o.o Wow, two reviews already just for a short, and relatively bad chapter? Granted they were criticism reviews, but I love them nonetheless. Well, anyway, let's move onto the story, shall we?
"So… What's our plan of escape, again?" came Vincent's tired voice.
"Yeah, Kira; we ever gunna escape?" Audrey's voice echoed slightly from the other side of the cell as she leaned against the long, iron bars.
"Not until we figure out where and why we're here."
"Right… how long do you suppo-" Kira suddenly made a slicing motion across her neck, silencing Vincent. She glanced at Audrey, too, before looking at the direction of the soft steps she was sure she had heard.
Kira blinked several times as the wooden door leading out of their dark, dry, and dusty cell room was thrown wide-open, spilling overzealous amounts of light into the room. She couldn't imagine how bright it was for Vincent and Audrey, as they sat on opposite sides of the front of the rectangular cell, leaning against the cold bars. It was unbearably bright just at the back wall in the rather shallow cell.
She adjusted to the light in time to see someone enter. It was a woman; she had a dark complexion with fiery hair, and wore a rather impractical garb of red. Loose pants, a belly shirt, and what looked to be slippers. She glanced at the three, "Awake, are we, trespassers?" she didn't wait for a reply. "Good, Naburoo will decide your punishment." With out another word, the woman turned and left.
"… Punishment? Kira, tell me now we're going to escape."
"Yes Vince, but we need to do that later, maybe when night comes. It's still in the afternoon, I think. For now, we need a plan and the necessary tools."
"Okay, got any ideas?" it was Audrey, this time, who asked.
"Not yet, but we need to start thinking on it." hard silence followed Kira's statement.
"Can we just bust out of here and make a run for it?" Kira mentally swore as Audrey asked the question she had just been debating for the past few minutes. She would have to think of an actual answer instead of making half-assed conclusions, now.
"Normally, I would say no; it would be much to fragile of a plan, and not to mention reckless. But…" Kira continued, noting the disappointed look on Audrey's face. "I really don't know what kind of environment we're in. And until then, I don't think I can make a passable plan."
"So we bust out and scout the place before escaping this hell hole?"
"Tactful as always, Vince…" Kira rolled her eyes at the blunt boy. But it was the best thing they had going for them.
"Shut up. It's what we're going to do, right?"
"Yeah, but I think…" Kira trailed off, thinking of the tools she would need to complete this operation. She got up, heading straight for the lock, examining it as best she could from her awkward position behind it.
"So, can we pick it?"
"I think so, Vince. It's a pretty simple lock; two, maybe three tumblers. But I'm not sure exactly where we're going to get the tools to do that. Wish I had my backpack…"
"Why? You got a lock pick in it or something?" Vince joked. He raised an eyebrow as Kira bit back a smile. "Seriously? I swear you're going to be a paranoid old bat, one day."
"I'd rather be paranoid when I don't need it than not be when I do. And it's actually a set."
"Yeah, yeah…"
"Um, guys, the plan?" Audrey brought the bickering twosome back to their reality.
"Right, well, it'll probably be too dangerous to escape and scout around during the day, so we'll wait 'till nightfall. And it might be to loud to have more than one person, too…" she continued mumbling out her plan, picking at every flaw and detail she could find.
"I'll do it." Vince volunteered.
"Nah, Kira should do it, she's practically Wonder Woman." Audrey countered.
"Wonder Woman? I really don't want to know…"
"It's not nearly as bad as you think it could be." Kira explained. " Anyway, Vince might actually be the best choice, I still need to work out some of the bugs, and Auds, you couldn't sneak up on a paper bag, no offense." Audrey hung her head and flapped her hand dismissively.
"Don't rub it in." Kira rolled her eyes. "Wait, so what are we going to use to pick the lock?" Kira stared at Audrey for a moment, what was with her and hitting all the vital questions she didn't have an immediate answer for today?
"Good, question. I don't know yet…" Kira moved away from the lock she had been standing at, looking for something to serve as a lock pick.
"Oh! I've got a pencil, would that work?"
"Maybe…" was Kira's doubtful response, it was almost certain it wouldn't. The pencil would be too thick and there was little chance it could reach the tumblers at the right angle. "Well, give it here, theirs only one way to find out, really." She caught the pencil carefully as Audrey tossed it at her. Kira fingered the wooden pencil carefully. It was a simple Number Two pencil.
She turned back to the lock and inserted the pencil point-side in, being careful to not break it. She jiggled it carefully, pressing softly at the tumblers and then giving a sharp tap, attempting to move them into place. It was actually working. "It's working, it's actually working!" Kira whispered excitedly to herself.
"Cool, but when can I bust outta here and have a look around?" Vince asked bluntly.
"When it gets dark enough, which won't be for hours, probably. We already went over this."
"Shut up."
"Who's busting you out of here?"
"Guys! The plan!" Audrey interrupted the two again.
"Oh, right; thanks Auds. So, we can get out of the cell, the door might be locked, though…"she mumbled, thinking hard on weather or not the cell warden had opened the door with a key. Had she paused before opening it? Had she heard the creak of the key? She… she hadn't. "Okay, the prison door isn't locked, but what about the rest of this… facility?"
Audrey cocked her head to the side, "how'd you know there isn't a lock?"
"The warden didn't pause before opening the door, and I didn't hear a lock being opened."
"How in the world do you notice all this stuff?"
"A.D.D., my friend; A.D.D."
"Man, I want A.D.D… it's not fair!" Audrey whined.
"It's only good for surviving out here. It sucks for city life an' all that jazz."
"Yeah, but it's still cool. You get to be like… ultimate survivor man! Or… lady. Whatever."
Kira shrugged, "I guess. Anyway, the plan." She wandered back to her original spot in the middle of the cells back wall; plopping down against it and staring hard at nothing, mumbling small segments of her formulating plan randomly.
The plan was clear now, well defined -- as much as it could be, any-how. Once picking the lock, Vince would sneak out of the prison room, but that was the easy part. Once out, he'd most likely face some untold amount of guards, but their garb said they had to be at least somewhat lax, leaving a possibility for perhaps a dozen guards? From there, he'd have to make his way outside, which is where it would get harder. Outside, there would be more guards than inside, it only made sense, but they'd be looking for intruders breaking in, not out. He'd then start his real objective: scouting.
He'd have to look for several things. How populated the place was, what size it was, places to move undetected, the general layout. That was just what was inside the assumed walls of the assumed city. Outside those assumed walls, Vincent would have to look at the terrain, and if there was any sort of friendly civilization outside. Kira's biggest worry was if they were really stuck in this prison encampment in the middle of nowhere.
She glanced outside. It was just starting to get dark. Maybe five? Seven? The time mattered. Would their hosts be gracious enough to serve dinner? Perhaps a friendly interrogational visit, even? If caught, it would be all over. And that would be bad.
Okay! A much better chapter than the last one, right? Well, it's longer, anyway. So, leave your comments please, for you know you love the light purple button!