As Chloe sat by herself, she grew restless. She couldn't this much more.
She needed to talk to someone, to see someone. The only light she really
got was when her food was dropped off to her in the afternoon. She would
sit there by the little slot, and anticipate that small minute where she
would get a breath of fresh air, and actually see what was outside that
door. She had to do something.
The next day, she sat by the slot, and just waited. Then, she heard the steps of the guard walking to her door. She could hear the jingle of his keys as if she were far away, as if she were someplace else. Then, it opened. The guard pushed her dish into the opening, and she could see his hand. Suddenly, Chloe grabbed his hand and pulled with all of her night. The guards face went straight into the door, and she heard the glorious sound of his nasal bones breaking, right before he slid to the ground. She reached her hand outside the slot, and felt for the keys. Once she had them in her hand, she twisted her arm around so she could insert them into the keyhole. She had to try at least five keys before she got the right one. Victoriously, she smiled as she pushed the heavy iron door open. She made it.
She knew her way around the Refuge as well as she knew the way around the Lodging House. At the end of the corridor, she turned left, and headed toward the broken window. Right as she reached it, she felt someone grab her arm and pin her around. It was Snyder.
"Just where do you think you're going?" He asked her as he slapped her across the face.
Chloe felt rage, then fear in equal measure. There was no way that she was going back, she would rather die. She needed to see Jack again, to see all of her friends, and she wasn't going to let Snyder stand in her way. She fought the fear, the fear that engendered the paralyzing helplessness, and tried to stir the rage to full flame. Suddenly, two other guards appeared from around the corner, coming to Snyder's aid.
All were silent, simply moving her in a three-quarter circle, making her retreat back down the hallway from where she had just escaped. The halls were silent; the only sound was the steady breaths of those three men coming towards her to capture her again.
To lock her up. She didn't want to go back. Three more feet, and her back would be against the wall at the end of the hall.
"Maybe when I'm done with you, I can find your precious Jack Kelly, and bring him as your company." Snyder said.
The fear left her; rage flooded over. Capture Jack? Oh, no, that wouldn't happen, she wouldn't let it.
She judged the distance, her chances of taking the guards before Snyder grabbed her were slim. There was no chance. She would be captured, but not without securing Jack's freedom. She would make Snyder realize that she would never let him get Jack.
Suddenly, fate made a perverse turn, and Chloe's savior appeared, in the form of a mangy black cat. Cats had been know to find their way into the refuge, and prey on the rats. Chloe reacted.
The cat was meowing loudly, and he was between Chloe and the three captors. Chloe dropped suddenly, rolled, and grabbed the cat as he came up to his knees and threw the yowling, furious tom into Snyder's face. The tom, enraged, clawed furiously, and dug in.
Chloe was on the one guard, her fist going hard and low into the man's groin. She saw the other guard out of the corner of her eye, and elbowed him in the stomach.
Snyder was screaming, and the mangy tom, bless him, was shredding his face.
The one guard was breathing loud, his ugly face flushed from anger and pain. "You bitch," he grunted, but Chloe took a quick dashing lead to his left and smashed her fist into his jaw.
She heard Snyder cursing, saw the tom go flying off his chest and land lightly on his feet. His tail was full and he was hissing. Chloe wished that she could command the tom to leap again on Snyder's chest.
Chloe ran full force toward Snyder, taking him by surprise, and tackled him down. "You lost Snyder," she said mocking him, "You're just too dumb to realize it." And with that, she ran in the same direction that the tom went: to freedom.
Once she was a safe distance away from the Refuge, she began whistling for the tom and making her way back home.
The next day, she sat by the slot, and just waited. Then, she heard the steps of the guard walking to her door. She could hear the jingle of his keys as if she were far away, as if she were someplace else. Then, it opened. The guard pushed her dish into the opening, and she could see his hand. Suddenly, Chloe grabbed his hand and pulled with all of her night. The guards face went straight into the door, and she heard the glorious sound of his nasal bones breaking, right before he slid to the ground. She reached her hand outside the slot, and felt for the keys. Once she had them in her hand, she twisted her arm around so she could insert them into the keyhole. She had to try at least five keys before she got the right one. Victoriously, she smiled as she pushed the heavy iron door open. She made it.
She knew her way around the Refuge as well as she knew the way around the Lodging House. At the end of the corridor, she turned left, and headed toward the broken window. Right as she reached it, she felt someone grab her arm and pin her around. It was Snyder.
"Just where do you think you're going?" He asked her as he slapped her across the face.
Chloe felt rage, then fear in equal measure. There was no way that she was going back, she would rather die. She needed to see Jack again, to see all of her friends, and she wasn't going to let Snyder stand in her way. She fought the fear, the fear that engendered the paralyzing helplessness, and tried to stir the rage to full flame. Suddenly, two other guards appeared from around the corner, coming to Snyder's aid.
All were silent, simply moving her in a three-quarter circle, making her retreat back down the hallway from where she had just escaped. The halls were silent; the only sound was the steady breaths of those three men coming towards her to capture her again.
To lock her up. She didn't want to go back. Three more feet, and her back would be against the wall at the end of the hall.
"Maybe when I'm done with you, I can find your precious Jack Kelly, and bring him as your company." Snyder said.
The fear left her; rage flooded over. Capture Jack? Oh, no, that wouldn't happen, she wouldn't let it.
She judged the distance, her chances of taking the guards before Snyder grabbed her were slim. There was no chance. She would be captured, but not without securing Jack's freedom. She would make Snyder realize that she would never let him get Jack.
Suddenly, fate made a perverse turn, and Chloe's savior appeared, in the form of a mangy black cat. Cats had been know to find their way into the refuge, and prey on the rats. Chloe reacted.
The cat was meowing loudly, and he was between Chloe and the three captors. Chloe dropped suddenly, rolled, and grabbed the cat as he came up to his knees and threw the yowling, furious tom into Snyder's face. The tom, enraged, clawed furiously, and dug in.
Chloe was on the one guard, her fist going hard and low into the man's groin. She saw the other guard out of the corner of her eye, and elbowed him in the stomach.
Snyder was screaming, and the mangy tom, bless him, was shredding his face.
The one guard was breathing loud, his ugly face flushed from anger and pain. "You bitch," he grunted, but Chloe took a quick dashing lead to his left and smashed her fist into his jaw.
She heard Snyder cursing, saw the tom go flying off his chest and land lightly on his feet. His tail was full and he was hissing. Chloe wished that she could command the tom to leap again on Snyder's chest.
Chloe ran full force toward Snyder, taking him by surprise, and tackled him down. "You lost Snyder," she said mocking him, "You're just too dumb to realize it." And with that, she ran in the same direction that the tom went: to freedom.
Once she was a safe distance away from the Refuge, she began whistling for the tom and making her way back home.