No Happily Ever Afters

The Voices - part 3

Nurse Dinah never locked my bedroom door at night.  I had once overheard her talking with a new trainee, explaining that they only kept the bedroom doors locked on the 'patients' they thought were flight risks.  I never quite understood that, since I was fairly certain none of the children here could fly, but apparently they didn't think I was one of the children at risk.

So silently opening my bedroom door and sneaking down the stairs to the first floor was easy.  I had Diego and Jack under one arm and my few possessions tied up in a blanket in the other.  I wandered carefully down the silent halls until I reached the front lobby. 

Sitting at the front desk, with his boots propped up, was the snoring guard.  I hesitated, thinking perhaps he was faking.  Diego apparently had a similar thought because he whispered, "It could be a trap, Leah!".  I quickly shushed him and looked over at the guard to make sure he hadn't heard.  The loud snoring and thin thread of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth made me think he hadn't.  The rise and fall of hands on top of his round belly seemed to confirm he wasn't faking either. 

As quietly as I could, I darted towards the front door, my bare feet not making much sound against the bare linoleum.  I reached the large, wooden front door and slowly turned the latch for the deadbolt.  It made a dull thunk as it unlocked and I glanced over my shoulder nervously.  The guard remained snoring as I pushed open the door just enough so I could slip through and then shut it gently behind me.

I quickly glanced around, making note of the gravel drive that leads to the main gate and the tall brick wall surrounding the property.  I start to run down the driveway, towards the entrance, but the gravel hurts my bare feet, so I move to the grassy edge instead.  Once I reach the wrought iron gate, I saw that it was held shut by a length of chain wrapped around it and secured with a large lock.  I rattle the chain to see if it's loose, but it doesn't come off.  It does allow for a small gap in between the fence, however, and I feel my heart leap with excitement.

Setting my bag and my companions down gently, I use both hands to pull the gates apart as wide as they will go.  I am a tiny girl, so I can fit in a lot of small spaces, but this? Only Jack and Diego would be able to fit through this gap. 

I sigh in frustration, stepping back and letting the gate close back into place.  I pick up my things and decide to walk around the parameter of the wall.  Its a long walk, but I make my way around it twice, carefully examining every inch of it in the moonlight in case there might be a hole or hidden doorway.  After wasting nearly two hours, I admit to myself this isn't working. 

"How are we going to get out now?" I ask my friends in despair, as I sink down the base of a large oak tree.  I lean my head back against it and look up at the sky.  The nearly full moon and stars shine down at me from through the branches of the tree.  I shift slightly and one especially large, thick branch blocks the moon from my sight.  I frown slightly and shift back so I can see the moon once again. 

"Can you climb?" Diego suddenly asks, startling me slightly.

"Umm. I suppose so," I reply with a slight frown, "Why do you ask?"

His stripped head is tilted back and I look up again, confused.  All I can see is the sky and the oak tree's branches...

"The branches!" I exclaim, scrambling to my feet.  There are so many of them and so thick, it shouldn't be hard to climb up the tree and I see now that the branch that had been blocking the moon stretched out over the top of the brick wall.

With a grin, I throw my bag over my shoulder and pick up my two friends.  Then I hesitate, realizing I'll need my hands to climb. 

"Hmmm... Sorry guys but you're going to have to ride in the bag," I explain apologetically as I quickly put them inside and tie the end of the makeshift bag shut. 

Even with everything wrapped in my little blanket-bag, its still too difficult to climb while carrying.  I slump back down in frustration. I will not leave my friends behind!

I knew what I had to do.  I ran back over to the gate and shoved the bundle as far as I could through the crack, then I ran back to the tree and began to climb.  It took longer than I expected to reach the branch that hung out over the wall.  Once I had, I paused to catch my breath.  I slowly crawled out onto the limb until I was over the wall.

Fortunately, I have never been scared of heights.  In fact, I rather liked them.  One could always see more clearly from up above.  Which reminds me...

I glanced down at the ground, which seemed very far away.  I hadn't really thought of how I'd get down once I was over.  I sat on the branch for awhile trying to figure something out.  When no ideas came, I figured there was only one thing to do.

So I jumped.

I landed hard on my feet.  The force of the impact was mostly taken by my left ankle which twisted violently to the side as I fell. The air was knocked out of my lungs and I gasped as tears filled my eyes.  I moaned softly, trying to sit up after a few moments had passed. 

Other than my ankle, I felt mostly fine, just a little bruised and battered.  My ankle was throbbing painfully but I knew I couldn't just sit here.  Using mostly my arms, I dragged myself closer to the brick wall and used it to help get up on my feet. 

Tentatively, I took a step forward and gasped sharply at the stabbing pain that shot up my leg.  Grimacing, I slowly made my way forward, largely supporting myself with the brick wall.  When I got to where my bundle lay I bent down to retrieve it, nearly falling over in the process.  I knew this was going to be hard, but I took a step away from the wall and took a good look at my surroundings for the first time. 

 A long, dusty road stretched away from the gate entrance.  The surface of it seemed to almost glow in the moonlight and, not unlike the face of the moon, it was pale and covered with crater-like dents and potholes.  On either side of the road, stretching as far as the eye could see, was a dense, dark forest.  I felt my breath catch in my throat at the eerie beauty of it all.

I started to slowly make my way down the road, limping painfully.  However, I had only gone a few feet when I had to stop.  I stood awkwardly on one foot, unsure of how I was going to manage like this.  I turned back around and looked at what I was leaving behind.

Greenville Home for the Mental Insane, read the sign above the wrought iron gate.  I frowned as I turned away again, I most definitely didn't belong here.  A thought occurred to me just then, as I realized how much I stood out, standing in the middle of the road.  They won't want me to leave.  I realized then that I was going to have to be more careful in hiding myself.  I decided right then that I would travel under the cover of the woods. 

Deciding that getting to cover was now my main priority, I began hopping on one leg towards the trees.  Not the most dignified way to travel, and I could hear my animals muttering complaints about the bumpy ride from inside the blanket, but I carried on.  Walking normally just wasn't working with all the pain from my ankle.  Once I got to the trees, I began using them as support as I slowly continued forward. 

I traveled in this manner as long as I could, my only goal to get as far away from the institute as possible.  When I could go no further, I collapsed onto the ground just as the sun was starting to rise.  Exhausted, I pulled out Diego and Jack, who were already asleep, and using my blanket-bag as a pillow, I soon joined them.

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Hello everyone,
Wow - I hope you guys liked this chapter!  Are you surprised Leah managed to escape? Hopefully her ankle won't prove to be too much of a problem - and where do you think she'll go now that she's free?
I'm really eager to hear your thoughts!
If you like what you read, please remember to vote on this chapter :)
Thanks for reading!
~Shelby Laine