Empire Island, Exile the First

Chapter 17

I managed to stand, righted the chair with my foot, and sat back down to keep working on the ropes.

This time it wasn't long before the rope finally fell apart and my hands were free.

I jumped up, shook them hard and let the circulation flow back in. It hurt at first, pins and needles that pricked and burned, but eventually as I flexed and retracted my fingers, it settled down.

I couldn't do anything with my newfound freedom, the room was well confined and impossible to escape from. There was still no light on, and I'd done all this in the dim glow of the sliver coming from under the door.

It was quiet, too. I began to think my vision had been more of a hallucination than anything else. A break with reality would've been more than understandable under the given circumstances. Besides, reality was highly overrated in times when you needed a mental break.

I took a seat near the door and did some breath work. Yoga type stuff I hadn't done in years but it was like the proverbial bike riding. It all came back to me the moment I set my mind to it.

I calmed my mind and slowed my breathing, preparing myself to wait.

I was ready when I heard somebody fumble with the lock on the outside and I stood completely alert, coiled to spring when the bolt slid open and the door swung slowly inward, the hinges creaking again as it revealed who had come for me.

Unfortunately, it was Mike again. He was tall and broad shouldered and I wasn't sure what I'd do in a hand to hand fight with him, but I'd try. This was life or death at this point.

He stepped in, looked around and as his head was turned away from me, I made my move.

I leapt up, swinging at him. My right fist connected with the back of his skull and pain bloomed out across my knuckles as it hit bone.

I should have waited and gone for his face.

Fuck, I sucked at fighting. If I made it through this, I promised myself I'd learn.

He let out an oof sound and whipped around to face me. I swung again, but he caught my right fist in his hand. I brought my left up and connected with the tip of his nose. I hit hard, driving it into his skull, leaving him stunned with blood beginning to blossom on his upper lip.

"Fucking bitch," he exclaimed, lifting his hand to his face.

"How original," I replied, darting past him to freedom. I found myself back in the store room, running out into the hall and racing the opposite direction of the toilet. Nothing down there had seemed like an exterior door so I played the odds by going this way.

I turned a corner and saw light coming from a doorway ahead of me, to my left. I ran faster, taking great gulping gasps of air as I went. I wasn't necessarily unfit, but I wasn't fit. And even in my prime, I'd never been much of a runner anyways.

I reached the door hanging open, exposing stairs leading up into daylight. I still wasn't sure what building we were in, but I didn't care. I saw a chance at freedom and I took it.

I jumped forward, my foot hitting the first step and fingers dug into my shoulder. I yelped as I was pulled back and thrown off balance. I fell right into Mike's arms.

"Fuck!" I screamed. "Let me go!"

I fought then, punching and kicking and screaming as he got a handful of my hair and pulled me up against him.

Through gritted teeth he said, "I'll scalp you, if I have to, you stupid cunt. Behave or you're going to make this harder on yourself."

He yanked harder and jerked my entire body so I was forced to stand on my tip toes just to keep up with him.