A crack. There was finally a crack on the door, an indication that her effort did not go into waste. Only if she could repeat for another few twenty times, then there could actually be a chance that she could escape— if not today, then the day after.
She never noticed the gas that leaked into her room, focused on the door and the stick that cringed onto the rope she took from the shower curtains in the washroom. Only when she started to feel the dizziness she noticed the brown, but odorless gas that came from the above.
"Huh—" Aerie thought. Her attention was instantly being grabbed away. She had forgotten about the stick in her hand, being taken away by the smoke.
It was then released from her hand. Before she knew, the kilos heavy stick swung through the air, and immediately hit her right on the back of her head.There was pain. And then there were the smoke, making her eyes heavy, forgetting the pain that her nerves stimulated.
"What a pity."
Aerie blinked. She tried to. Squeeze her eyes open, but was in vain.
She drifted asleep, in the comfortable bed, in a peaceful night.
Lady Lovelock closed the laptop in front of her, and then the monitors behind it. She would be sleeping tightly and soundly for the entire of the following day— she was tired for sure, and the gas— as long as it was on, still supplying into her room, she would stay asleep.
"You would be up soon, honey." She whispered as she moved the girl that was soundly asleep onto the bed, gently closing the door behind. The atmosphere was quiet, and of course nobody would ever know where she would be.
//
The air blew. Aerie couldn't count the time that had passed when she finally woke again. It felt like as if she had been awoke- and now when she finally opened her eyes, she went into a dream instead.
She didn't have to be informed. She knew that someone had been in her room. And there must be someone always by the cameras. If not, she would never wake up on the bed.
There were no clocks around, and the only watch on her hand had been removed much before she started staying in the room- it could be Saturday night anytime now.
She ran through the escape plan in her mind again before she got up and had a bath. Every step that she should take, she ran in her own mind once before she finally had a clear look around.
The door was open.
Wide open.
Aerie's eyes widened. The glass door— was completely gone. The reflection of light that would be usually given off from transparent objects were also gone.
Interesting. If they had changed the entire piece of glass into something more advanced, better, then Aerie must admit- she was impressed.
Though when she reached for the glass, her hand went through completely.
The glass was so advanced now people could walk through it completely. Aerie laughed at first when she finally realised.
If anything, the last thing that she would be expecting was them letting her go free— after all that work in getting her in the first place. But that doesn't matter. Who said it would be the people from The Association the ones who took the door away anyways?
Aerie walked through. She didn't bother to think when the fresh air rushed into her lungs— she ran. There were stairs. A lot of stairs before laughter and chattering went into her ears.
Free at last.
The party had already started. It wasn't really late, only a person or two were bothering with the decorations. The sun was still up, to her relief.
"Hey. You. Heat are you doing here?" One of the workers turned to her and yelled.
Animosity. Which was not a good thing. But the good thing is, they did not recognize her.
"I was— you know- got lost in here." Aerie replied.
"You cant get lost in here." The worker continued to yell in his low and hoarse voice. "You need password to get in here in the first place."
"I—" Aerie said, but was stuck at searching words, "when I came in, the door— the door was open. And there were nobody there, yeah yeah."
"You better not be trying to do anything bad," he continued, "like stealing? We don't care if you look innocent or not. Look- the mayor's son gonna hold a party here tonight. And any loss we ain't can't afford it. You better be honest."
"Really." Aerie said. "And I am also searching for the exit here."
"Fine." The man said, "we are, like, all of us are lads and you're a girl. We don't want to search you, so you better turn in anything you have stolen. We don't buy your story."
"There's really nothing here." Aerie said, "and hey- look." As she said, she pulled the crumbled ticket inside her pocket. "I got the ticket. For the party tonight."
"Oh." He replied in amusement. "But you are like— six hours early. Its one in the afternoon now. Nobody would be early for that much to a party. You've never been to one before? You aren't even dressed."
"Well- yeah." Aerie said. Well, that was embarrassing. But anything if they can come up with a story themselves and believe in it.
At least she now know the time. Before she knew, her stomach was rumbling. She regretted for not getting any food back inside the cell.
"Then maybe I will leave for a clothes shop and get myself something decent to get dressed?" Aerie asked cautiously.
"Go ahead." The worker, who now seemed to have no attention on her said casually. And then something hit his mind all of a sudden, as he turned towards her- "Wait."
"What?" Aerie replied, "I thought I have already answered all of your questions."
"No. You were distracting our attention." The worker said, "Your right pocket. What's in there?"
Aerie's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten that she had the screwdriver inside her left- not her right- pocket. She slowly emptied it, and held the screwdriver insider her hand.
"A screwdriver?" The worker asked, "that proves me right that you are actually up to no good, but stealing a screwdriver? Which only costs like a dollar each outside? A platinum screwdriver? Silver screwdriver? I am actually curious- what did you actually come here for, young lady?"
"I- I forgot to empty my pockets." Aerie continued, "I— theres noting else inside."
He grabbed the screwdriver directly from her hands, mumbled words under his breath. She could feel him wanting to throw her out, wanting to push her away, blame her for her 'seeming innocence'.
But he did not. Instead, Aerie knew that the moment he stared dead into her eyes would be the last moment that she had to run.
Aerie did not look back before she launched herself.
And she was away. Into the crowd, into the city. Aerie was certain that they would not stop there. If a thought successfully inherited inside the mind, nobody can kill it. Not anymore even when it made no sense.
Not to say- it would make pretty much sense for her being pickpocket. Or breaking in. Regular workers could not bear the consequences of having lost items- any object in sight would cost at least three thousand bucks in the mayor's house. The workers would definitely not risk it, especially when a lot of them would cut cost and not buy any insurance.
Aerie walked faster. There were people, but not a lot of people. Black hair, short height, T-shirt with no shoes, Aerie could easily be spotted on the street.
She wished that she had a hoodie. At least she could be less oblivious. But the part of her walking barefoot would always expose her. She knew way too well.
Despite the fact that the day was supposed to be chilly- 15 degrees in the city- her feet still ached from the heat on the road.
From a distance, siren rang along her ears. It was coming closer and closer to her, she knew from her heart even without looking back. The streets was quiet, more quiet now the only thing in her ears was the siren.
"Stop there—" A amplifier was held at the car, and a policeman yelled.
Aerie turned. There were nobody else at the street, and definitely nobody except her, with a few people walking around in the opposite direction.
"Yes you- the lady over there." He continued to yell. And interestingly enough, Aerie allowed herself to stop at where she was, when she would have ran, in literally every situation. She don't know what would happen next, but she knew that she was definitely safe outside.
There would always be odds, Aerie told herself. The dormitories was within sight, if she made the bet and ran for it, maybe she could safely be back inside the university campus, which would add a lot of difficulty for them to get her. Her features wasn't that outstanding and recognizable anyways.
But she stood. "What's the matter?" Aerie asked calmly when the cops pulled up next to her.
"We are here to inform you that, with the report of the worker at the mansion over there, you are suspected of burglary. We hope that you can cooperate with us and help us with our research although there had been no loss confirmed."
"Okay." Aerie did not wait for them to finish. The risks would be no longer on her- she's not the one at risk. "Though if possible, I hope to leave by tonight."
"We won't keep you long if you are clean."
Aerie looked out of the window when she sat in. She would definitely not be at the party tonight, and there's nothing that could help stop her from thinking about it.