Wiped | The Trapped Trilogy

Four (Part 2)

FOUR (Part 2)
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He nods to the floor outside of his glass prison. Twenty black dogs are sleeping in the areas between the glass rooms, blending in with the colors of the dark floor.

I remember when we had a dog. It hated me and always growled at me. It tried to attack me one day, and we had to get rid of him. Ever since that day, I've been deathly afraid of dogs.

Who could blame me? I was only four when it happened.

We're allowed to have pets, especially if you have an only child. It keeps them company. Plus, some animals help out with certain jobs, like the Hunters. They mostly have dogs or cats, but other people liked to have the animals because it was like having another child.

I gulp and try to slow down my heart and quiet my breathing. If I wake one up, they'll chase after me and rip me to shreds.

Not helping, I tell myself.

I need to help this kid, and I can't let my fear get in the way. I need answers, and I'll bet that he has them. Who knows what'll happen to him if I leave him in the hands of my father?

I slip off my socks and shoes. I feel like I'm quieter without them, and, if I need to, I can run faster without them.

I step over the first dog, who thankfully doesn't even flinch, and I slowly let out my breath in a quiet sigh of relief. I take another gulp of air and step around a fatter dog. They almost look sweet.

But they're not. They're vicious, and they will tear me apart-

I close my eyes and clear my mind. I'm not helping myself any.

I'm going to do this. I'm going to save that boy. I'm going to make it all the way over to that cell and open it. Somehow...

I let out a soft groan and smush my hand against my forehead. How was I expecting to get him free? I don't have a key, and surely my father is smart enough to know not to leave them hanging around somewhere where someone could get them easily. He would most likely have them on him.

Footsteps on the stairs.

I hop back over the disgusting dogs and squish myself into a corner, trying to get as small as I can between the two walls that cover the sides of the stairs. Whoever is coming down won't see me unless they turn around-my shoes! I left them over by the first dog.

Great.

I smack my hand against my head again as the footsteps step onto the cement floor of the prison room. My father walks out into the open. He's alone. He also sees my shoes and kicks them to the side, and I silently thank whoever that he didn't pay any mind to them.

"Hello, boy," He says acidly. "I told you I would kill you if you didn't shut up."

"I'm not dead yet, Murkas," He spits.

I peek around the corner and up the stairs.

My father came here alone.

Good.

"Not yet," He chuckles. "Do you know how long the body can go without food or water?"

I quietly creep up behind my father. The keys are hooked on his belt loop. They're not clasped properly around it, and if I can move them just right, I can get them off without him feeling it.

"The body can go three weeks without food," the boy says angrily, his childish voice making him sound adorable.

I inch closer, hoping my father will stay still. Luckily, he's not much of a mover.