Static

CHAPTER TWO

   "You shocked her!  Your whole body was like flashing white and purple and I dived out of the curtain then you screamed.  Then everything was quiet so I came back in and Dr. Kumke was sparking on the ground and thrashing around and now, well, she's not."  She trailed off and started pacing around the small confined space.
    "What are we gonna do, Roach?  We have to tell someone-". I cut her off by standing up on my feet.  I stuck out my hands for a moment to steady myself before speaking.

     "No.  We are not going to tell anyone.  We can't, do you know what they'll do to us?  I killed her, Flea, you said it yourself."  My voice was wobbling and I could hardly keep my eyelids from closing and my body from collapsing to the ground right along side Dr. Kumke.  I couldn't look at her, it made me sick. 

      "Well then what are we gonna do?"  She asked stopping and tugging on a strand of her black hair.  I considered this for a moment.  It was unlikely we could break out, we'd probably be shot down before we even reached the fence.
     But we couldn't let them know what happened to Dr. Kumke was my fault.  So, it was either attempt a nearly impossible escape, or, confess and be put to death for killing a Doctor.  Flea would likely be punished just as equally, not that she really did anything wrong, but they would never take my word or hers that she was innocent. 
      Flea seemed to be able to know exactly what I was thinking.  Her eyes grew even wider, if that was possible, and she shook her head vigorously.

      "No, Roach, there is no way we can get out of this place!  Just go tell someone and try to convince them it was an accident!"  I strode over to her and caught her eyes with my own.
     "Listen, you and I both know we will not be off the hook for this, there is no way.  Calm down, Flea listen to me!  We don't have a choice!  At least this way we might actually live!"  Flea looked down at her shoes and readjusted the fabric of her shirt. 

    "What about Ant?"  She mumbled.  I think I actually groaned.  We had to get moving if we were going to pull this off and Flea's hesitation was costing us valuable time.
    "Ant is on her own now, we all are.  We can't help Ant now, she's too far gone.  I'm lucky I'm still standing but she's broken.  We have to go Flea."  She looked back up at me and for the first time, ever, she smiled.  It wasn't a joyous smile that spread ear to ear, it was a sad, lopsided one that just barley lifted the left half of her mouth.

    "What's the plan, Stan?"  She asked.  I returned the smile briefly before my face fell again.  Now was not the time to spend wallowing in the reality of things, that our lives would change forever after this moment.  We'd either be buried six feet underground or out in the real world and running.

    I discovered at this moment that I am not good with plans.  I didn't know what we could do to ensure our safest way out. 
    "We're going to have to just wing it."  I said.  To be expected, Flea was utterly appalled.
     "No, no, no, no.  That won't work we wouldn't even make it to the fence.  And what if we do?  Then what?  The fence is electric, there's no way we could climb it or sneak through the wires!"   I shook my head.
     "I can use my curse too-"
     "No!"  She shouted this time and I held a finger to my lips as a warning.
     "Yes, now come on, we have to get moving before some one realizes Dr. Kumke is missing.
     So that's exactly what we did, we ran.  I peeked my head out the curtain first, looking left then right.  Nobody was in the hallway.  I gave a signal to Flea to motion her forward and we bolted for the stairs.
     "Come on, Flea, pick up the pace!"  I yelled as I raced in further in front of her down the stairs.
     We reached the mess hall door, it was at least 7:30 by now so I knew it would be empty.

     I opened the door slowly just to make sure, my heart still pounding, still threatening to break free.
     My assumption was right, the place was empty.  There were no security cameras in this place, I guess they were just to confident in their methods of supervision.
     We sprinted along the walls of the mess hall, something was comforting about scaling close to the walls instead of running directly through the center.