Digging For Treasure

We were taken through the tunnels till an indefinite time specification and brought to an underground open field, with a rocky wall blocking the way forward.

The guards lined us up in no particular order and handed a hoe to each of us. We were told to start digging the walls surrounding us, in search of shiny metals.

They want us digging through those solid walls using these crude tools that have started to rust?!

What arrant comedy, yet I couldn't find the gut to laugh about it. How could I?! Overnight, this had become my reality.

The guard had given the order but none had started to act on it. This infuriated them greatly and led to them using the long whip they had folded and hung on their shoulder.

They took the whip from their shoulder and extended it as they spank it on the floor as a form of intimidation to what awaits the prisoners if they do not get to work.