:Freedom:
It was a combination of arrogance and carelessness that set everything in motion. For far too long they had kept her prisoner in their glass and concrete cage. In the beginning she had been hurt, her injuries making it easy for them to subdue her. Once she was capable of it, she had resisted. Escape was never far from her mind. She had no idea where or even when she was, but she did not let that weaken her resolve. Someday, she vowed again and again, she would be free.
In the meantime, she refused to cooperate, even fighting back when one of them got near enough. Their soft fragile bodies were easily torn apart. But what they lacked physically, they more than made up for mechanically. Their weapons could cause her excruciating pain. They also liked to restrain her, or withhold sustenance.
With her crystalline jade eyes, she watched her captors grow old, be replaced with younger versions and then grow old again in a slow, time consuming cycle. Seven times those who kept her caged had been replaced. Seven times she had been forced to endure the same tests and punishments as each new group tried to do what the previous group had not. Seven times they had tried to break her and failed.
And now, she was finally offered freedom, because one weak, worthless captor had forgotten to make sure the restraint on her left leg was securely fastened. It was a simple matter to rotate her joints until she could pull her leg free. It was even simpler to bend her leg backwards until she could unlock the restraints holding her arms over her head.
She purred with delight to be able to fully extend her body. It had been too long since she could twist and undulate her spine and limbs. She moved swiftly to the small air vent in the back of her cage. It was less than eight inches in diameter, but she still had a few surprises left in her. It took a few minutes for her loosen up, but she stretched and thinned her body until she could slip through the small duct easily. This was her one chance to escape. She morphed into a more human-esque form and fled the compound. She would be free or she would go down fighting!
"Hey guys," Penny said as she opened her mailbox.
Leonard smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Penny. You look lovely."
She smiled and looked over her shoulder at the two men. "Thanks, sweetie."
Sheldon rolled his eyes as Leonard sighed wistfully. "Leonard, your relentless infatuation with Penny continues to astound me. She has lived across from us for five years and persistently refused your every advance. Do you ever intend to give up this futile obsession?"
Penny headed to the stairs, politely ignoring Leonard's embarrassed flush. Sheldon watched Penny ascend the steps, looking at her mail. Secretly he was as fascinated by her as Leonard, but for different reasons. She was undeniably beautiful, but it was the air of danger and mystery that continued to intrigue him. It was as if she was just biding her time, playing with them.
She looked back over her shoulder before turning the corner and he blinked with surprise. A trick of the light, he told himself. What other excuse could there be for her eyes to look like facetted jewels?
A/N: Just a little something that popped into my head at work. It doesn't really go with any story I'm writing, and to be honest, it's not really something I felt like expanding on. I like it a it is, but don't see it as a larger story.