I twisted my hair into a ponytail, tucking it under my cap and lowering the brim. Then I took a final look around the room full of strangers, wondering which of them would help me escape, and which would try to kill me.
I had thought about how I would escape from this place for the past two days –out of the seven I’ve been in here. There was now way to escape through the windows and the walls were useless.
The only way it seemed that you could get out of here was if you toppled over dead or if The Hooded One was to come down and pick you out of the twenty-seven –or so- of us in this room.
This room, well ‘The Room’ was dimly lit and cool even though I knew it would be scorching back in the real world. The walls were nothing but cement and there were only two bar windows both on the same wall. The floor was cement just like the walls, though there were blood stains on the floor, along with stains from other things. The ceiling, well you can’t see the ceiling but I imagine it too is cement.
There was one way I knew that The Hooded One picked the ones they took out, and they had to stand at the back of the room –back where it smells and everyone tends to stay away from- the normal ones The Hooded One picks either go violent to the rest of us or go violent to themselves.
I’ve decided to try it first, because if I faked dead and laid on the cement ground by the cell like door I could get trampled by the others and really end up dead.
I swerve in and out of the others making my way to the back keeping my head low. I found a clean looking spot against the wall to plop myself down on the cement. I curled my shoulders inwards and kept my head down.
I sat like that for a full day unmoving. After the twenty-four hours of sitting there, I pulled the sleeves of my shirt up so I could get at my forearms freely. I ran one finger down my left forearm underside before letting the sharp nail dig in as I dragged the finger down once again. After doing it a couple times I added the three other fingers and let the nails drag down my forearm, closing my eyes at the feeling. It hurt badly, and the sticky wet liquid felt creepy between my nail and finger but if it was going to help me get out of here I would do it.
I continued to dig my four nails into my left forearm for a bit longer before I had to stop; the pain in my left arm was too much. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my left hand to do the same to my right forearm underside. My sharp nails cut into my flesh easily, the blood started to trickle down the sides of my right arm. It’s strange, but it was starting to actually feel good.
Two hours into myself harming the small chatter of the others died completely and I could hear foot steps coming. I raised my head, letting my bright blue eyes move from my bleeding forearms over to the cell door. At first I was unable to see the bared door but soon the others were all moving as close as they could to the far walls to get out of the way of The Hooded One and the two large men with The Hooded One. They weren’t large as in over weight; no they were large as in muscles.
Turning my head back to my forearms I went back to digging my nails into my cool flesh to feel the hot blood that I was now full out enjoying. I blocked everything else around me out.
Well that is up until I had two strong hands grab my upper arms and force me to my feet. My head snapped up and to one side then to the other, the large men had a strong grip on me. They dragged me to the cell door, I tried to make my feet keep up with their steps but they were just too quick. When we were out of the cell door The Hooded One threw a grain bag over my head before locking the cell door.
I was led –well dragged down- what I imagined to be a long hall way. Before they pulled me up some stone stairs –it seemed to be a spiral. By the time we reached the top of the stairs my yoga pants were ripped in the shins and there were scrapes that were bleeding. We went a few feet after the stairs before stopping as a door was opened before we moved again.
After a bit more dragging another door is opened and we go inside before we stop again. The two men held me up by the arms; I could hear foot steps walking around me, eyes piercing into me. The feet moved away before a soft woman’s voice came, “Remove the bag.” And a moment later the bag was being pulled off my head, my hat going with it, causing my long black hair to fall down.
I blinked a few times to get my eyes to adjust to the bright room. The Hooded One stood in front of me but I seen no others in the small looking room.
“Now, Ms Riley O’Conal, do you wish to die?” the voice spoke again, but it wasn’t The Hooded One speaking, no it was someone behind them.
I blinked, confused, “No I do not wish to die,” I answered quietly.
“Then why put yourself in pain child?” she questioned.
“Pardon?”
“Your arms child! They drip of blood! Do you wish to die!” She snapped her voice turning hard.
“Don’t give her a choice, just do her off,” a bored sounding male voice came.
I blinked again, “No, no!” I cried, I didn’t want to die! I just wanted out of here!
The woman gave a heavy sigh, The Hooded One stepped to the side, and there was a loud bang, a sharp pain before darkness.
