Tobias found himself in an uncomfortable situation, crammed inside a tiny, musty closet with his comrades, Jack and Ana. The space was so confined that even the slightest movement resulted in a tangle of limbs and a chorus of complaints. Tobias's wrists were bound tightly behind his back, the rough rope chafing against his skin.
Jack's elbow jabbed into Tobias's ribs for what felt like the hundredth time. "Would you mind?"
"Sorry. It's not like I have a lot of room to maneuver in here."
Ana, wedged between the two men, let out a frustrated sigh. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were doing this on purpose, Jack. My foot is practically numb from being twisted under yours, you overgrown sea slug!"
"What? Blame the cramped quarters, not me." Jack shifted his weight, inadvertently causing Ana to stumble against the door.
"Ow! Watch it."
"Sorry, Ana." Jack attempted to wiggle away but only managed to bump into Tobias.
"This is ridiculous," Ana grumbled, trying to wiggle her toes. "I've lost all feeling in my left foot. And these ropes are cutting off the circulation to my hands."
"Don't worry," Jack said with a chuckle. "I'm sure the marauders have a lovely selection of prosthetic limbs for you to choose from."
"Very funny, Jack," Ana said. "Just keep working on those knots, will you?"
Tobias, hunched over to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling, attempted to adjust his position. In the process, his shoulder bumped into Jack's face.
"Ow! That's my face, not a punching bag!"
"Apologies, Jack. Perhaps if you could stop flailing your limbs like a dying fish, we could all be a bit more comfortable."
Tobias shifted his weight again, accidentally bumping into a small shelf on the wall. A lantern that had been precariously perched on the shelf teetered and fell, hitting Jack squarely on the head with a dull thud before clattering to the floor.
"Hey!" Jack cried out. "What was that for?"
"Sorry," Tobias said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Just trying to improve the ambiance."
Ana stifled a laugh. "Boys, focus. We need to find a way out of here."
"Right," Jack agreed. "But first, can someone please scratch my nose? It's been itching like crazy, and I can't do a thing about it."
"You're gonna have to figure that out on your own," Ana said.
Tobias shuffled towards the door, his movements hampered by the cramped space and his bound hands. He turned his back to the door and used his restrained hands to search for the doorknob, but he couldn't find one. The door seemed to be a solid slab of wood with no visible means of opening it from the inside. "There's no handle."
"Of course not," Jack said. "Nothing ever goes smoothly."
Ana slumped against the wall. "Great. So we're stuck in here while Ellie's out there with that madman."
The three friends fell silent. Tobias strained to hear any sign of what was happening outside their cramped prison. Through the door, he could hear the muffled sounds of the tavern—the clinking of glasses, the occasional burst of laughter, and the low murmur of conversation.
Suddenly, Jack's stomach growled loudly in the quiet closet.
"Really, Jack?" Ana chuckled. "Your stomach picks now of all times to make its presence known?"
"What can I say? Fighting marauders works up an appetite."
"Well, if we get out of here, I promise to buy you the biggest meal you've ever seen," Tobias said.
"I'll hold you to that." Jack continued to twist his wrists, testing the ropes. "If I could just—ouch! Nope, that didn't work."
"Great. Now you're trying to dislocate your shoulders," Ana said, shaking her head.
"Better than doing nothing."
"Maybe we can kick the door open?" Tobias suggested, glancing down at their legs. "We've got legs, right?"
"Sure, if you can find room to kick without kneeing one of us," Ana said, shifting again to give them a bit more space.
"Alright, let's give it a shot," Tobias said, positioning himself as best as he could in the cramped space. "On three. One, two, three!"
They all kicked at the door, but it barely budged. Instead, Tobias lost his balance and stumbled back into Jack, causing them all to topple over like a stack of dominoes.
From somewhere beneath the pile, Ana said, "Well, that was a brilliant idea."
"At least we gave it a shot," Tobias said as he tried to untangle himself. "Maybe if we—ow! Ana, that's my ear!"
"Sorry."
"Okay, new plan," Jack said. "Let's yell for help. Maybe someone will hear us."
Ana sounded less certain. "Or maybe the marauders will come and decide to make things worse."
"Do you have a better idea?" Jack said.
"Alright, fine. On three again," Ana said. "One, two, three!"
"Help! We're stuck in here!" they all shouted at once. "Please, someone, anyone, get us out!"
Silence followed their outburst, and for a moment, they feared no one would come to their rescue. But then, there was a faint sound of footsteps approaching.
"Do you hear that?" Jack whispered.
"Yeah, someone’s coming," Ana said.
"Finally," Tobias said. "Maybe they can get us out before we all die of old age in here."
As the footsteps grew louder, worry gnawed at Tobias. It might be a friendly face coming to their rescue. Or it could be the marauders returning to check on their captives.
