"Armand, you have some visitors. Come with me," Soliel ordered.
A low groan came from the tight and narrow room. A miniature candle illuminated the slim cot and a burly man. He sat hunched over with his fuzzy black hair hanging over his face.
The man moved slightly, but he refused to stand up.
"Armand, please. They came all the way here to-"
"The hell they..." The man interrupted.
"Pardon me, Monsieur Armand. We need to talk," expressed Jacques.
Jacques noticed the man's eyebrow raise. His posture straightened, giving a monstrous stance. The black and white straightjacket barely hid Armand's muscular physique. His sapphire eyes were truly magical.
Armand gave him a confused expression as if he couldn't comprehend their sudden visit. As Jacques turned around, he noticed Armand's eyes seemed to be fixated on something behind him, as if he had seen a familiar face he wasn't expecting to see.
"Belle? I-"
"Armand, please! I want you to know I had no part in putting you here. Your-"
"No! I know you weren't a part of his plan. Though I am hurt. I hope you know that I don't blame you."
Jacques placed his hand on Belle's shoulder, reassuring her.
"My apologies. My name is Jacques, and they are my friends, Arieshell and Gus. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you. I guess you all know my name is Armand," he chuckled.
"Armand, come with me. I'll let Lune know to get Lou. They will meet us in the sunroom," demanded Soliel.
Armand nodded as Jacques watched him get escorted by Soliel. He gave Arieshell a slight smile before following Armand and Soliel. As they entered the sunroom, Lune joined them with Lou.
In Jacques's view of Lou, he had his dark brown hair in a messy ponytail and seemed shorter than Armand. Lou's outfit was identical black and white stripes. His skin had an overlay of dirt and grime.
"Lou, if you may, take a seat," gestured Lune.
"Yes, sir," he replied.
Lou sat beside Armand while Soliel motioned for Belle and Arieshell to take their seats. Jacques stood behind the two women. Meanwhile, Gus paced back and forth. Soliel and Lune stood on either side of the room, holding their posture.
"So," Armand paused, clasping his hands together. "What brings you here? After all, no person would want to see, speak to, or be in the same room as a homosexual."
Jacques cracked a sly grin. "Although your Uncle has strong opinions about people who express affection for the same gender, it doesn't diminish their value in society. You and Lou contribute significantly to safeguarding our small village."
"I give you my gratitude. Not many people would comprehend something so forbidden," he hesitated, "People fear things that they do not understand."
"Trust me, there is more to this world than meets the eye. That's what everyone is afraid of."
"Jacques, I never knew you were so insightful," exclaimed Belle.
"When you have an awful upbringing, it's difficult to dismiss the corrupt people in the world."
Jacques caught a glimpse of Belle's head drooping. He sensed her pain, heard her heartache, and saw her tormented soul. As a member of a damaged and tainted household, Jacques understood Belle's despair.
Lou broke the silence with a high-pitched voice. "I thank you for coming to our rescue, but sitting here expressing solace isn't going to assist us in escaping this shit prison."
"I agree! We must continue discussing a plan to get you both out of here," Arieshell spoke with a tone of authority.
"Shh!" Armand whispered, lowering his body and gesturing towards the guards. "We don't want them to hear us!"
Jacques heard one of the twin guards readjust their gun. He gulped in anticipation of an order to hold their hands up. To his relief, an unexpected demand had been requested.
"You aren't going to be released unless you let me and my brother join you for freedom," ordered Soliel.
Gus hastily got in between Jacques and Soliel and glared at the blonde-haired man. Jacques could notice his first mate's eyes. Gus's demeanor exuded an overwhelming sense of control and protectiveness.
"And what makes you think we can trust you?" Gus growled.
"Gus!" Jacques yelled as he yanked Gus behind him. "What has gotten into you? Whatever happened with my father, they had no involvement in this matter. They are innocent and free of any guilt or blame."
Jacques looked at the young man. He stood frozen, his arms limp and shaking, eyes filled with tears. Jacques could only share an apologetic nod to Soliel. As Jacques consoled Gus, he faced Arieshell, Belle, Armand, and Lou.
They shared puzzled and frightened glances. When Jacques regained his composure, the air in the room became cold. The candle caught his attention and caused him to raise his eyebrow. With a clever smirk, Jacques realized he devised a plan.
Jacques observed the flickering flame twirling delicately among his partners' chatter. Do we need a plan? He pondered the concept. Ever since he was a young lad, Jacques understood his struggle not to be spontaneous.
However, he was on the sea most of his life. Jacques grew fond of his unpredictable nature. On the contrary, citizens from the Upper to the Working Class viewed him as deranged and unhinged..
Arieshell's sweet melody snapped Jacques out of his ever-going thoughts. From that point, he knew exactly what he needed to accomplish.
"Jacques are you alright-"
"Hush!" he demanded. Jacques glanced at Soliel and then at Armand.
He harshly grabbed the candles and pierced them with a haunted expression. "Why do we need a well-thought-out plan if this place is already crumbling?"
"Jacques! Are you nuts? We can't possibly-"
"Yes, we can! Look at this place! It's barely clinging to life and I suspect it won't hold on for another year or two."
Jacques witnessed Armand clear his throat. His muscles tightened but his lips stayed shut. His skimmed Jacques, peering into his soul.
"We need to sort out a plan! We need to contact for backup," instructed Armand.
