In Flames Lie Darkness (Incomplete Fist Draft)

Chapter 3

I know I have to be quick and get out before they realise I lied. Something tells me that whatever or whoever told them about what happened at the school, would also know I haven't been able to get rid of it for a long time.

So, looking more closely around me, I see nothing useful. There's a vent high up in the wall, but I wouldn't know where to go from there. I don't even know where Sabrina is being kept. That should be my first priority. Then we can escape from this place, and figure out what to do from there, which is a lot easier said than done. Thinking back, I remember passing a door that said 'Emergency Exit' on it, five hallways back. What I'm thinking is, if I can get to where Sabrina is, we might be able to break out.

But, the only way we would be able to break out is if I can figure out how to use this blade and how to use the powers everyone is talking about.

I check my other pockets for my phone and it looks like they didn't even bother to try to search for things on my person. The phone was in a hidden pocket in my jacket that you could easily find if you tried. I turn on my location and go onto my GPS, and see that I'm actually just a town away from Meril. Not that I can ever go back there to stay. That's the first place they'd look, the second we run away. Now the best plan is to lock my door and try to figure out what I can do so that-

"Hey." I jump as I hear a male voice behind me. "You're Victoria, right?" I turn to see a tall, handsome boy with olive skin, messy black hair and a backpack slung lazily over his shoulder. He can't be older than 15. "My name is... Asher. Asher Hudson." He keeps avoiding looking at me, hesitating saying his name, as if it's new to him. It probably is. "I need you to follow me."

"Why?" I'm kind of expecting him to give me another weak lie, but instead, he tells me what seems to be the truth, though it's rather sarcastic.

"I want to help you escape, why else? Don't you want to get out of here?" Even though he just lied about his name, I think I can trust him. I mean, he seems pretty sincere. Then again, I shouldn't be too hasty with that. I'll see if he means what he says, then decide. Besides, this could be my chance to try and find where they would hold Sabrina.

"Alright then. Just give me a second." I sigh and grab the paper I wrote things down on and shove it in my pocket before he can see it. "Let's go." I open the door and wait for him to get out.

He fidgets a lot as he leads the way down the hallway, until he finally starts talking. "So, uh, Victoria, my name is Asher- I mean, wait, I told you that... Well, here's something I bet you don't know. I'm actually a soldier!" I look him over and he doesn't seem like a soldier. He's lean, but kinda lanky. I don't think he could lift more than 20 pounds at most, let alone all the heavy gear I saw the other guards carrying. Then again, looks can be deceiving. I decide to respond with a simple, "Oh" and leave it at that. Hearing my lacklustre response, he follows up with, "It's true! But the thing is, I'm not that good at it. They tell me that all of this is for the better, but I just can't see it like that. Recently, they even asked me to burn down other people's houses! How is that for the better?" He looks at me as if I can give him answers, and I wish I could. But I can't, because I agree with him. None of this is for the better. "I think something is wrong here. That's why I want to leave. So I can change this whole system that demands an organisation like this to 'help' it. One day, I'll be able to get back here and change things. That's what's been keeping me going. How about you?"

I inhale sharply. What is keeping me going? "I don't really know..." He looks at me and smiles.

"That's okay, Victoria. Maybe one day you'll find out. Maybe then we could even help each other with our goals!" I almost cried right then. He is so hopeful, even in this situation. I needed to hear those words. After that, he goes on talking about himself. He talks about how his father is a guard too, and his mother left when he was young. Turns out he likes football and track, though he's not very good at either, and he doesn't have many friends since he grew up in this facility. "My room was actually just a hallway away from yours!" he laughs. "Imagine my luck, finding out about you." His face darkens a little bit, becoming more sombre. "Listen, Victoria. You gotta get out of here. You don't want to know what it's like being stuck here. They'll treat you like a weapon and use and take from you until you go mad. They break you here, and they know it, and they don't care. They've already been broken and all they know how to do is take orders."