Chapter 12
Ben's POV
He honestly had no idea how he ended up in a cell. The feeling of hopelessness seeped through him as the burly man with a long beard shut the iron bars in his face, the echo of the noise proving how large the vicinity was.
Before, as a soldier dragged him around the assumed prison, Ben was keeping his bravery mask on, demanding where he was being taken and why. He remembered wandering through the streets at night, still seeking shelter when a group of men carrying rifles appeared on the other side of the street, shouting and pointing at Ben. He did the logical thing that every teenage kid would have done.
He ran the other direction.
The soldiers caught up, of course, and threw Ben into the god forsaken cell cold, tired, and starving.
The only plus side of this situation was that he was alone.
Ben allowed his bravery mask to crumble as he silently let his tears fall, curling up into a small ball, eventually crying himself to sleep.
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His sleep was short lived.
It seemed, as soon as he closed his eyes, those old ioron bars screeched open again, dumped two shadowed figures, both protesting, into the cell and slammed shut as if saying, You're not coming out any time soon.
Through his half shut eyelids, Ben made out two relativley small figures, one leaning against the iron bars, begging for release. Its hopeless, Ben wanted to shout. They'll never let you out. But his tired body couldn't will the words to come out.
Soon, the noise died down, and the two figures slumped next to him, as if Bens exahustion was contagious.
A hoarse voice spoke thourgh the darkness, "You awake yet?" Ben jumped inwardly.
He recognized that voice.
It belonged to that kid that hung out with Maya a lot....What was his name?
Ben racked his brain trying to remember, his energy still slowly seeping away.
Simon? Spencer? S...
Sam.
The name cut thourgh his hazy state like a knife through miles and miles of white cardboard. Ben snapped his eyes open.
But before he could do anyting, another voice replied to Sams'; "Nope, the nightmares still going"
This voice, Ben instantly recognized. It belonge to the gray eyed girl that sat behind him in Eniglish class.
Karin.
Mustering all the energy he had left in is body, Ben opened his mouth..
"S-Sam?...Karin?"
The duo didnt seem to hear him, so he tried in a louder voice.
"Sam? Karin?"
"Wh-Huh?" was their reply. Someone shuffled around sat up in the dark.
"Wh-who's there?" Somone-Karin, most likely, asked.
Ben took a deep breath and shifted himself closer to the sound of her voice.
"Here, I'll-uh- move so you can see me.." Suddenly,as if right on cue, moonlight appeared between the barred window from above and struck Bens bright red hair, iluminating the red hues, casting a glow all through the cell.
"Ben? Ben Ryder?" came a small voice.
"Woah, woah. Ok. Hold up." Sams voice. The figure next to Karin crept slowly towards Ben, the outlines of his face becoming clearer as he got closer.
Ben self consiously backed up against the cold cell wall.
In a few moments, the dirty, curious, face of Sam Parker came into view, his chocolate brown eyes staring expectantly up at Ben.
"Ben Ryder? As in the Ben Ryder?"
"Uh..." Ben shifted uncomforably, suddenly aware that he had no shirt on and that Sam was unusually close to his face.
"Really? We're stuck in a cell in god knows where, going to be sent to god knows where, in freaking 1863 and you're marveling over Ben Ryder?"Karins voice rang out. "No offense," she added hastily to Ben.
"None taken" Suddenly Sam smirked next to Ben, turing over to Karin.
"Why? Jealous?" Karin turned a shade of red so deep Ben could see it from his side of the cell. Scowling, she jammed her hand inside the left pocket of her maroon hoody and pulled out an object that glinted in the moonlight - just before she chuked it angily at Sam.
The object bounced harmlessly off Sams forehead. Nevertheless, Sam cried out in pain and rubbed the place the object had previously touched, faking a pout.
"What was that for?" He tried to glare at Karin before seeing her rage filled face. He couldn't help it. He grinned, and started laughing. Karin turned an even deeper shade of red, if that was possible.
"What're you laughing at?!"
"You're f-face.." Sam managed to gasp out through all the cackling. "Priceless..."
"Ugh, you're the one that got us into this mess in the first place! Stop laughing!"
"Hey, who was the one that wanted to see those men with guns? And besides, how is it my fault we're stuck in a Doctor Who time warp?"
"We could have escaped from this place if you hadn't-"
"What? Would could I have done that prevented out escape? There was no way out anyways...."
The two continued arguing, but Ben lost interest as soon as Karin mentioned escape. If only they had something...a pocket knife...anything...
Suddenly, an shiny object lying next to Sam caught his eye.