Jacques swiftly pounced on Armand and slapped him across the face.
"Wake up man! Who cares about a stupid plan."
"Jacques stop!" Arieshell demanded, "We just needed to know the exit points and get the patients out of here."
"I agree. Lune and I were born in this place. We know every guard and patient. We can convince them to help us," explained Soliel.
"That could work but it is not foolproof yet. Are you confident they will cooperate?" asked Armand.
"On the other hand, it can! We can act by putting you and Lou back in your cells. However, I am sure this plan is bulletproof," added Lune.
"We have to try Armand. They are our only hope," expressed Lou.
"Fine! But what does Belle think?" he asked.
Jacques, in shock, glanced at Belle. "Belle? What do you think?"
"Huh? Well... I agree with you and Soilel," she replied.
He nodded and faced his group.
"Let's do this!"
As the group walked through the hallway, they passed cells and listened to the begs for help from other patients. Jacques noticed Armand pull Belle aside and hand her a crumpled paper. After a moment, her rosy cheeks turned pale like a ghost.
The sound of her quiet sobs filled the hallway. Jacques felt a pang in his chest. He couldn't help but wonder what could have caused her such distress. His curiosity grew as he wanted to peek at the paper she was holding.
"Hey, Belle. How are you doing? You seem distant in this entire trip."
"Jacques," she lingered as she met his eyes. "I can't help but think about William. I miss him so much, and this paper Armand gave me, tells me he is in trouble."
"How do you know that?" he asked.
"Because of this letter. For the longest time, I had myself convinced he had forgotten or erased me from his mind. Now I see, that's not the case."
"Geez."
Belle glanced up at Jacques, "I found his letters in the attic where I had you sleep for a night. Regretfully, Father found me with them and took me downstairs. He threw every letter William wrote into the fire."
Jacques embraced Belle as she let out tears. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.
Soliel raised a hand. "Stop!"
"What's wrong?" Jacques asked as he and Belle rejoined the group.
"Nothing's wrong. Stay here and Lune and I will talk to the guards. Oh," Soliel passed Jacques a set of keys, "You need these to release the patients. Good luck."
"Thank you. What about the guards who wouldn't agree to help?"
"Just tell the patients to tie them up and bring them out of the asylum. We don't want any violence besides burning the building down."
"So, we are burning this place?" asked Gus.
"Yes, Jacques is right. This asylum won't last another year. It is better to demolish this building," replied Armand.
"I am glad we can finally agree on something," expressed Jacques.
"Well, I guess this means farewell for now. Good luck," said Soliel.
"You too," replied Jacques.
Jacques, Armand, and Gus were on a mission, darting along the darkened corridor, unlocking the cells one after the other. The tension was palpable as they worked quickly, racing against the clock to free unjustly imprisoned people.
Jacques's heart pounded harder with every second as the inmates grabbed torches and ropes. The excitement filled Jacques with adrenaline as he resumed the release of men and women. The riots rang through the halls as the rotting walls and floors fumed into flames.
"Armand here," Jacques yelled as he gave him the keys. "Release the remaining patients as I light more areas!"
"Oh, sure! Leave it to the strong and sturdy soldier for the conservative task," responded Armand.
Jacques gave Armand a cocky smile before running in the opposite direction. He had a torch in hand as he unlocked the last few cells. That should be all of them on my side. I wonder how the others are doing.
He grasped his flask and poured the remaining liquor on the ground as he tossed his torch. So long. As the adrenaline pumped through his veins, Jacques turned swiftly on his heels and sprinted towards the exit. His mind was racing, trying to process the events unfolding.
"Gus, Belle, Arieshell, let's get out of here!" he ordered.
"Hurry! Before this this place collapses down on us," Gus yelled.
As the asylum crumbled in a blaze of fury and defiance, the night sky seemed painted in hues of orange and red. A sense of both loss and liberation hung heavy in the air. Guards alongside patients stood in awe as a building full of despair and mistreatment faded. The asylum collapsed on itself.
"It's beautiful!" admired Arieshell.
Gus sighed. "I finally got to witness what this place truly deserved."
Jacques gave a worried glance.
"Well, I admit, it feels nice getting fresh air that I haven't had in a while," Armand acknowledged.
"That means we are free!" added Lou.
"Not yet! We need to take care of Uncle Henry first," responded Armand.
Jacques nodded and then looked in Belle's direction. Her eyes fixated on the monstrous flames. A small smirk appeared on her face.
"You seem content."
"Yes, if only William could see this view," she responded.
"Does he like destroying stuff?"
Belle chuckled. "No, he loves bonfires."
Ten minutes later, Jacques and his companions approached the carriage they arrived in. The coachman leaned against the carriage with one foot propped on a wheel while smoking his pipe.
"I thought you left?" asked Jacques.
The man took the pipe and laughed. "And miss this? Not a chance. Plus, I didn't want to depart without my payment."
"Well, I hope it's fine if we have two other people tag along?"
"That's fine if you pay for them too. I don't transport escapees for free," stated the man.
"What about Lune and Soliel?" questioned Arieshell.
"Not to worry, I told them the town's name. They're going on horseback," exclaimed Armand.
"Then, it's settled. Where am I dropping you off?"
"Whershie's Mannor," said Jacques.
The man nodded. "Everyone, get aboard!"