Prisoner

The Escape

Chapter 1

In the last five years of my life, escaping was by far the easiest thing I'd done. Through the barred window, I could barely make out the moon, suspended in the dark sky. Beside it, small stars shone, fighting to stay visible through the clouds.

Sitting on my uncomfortable bed, I gathered up all of my worldy possesions in a single, fraying knapsack. A few clothes, some money I had managed to get ahold of, and a picture of me when I was young, so young that I probably hadn't been aware of Silas when the picture had been taken. I almost laughed aloud, but as I was trying to escape, I refrained as well as I could and let the room fall into silence. Gazing upon my young and hopelessly blissful self, I realized how much I'd changed.

In the photo, my young blue eyes peirced the photo, their bright enrapturing colour my best feature at the age of six. I had a small button nose, and dark wavy hair, shiny, because my mother had taken pride in my dark locks. The photographer had somehow captured an air of breezy innocence, my small mouth curved in a cute smile. Taking one last long look of what my life had been like before, I tore the photo in two and stuck the peices under the mattress.

I stood up, shouldering the knapsack, and stood in front of the door, staring it down.

"Silas, the door." Got it. With barely a sound, the normally locked door swung open, as if someone on the other side was inviting me out. I stepped outside, into the dimly lit hall of white doors identicle to mine. I slouched down the hall, hurrying for the lobby that was waiting at the end. I focused on being quick and quiet, trying to block any sounds from reaching my ears.

Because when you live in a mental asylum, you know not to listen.

Against my will, a faint, pained whispering filled my ears. I shook my head. No no no, I thought to myself. 'She's coming,' the voice whispered, over and over, a mantra. I didn't know which door it was coming from, but I didn't care enough to find out. I had almost reached the lobby.

Someone's coming, Silas whispered in my mind. I looked around, not overly concerned. People walked aound all the time in the dead of night, somehow escaping their rooms. Hearing footsteps at the end of the hall, I slid into the lobby, easing myself behind the receptionists desk. The footsteps faded, no doubt looking for another hall to wander down.

"There's a security camera off to the right, near the plant," I whispered. "If we want to get out of here and stay out of here, I can't be seen on it." No problem, he replied.

Under my breath, I counted to three. On go, I shot like a human bullet toward the glass doors, the only thing between me and my much desired freedom.

I burst through the doors, thanking the high heavens that they were only locked from the outside. It was about time luck was on my side.

In my first second of freedom, I saw the long stretch of road and considered it my second best friend, after Silas.

In second number two of my freedom, I heard the alarm, realization dawning on me to why the doors had been unlocked.

In my third second of freedom, I took off, running down that long stretch of road, the first day of the rest of my life lain out before me.