Ben reached down and picked up the small, sharp object, turning it over with his fingers.
A paperclip. It gleamed in his palm, like a ray of hope cast into his so far gloomy day.
His fingers trembling, Ben pried the metallic clip so that two ends stuck out, parallel to each other so the ends could hopefully pop open a lock. He hastily brushed his hair back and closed a fist over the paper clip as if the object had the ability to grow legs and run off .... along with his sanity.
"Guys, I have an idea."
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"You want to what?!" Karin practically screeched. "Have you lost your mind?"
Sam looked skeptical. "Look man, I'm all about getting out of this hell-hole, but need I remind you that there are soldiers with guns- actual rifles- standing outside our cell. It'll be impossible to get past them, and that's assuming this measly paper clip can actually get us out of this damn cell-"
"Shhh.." Ben muffled his hand against Sam's mouth. "Do you want the entire place to know that we're escap-"
Karin gave him a look.
"- attempting to escape?" Sam shook Bens hand off his face.
"Dude, admit it. This is a suicide mission." Sam plucked the paper clip from Bens fingers, ignoring his protests.
"Oh yeah?" Ben challenged. "You got any better ideas, Sherlock? Look. We stay in here, we get sent to the cavalry, and mostly likely won't survive the night. We attempt to escape, and probably survive the night. Either way is risky, one has just got better odds."
Sam stared at the paper clip, turning the thing over in his palm and made a split second decision.
"I must be out of my mind," he muttered as he shuffled toward the iron bars that kept the three trapped inside.
"Wait. You aren't actually thinking about seeing this through, are you?" Karin stopped Sam by putting a hand on his shoulder.
He sighed and gently shook her hand off, turning towards her, his eyes regretful.
"Its like Ben said. We're dead either way."
"Sam-"
"No. Its gonna be okay, alright?" Sam lowered is head to look at Karin directly through his lashes. As Ben looked at his two companions, he saw something briefly flash in Sam's eyes.
"Nothing bad is going happening to you, okay? I-I promise." Sam gripped Karin's hand tightly for a few seconds and let go to turn around to pick the lock.
Ben saw the reluctance on her face as he let go, and as a soft clang echoed through their cell a few moments later.
He jerked his head to look at Sam, who was holding a up the paperclip triumphantly.
"What d'ya know? These things are actually useful."
Ben quickly glided over to Sam and put a finger on his lips, indicating that the plan to escape was already in motion.
"Remember what I told you," he quickly whispered before trying the lock, his hands trembling as he tried to open the prison doors as softly as possible.
He felt Sam and Karin nod behind him.
" Ok. So here's the plan. The gates will creak. The best way to muffle the sound is to spit on the hinges."
He was right, Sam thought as the cell door opened without a sound.
"There will be guards positioned on either side of the tent. Thankfully, the ones around our cell are asleep. Tread carefully."
Ben silently walked around the sleeping soldiers, their caps over their heads, rifles still in their hands, rising and falling to the rhythm of sleep.
"Next, we go down the left side to avoid the other prisoners stationed on the right side. This place isn't heavily guarded, meaning the Union soldiers probably don't depend on it very much. Its more like a sanctuary than a prison."
The three friends travelled silently down the darkened way on the left side, their bare feet padding soundlessly against the cold floor.
"Ok. Now the hard part. At the head of the tent, there's gonna be a group of union soldiers. The exit tent flap is right net to us, but its out in the open and we risk getting caught."
I was right, Ben thought glumly as they approached the tent flap, the chatter of men getting louder by the second. He was hoping he wasn't and that the tent would be deserted.
They halted by the edge of the tent wall, the exit flap just a few feet away. Ben was so close to the light cast from candles by the soldiers that he swore they had spotted him already. He peered over the edge to get a good look at the faces of the soldiers stationed around the room. Many had their backs turned, laughing merrily to one another, drinking straight from tin cans that were littered around the room. Judging by the scent, Ben had a hunch that it wasn't water they were downing.
His eyes traveled back around the room, spotting the rifles resting by a wooden stool.
Ben was so occupied with the weapons that he almost missed the man sitting one the stool next to the rifles. He looked familiar somehow.....
Intrigued, Ben stepped closer to get a better look, ignoring the silent protests made by his friends besides him. Suddenly, Ben froze, and his heart plummeted.
The mans eyes reminded him of the same dead, vacant eyes from his tilt awhirl dream on the cemetery.
And they were staring right back at him.
John Wilbury, was Bens last thought before all hell broke loose.