Excellent story!
Usually a distant POV which doesn't get into anybody's thoughts would likewise distance me from the story, but it was used very well here. It only described what could be heard, not what anyone felt (physically or otherwise) so I was left to guess what the hell each character was doing at any moment. It did have a Silence of the Lambs feel to it, in a good way. In the end, I'm unsure of almost every detail of the story, including whether he Ishamael actually had the sight, whether Ishamael actually escaped his shackles, and whether he was actually due to be released, but that didn't bother me at all. The ambiguity created by the darkness made the whole thing way more interesting than if it had all been shown.
Oh, and the eating in the dark experience sounds interesting--I'd try that some time!