"Do you want to run away?" I heard a whisper from behind me.
"Don't look back," the girl warned when I tried to look back to see who she was, "Act like you are reading the book."
"Who are you?" I inquired. The voice was unfamiliar to me, and I knew everyone in my batch. After all, I have been here for five years.
"Norah Jones."
The name rang a bell. Everyone here in Islington Institute was an outcast of society, abandoned to live a life worse than death. And Norah Jones was the outcast among the outcasts.
She was admitted here roughly four years ago. She never interacted with anyone. No one ever heard her speak and until now just like everyone I had thought her to be mute.
"Do you want to run away from here?" Norah repeated.
"How?" It was practically impossible to get past the institute's security. Many had tried but no one had ever succeeded.
"I have a way." She said mysteriously. "Are you in or not?"
"Yes, I'm in." I am ready to do just about anything to get away from here.
"Meet me in the fourth-floor washroom tonight at sharp 10. Don't be late." Norah warned. "Don't tell anyone else."
... ... ...
I left the dormitory at 9:55 p.m. I knew I would get in serious trouble if any teacher saw me going to the fourth floor at this time. But I told myself if Norah had a plan, it would be all worth it.
It was always the quiet ones you need to look out for.
"You're on time," Norah was already there when I arrived.
"Get to the point." I wanted to get back to the dorm as fast as possible.
Norah passed me a folded paper. I opened it to find a rough sketch. "This is the map of the institute?"
"Yes. It took me three months to draw it." I observed the map more carefully. I had to give her credit. She hadn't left even one detail left.
"It's impressive. How do you plan to get out of here?" I moved to the important question.
"You see this wall. There is a forest behind it. That's our escape route." She pointed to the wall that stood on the left side of the institute.
"That's your plan?" I asked irritated. I felt regret crawling up for taking such a huge risk coming here.
"Yes. You don't think it's good?"
"Besides the fact that the wall is twenty feet tall and even if we manage to climb it, there is a cliff on the other side of it. How are you gonna cross that?"
The institute was secluded from the world. It was located in a deep forest with walls surrounding the entire area. And even if someone managed to climb the tall walls, all they could do is fall to their death.
"You don't know how to climb?" She asked looking troubled.
"I do, but that's not the point here. What are you going to do after that?" I stood up to leave. It had already been ten minutes since I got here. The longer I stay here, the chances of me getting caught get higher.
"We are going to use parachutes to get across the cliff." I paused at her words. That's not a bad idea.
"And where are you gonna get those?" I'm sure no one from the outside can send it here. It wouldn't get past the security.
YOU ARE READING
Rheostat
Teen Fiction"It's not what we are but what we do that defines us." Aylin Black has come to believe that she deserves all the misfortunes life throws at her. Yet she refuses to back down. At least not without a fight. But as her past comes knocking at her door s...
