The escape plan
Captivity, sounds like a nasty word to describe life, the sort of thing saved for wild animals or criminals. Captivity is how I would describe my life. Over the last few weeks even months I have started to think over how others away from this place have freedom something I have always craved. Strict rigid rules held up by those in the higher levels have controlled my life.
My parents would not say we lived in a cult but the place that get us to heaven and get all the peace and glory for our good work here on earth. Right I thought as I questioned the ways of my up brining at a bible study last week. According to them Miles had some experience with God when he was younger and he was told that his church would bring about "the saved ones" who would make to God's kingdom thus the name of this compound "Miles saved for eternity". Anger welt up inside my chest as I thought of the punishment that would come for even questioning the rules and beliefs I was told were so right. It hadn't come yet but I was sure they were waiting for me to slip up once more to make the punishment that much worse. Past transgressions for other's who had done wrong by the leader's standards usually resulted in cleaning the stables or spending a night in a cell listening to the groups rules on repeat until you could practically memorise them as if you didn't know them or so I was told depends your crime for me it would be much worse, especially for what I was planning on doing next.
The plan was simple around one the guards had a switch the next set usually didn't show up until five or ten past one- I had been monitoring their movements since last week- so I had a bit of time to jump over the fence and start running until I reached some sort of transport. Half an hour gave me enough time to deliberate upon this. Would it work? Would I make it? Would I be caught half way along the dirt road? What about Amara? That last one nearly made me decide to stay, Amara the only one who knew of my crazy plan's well most of them not this not the escaping though I was sure she suspected I was planning something crazy.
Amara was my best friend, she lived two doors down and had always shown up every Friday since she was four with something home baked, her mother was disabled having had a car accident when Amara was just three and could not move far even in a wheel chair which was not suited to the climates we lived under or the roads I should say. So even once we started out as childhood friends she never stopped brining homemade food my mother would always create cross words or word searches for Amaras mother know she loved them and that would be in return for all the food. Amara had come to rely upon me for educational support and moral support since her education was cut shorter than mine with having to look after her mother while her father was at work doing ministry stuff. I had come to rely upon her kindness and the fact that she would listen to me more than my so called family.
Swallowing down the tears I grabbed my backpack got up to check on my parents in the next room- still asleep and not likely to hear me trod across to the other end of the house and out the bathroom window- That was the plan well the simple part. As I made my way over as quietly as I could upon the wooden floor I reached a cupboard in the lounge room where money was always stashed away for tithes at church I got there and noticed it had about sixty dollars in it taking it I slipped it into my jeans pocket. The walk from the lounge room to the bathroom was quick and uneventful. I closed the door behind me just managing to get the bag in without making noise. Once the door was locked I looked out the window and noticed that a guard was walking to some other destination checking my watch it showed me that there was still another five minutes before the switched deciding that the head start could possibly be a good thing provided he didn't come back to his post. Slowly lipping the window opened I listened for any noise or movement within the house in case tipped on one my parents, deciding all was good after hearing nothing thirty seconds later I dropped my bag to the ground only hearing a light thump as it hit the ground below, grateful for the tree that covered half the window I turned around and let my legs dangle not sure what else to latch on to then inspiration hit I tried an acrobatics move and reached for a branch nearby hoping it was strong enough to hold my weight, I managed to climb over a little more with one hand gripping the bathroom window ledge and the other on the branch I let go of both and closed my eyes as I landed ungracefully to the ground, reaching for bag and creeping behind the tree I prayed that the guards noticed nothing as I peeked out from my spot the scene before I jumped out of the window hadn't changed figuring I had already wasted too long I ran and ran and ran to fence not easy to climb since it was wood but hoping my long legs would be a goof benefit to this plan working. I reached over as I got to the top of fence my heart pounding in my chest amazed I had gotten this far. I flung one leg over while the weight in my bag seemed to be weighing me down a bit I managed the other leg as I heard guards talking figuring the switch was taking place I landed with a light thump but enough to startle their ears. Not looking back I ran and ran and ran until I could go no further.