What if

memories

I pick up my toothbrush with ease rinsing it under the tap before hazily brushing my teeth. One flick of my tongue and i can feel it, the gap between my molers: it was a memory planted inside of me, a memory I didnt want anymore.

I suppose its a good thing I dont remember much about my childhood, a few undiscovered memories surface to my head now and then, only to be swallowed into a deeper part of me. The part im trying to forget;
but there it is again. That protesting screech, aggrieved at the thought i tried to forget about them. I could hear them laughing, telling me I had no jurisdiction over my own memories despite my considerable opposition towards it. Please leave me alone.

7.30am

How long was i in there for? It doesn't matter. Times just a human conception with neither energy nor mass, so should I say memores are just memories. Easily forgotten, but never gone.

I saunter down the crepitated stair case, the floor boreds cry out to me but I ignore them. Everyone suffers sometimes.
What should I have for breakfast? I think I still have some bread left over from last week.. or did i eat that already? Sigh, ok time for a food shop. The houses are rather isolated, a small convient store round the corner but nothing more than that, no one but the old cranky man from next door makes himself known around here.
I through on my coat not paying too much attention to my wardrobe choice and grab my keys, headed for the front door.
I'll be back soon

Bang

"I'll be back soon princess"

Ugh, sickening. You'd think a man of his age would take it easy on a teenager, but there wasn't even an ounce of pity regarded to me. I suppose its good really; the last thing I want is to be pittied by these perverted bastards that enter my room night after night.
I put on my clothes and draped the blanket over me, sloppily putting up my hair before calling it a night; Dino will get mad but I've maxed out my tolerance. God what a hateful life this was, but others had it worse right? Anyway it wouldn't be long, soon I'll be out of here, thanks to that good for nothing asshole that just left. One hour, just wait one more hour.

I must of drifted off to sleep, the sound of the door handle being tugged at woke me up, he was back.

It was a blur from then on, he looked as if he were in a state of panic, did something go wrong? was he here to punish me? a variety of thoughts hurtled through my head with each passing step he took; but instead he took my shoulder.

"You've got 10 minutes, the security cameras are down along with the guards, dont make me regret helping you, and rememberour promise"
and with that he fled the room.

Promise. Who's promise. The life I've lived gives me no reason to stay truthful to a mere promise. Especially not to a guy like him, dont get cocky because you helped me once old man.

Old man.

Hmm, why does that sound so familiar.

Time: 11.19pm

Without much time to prepare, nor with much hesitation, I soon followed, creeping out my door like a thief, a bundle of anxiety draped in bedsheets proceeding down the hall, aspiring to escape unseen.
That old man was right after all, weather i like it or not he did help me, ill use every second time has given me to get out of here, not just for him. No not for him at all. For me.

The bundle of security studs were no where to be seen, it almost felt like this plan was too perfect; no time to start doubting, where was that door again. How long had it been since I'd stepped out my room, weeks, no months! They built bathrooms in the bedrooms for a reason. The uncanny air that torpedoed around me made my head spin, a mixture of smoke and sex yet a pleasant refreshingness lingered within it.

I liked it.

It smelt new, it smelt like freedom. But beyond these doors- were people like me. Stolen children from ages 8 to 9, maybe even younger. maybe suffering more.
What was I doing, do I really have time to pity others? How long has it been since i left the room, maybe 30- no 40 seconds, I need to keep going. Through the corridor, down the stairs, out the back door. Just keep going.

So here i am. Bare footed, abysmally dressed, running through this affluent hell hole and headed towards my escape route. How long did it take him to find this anyway? maybe two to three months of continouse searching, what was he even doing here all that time.

But he wasn't lying. There it was.

A narrow path that led behind the buildings to an underground door, hidden beneath a bundle of bricks and wood; my guess was someone had already escaped using this.. or tried to atleast.
my only fault in this plan was how time consuming it was, here i was, like a scalded cat, desperately digging up the door to my exit, brick after brick flew each side of me, creating new dents in the parched soil, eating up my seconds with each toss; i could see the handle, i was so close. How long do I have left now; i'd say the cameras will just be coming through, along with the guards. He was in such a hysterical state, what on earth did he do- and for me above everything.

Time: 11.28pm

I heaved at the handle, tugging with the last use of my strength until an eerie screech came from the lapping wood and my overused body slipped through, at times like this I was almost glad we were put on diets.
It was rather calliginous down here, my eyes hadn't yet adjusted so I relied on my hands to pass me through the damp tunnel way that I could only presume was an old pipe.
Something definitely died down here that was for sure, the smell, to put politely, was nauseating; a moulding stench invaded my nose unwelcomed, causing my stomach to churn, but to my luck, the worse the smell got the brighter the tunnel became.

Ah, so it was a sewage pipe, that bastard; then again i dont have room to be picky about my exit.
I popped up my head up to scan the area, the vault had been busted allowing the suns rays to peak inside, guiding me out: the celestial fireball causing my eyes to blink repeatedly, using my arm as a shadow. Im out, im really out. I must of been walking for around an hour, the prison i took shelter in was no longer in sight, instead, a sea of grass cushioned the uneven surface below me, and weeds that weaved through the cracks of the newly softened soil.

Where do I go now? I'm out but im not yet safe, Dino will be looking for me, and in a state of distress I left everything i owned behind (thought guaranteed it wasn't much)
Its not like I can ask a stranger, let alone trust what they say. No ill do this myself, let's head towards... there!

A few meters ahead gave me a view of a far away city,

Los Angeles

I've heard about this from my old man as a kid. It seemed like a dream back then, a place to put on our bucket lists for when we got old, but here i was standing 10 miles from it. I could recognise it from a simple street cart the amount of times I studied it.

Los angeles, the place ill start fres-

Bang

milk, butter, bread. Thats everything.

Authors note: hey guys! I hope you like "what if" so far, im so sorry if there's any typos I've missed. I plan to update this once a week and my post date will be a Friday! I feel like if I give myself a deadline I'll stop procrastinating and actually get it done :,) I'd love to update more often but i have my exams coming up and i have to study 😭
see you next Friday:)