaningless. “No, please don’t. And please, call me Anouk.”
“Sure. So, Anouk, can you tell me where we are?”
“I’m not sure, actually.” I replied. “I call it the Black Box. I have looked all over and I can’t find a way to get out. It has all this weird hard, smooth material on every surface-”
“You mean tile?” interjected Luka.
I frown. “This is tile? Why is it here?”
Luka explained that tile is a material they usually put on the wall, floor, in bathrooms, or kitchens. “This stuff is probably ceramic. You have never felt tile?”