Trapped

Chapter ten: A Lighted Beacon

Gemma’s POV

So there I was, crying my eyes out over something totally out of my control. I couldn’t change the fact that I still had feelings for Julian. There was no denying that. But I knew him. And even though I still may be in love with him, doesn’t mean he’s right for me. He’s unstable. He could go off at any second, and I didn’t want to be here when he did.

( I have got to get out of here!) I thought to myself.

“ …but how?”

I tried to think. And think. I thought until my brain hurt. But it was no use. Nothing. I couldn’t think of one stinking thing to get me out of this mess. I thought so hard it gave me a migraine. Soon nightfall came. The windows turned dark and I could see the full moon light up the sky. Then the light from under the door went out. So Julian must’ve went asleep, assured that I wouldn’t go anywhere. I kept thinking, but still got nothing and I was getting exhausted. My eyelids kept wanting to close, but I wouldn’t let them. But then finally, I gave in and sleep took me.

I open my eyes and see that I’m on a porch swing at Kenny’s house. However I’m not alone. My face is pressed again someone’s chest. (Oh, please don’t be who I think it is.) I look up and see Julian looking down at me with his kind golden eyes. He caresses my face and surprisingly I hold his hand there.( What am I doing? Wait…this is one of my memories.) We just sit there, rocking back and forth. He kisses me, and my heat skips a beat the second his lips touch mine. He pulls away and says, “ Wake up, Gemma.” (Huh?) He says it again. “ Wake up silly Gemma. Come on wake up.” He gently shakes me. “Wake up, Gemma.” his grip tightens. Then his eyes turn blood red. “Before I come and get you!” he said with a knife raised high in his hand.

I’m woken up by my loud gasp. My face is sweaty and I can hear my heart beat hyperactively. I take slow breaths to calm down.( What the heck was that??) At first it was a nice memory of the first day Julian kissed me. Then he turns all scary and raises a knife at me! Gosh, what a nightmare.( If that wasn’t a sign to get out of here, then I don’t know what is!)

After I calmed down, I tried not to think about that horrid dream. I look out the window and see that the sun’s barely rising, making the sky a light mix of pink, orange and light gray. So I’m guessing it’s around 5 o’clock in the morning. I sigh. ( Great. Another beautiful day locked in this dump.)

I look around and see the basement still looks the same. Except I notice something. There’s a mirror. In the mirror, I see it reflect something shiny. There’s a window-locked of course-but there’s something shiny on the sill. I study really hard and see it’s…

“ It’s a key!” I say excited. ( Finally, maybe there is a way to get out of after all! Maybe it unlocks the door, or the window! Wait…why didn’t I see the key before. Oh, yeah cause it was dark as hell.) I sigh, aggravated. ( Ok, I located a key. But how do I untie myself.) Then out of nowhere I remember how this one cop came to my school in fifth grade. He told us about what’s a cop being like and his duties. But what I remember most was that he showed us how to get out of handcuffs! I thought it was so cool, and made me want to be cop when I grew up. But I grew out of that phase real quick. But to get out of handcuffs all you need is a bobby pin. I was relieved I finally figured out a way, but then I remembered I don’t have a bobby pin. Even if I did, how would I get it with my hands behind my back.

“ Dammit!” I hit my head against the wall, internally cursing Julian to go to hell. I slumped down in defeat when my hands touched something cold on the ground.

“Huh?”

I picked up the cold thing and examined it with my fingers. It was thin and plastic. And then I figured out it was a bobby pin! (Whew! What luck!) I tried to remember how the cop told us to do it. First, you have to take the coverings off the tips. Then bend one end then insert it into the keyhole to release the latch which then opens the mouth of the handcuffs and Voila! You’re free. But if it’s a double lock, you have to unlock the double lock then the other lock to release the ratchet. Then something hit me. I remember the officer clearly saying that this trick is nearly impossible if your hands are tied behind your back, which is why you always do it with your hands tied in front of you.

“…crap.” Dang it, I was so close. But I remembered my horrible nightmare, and thinking I need to get out of here. So I thought it’s at least worth a try. So what if it’s nearly impossible, many famous people have overcome things that people said was impossible. People said it was impossible to fly to the moon, yet in 1969 that’s exactly what astronauts did. Well, at least that’s what the government says happened, but that’s beside the point.

So I got the bobby pin and tried to insert it in the keyhole. But when I finally thought I had it, I dropped it. “Ugh!” I picked the bobby pin up, and tried again. I thought I had it, only for it to slip through my butterfingers. I got the pin a third time, and said, “Third time’s the charm.” and it fell…yet again. This went on for a good 10 or 15 minutes. Me picking up the pin, almost getting it in the keyhole, dropping it, and repeat. I was running thin out of patience and hope.

I picked up the bobby pin for what seemed like the 30th time, and took a deep breath. I swore to myself this will be my last and final attempt. If I succeed, then amazing! I’ll be home free, and never have to see Julian again. If I failed…then that’s that. At least I know I tried. I trembled from the fear of the consequence failure would bring.

I relaxed and focused on nothing except getting the pin in the keyhole. I was almost there, just a little more.

“Please work.”

My hands were shaking, and my eyes closed. Then finally, the pin got in! my eyes flew open.

(Yes!) I thought. Now came the hard part, or so I thought. I thought that since it took forever to just get the dang pin in the keyhole it would take longer to actually /unlock/ the cuffs. But luckily on the first try they clicked! I felt overjoyed that my hands were not confined anymore. So using the same bobby pin I freed my legs from the steel chain and I was free!

I would’ve liked to jump up and down and yell “ I’m free!!” and trust me, it was very tempting. But I knew time was precious. Julian could wake up at any second, and figure out I escaped. My plan was to just get out of this house and ran as far away and as fast as I can. So quickly I grabbed the key and tried to run fast and quietly up the stairs to the basement door. I tried the key and it fit! I turned and heard a click. Then I guess I got too excited, and I ran out the door right into this table with a very expensive ivory vase on it.

I tried to grab the vase before it fell, but it was futile. It hit the floor with a loud clang. To make matters worse it echoed!

“Shiiiiit!!” I said.

I knew that time was really running out then, so I ran like a madman through the hallway, kitchen and finally I saw stairs to my left. I turned my head to the right and saw the front door! It seemed to scream ’freedom!’ so I ran to it. Just as I opened it an inch, which someone pushed it shut, and locked it. I saw their white hand lay flat on the door and the other one grabbed my waist. They pressed me to the door and said,

“Going somewhere?”