Love and secrets

Chapter 7

      I opened my eyes as the last rays of the setting sun streamed into the tiny window at the top of the wall. I apparently had slept the rest of the afternoon away. I stood up and took in my situation. I pulled a bobby pin out of my hair and tried to pick the lock but I didn't know how, so I gave up quite quickly. I sat down on a rock and went through my bags contents again. When I came across the piece of paper that had got me into this mess I thought of Maria and Robin. "Maria put him up to this didn't she!" I snarled. But I was pretty sure Maria wouldn't have thought of this on her own. I quickly pushed that thought away, for some reason unknown to me I didn't want to think this was Robin's fault. A picture of him floated back to my mind, I shook my head. "Girl! What is wrong with you? Stop being stupid." I mumbled to myself as I crumpled the sheet into a ball. "Only the prideful are stupid, for they are boastful and often meet their downfall." A week voice mumbled from the darkest corner of the cell. I peered through the oncoming gloom and spotted a pile of dirty rags in the corner I cautiously crept forward. The lump of rags was in fact an old man. He shifted his position to look at me, he gave me a weak, toothless grin. "What seems to trouble you, child?" he asked. "What is your name, sir?" I asked ignoring his question. "Professor LeQue. Headmaster of DCFHL, short for De Noir's collage for higher learning. I was thrown in here after giving the Coeur De Noir's son a C- grade. That was over 40 years ago." He replied wistfully. I pretended to take an interest. "What did you teach?" I asked him. "Current and ancient runes." He replied. "Ancient Runes?" I wondered aloud. "I wonder if....." I reached for the crumpled piece of paper, I unfolded it and handed the professor the part with the runes on it. "Very interesting." He pondered. "Can you read them?" I asked excitedly "Yes my dear I can read them. They are very old. I don't believe hardly anyone knows how to read these anymore, let alone write them." He muttered. "Yes, yes, but what does it say?" I said impatiently. "Now you mustn't rush me these are difficult. Hmmmm..........." Finally he spoke. "I have translated it to the best of my ability, and I believe it reads; I must get rid of it. I have seen the damage it has done to my father and it must do it's bloody course no further. I have hidden it in an oak. First day, tree died within 24 hours. 48 hours, the tree turned black. 72 hours the ground turned black. Everything died within a 20-foot radius of the tree." "This is huge news!" I cried unable to contain my excitement. "it's the amulet! It must be! This is the break I was looking for!" I cried, "Now I just have to get out of here!" "That's easier said than done. Believe me I tried many times." LeQue told me. "Well you haven't had a life-or-death situation on your hands!" I answered, a little snappy I am afraid. All through the night as the professor slept I schemed. I paced the floor of my cell until nearly 3am. Finally about an hour before sunrise I sat down dejectedly on a rock, my head in my hands. Suddenly I felt my bobby pin so I pulled it out. "A lot of good that will do me." I mumbled. Someone in the cell next to mine stirred. That gave me an idea. Even if I couldn't pick a lock maybe someone else could! I leaped off of the rock and ran over to my cell door, The guard was napping as usual, I tried to peer into the next cell. "Got a problem missy?" a young woman said in a loud voice from the cell. "SHHH!" I said pointing to the guard. "I am trying to escape and I think I found a way!" "Well bully for you! Now stop bothering me and go back to sleep." She said. "Wait!" I hissed, "I mean you too if you know how to pick a lock." "Well I don't know how. And besides why would I help you?" she snapped. "Because I can get you out!" I cried. "I have a bobby pin!" I said showing her. "Even if you don't know how to, do you know of someone else who does?" Her eyes gleamed as she looked hungrily at the pin. "Yah, I do a guy. I'll tell you, but you have to promise you'll let me out too." "I promise!" I cried, my excitement mounting. "I guess that will have to do." She said eyeing me. "The only one I know of is Big Louie over there." She said pointing to a big man in the cell across from her. "Only I don't think you want him." She informed me. "Why? I asked. "He's a murder, and a back stabber." She said shaking her head. "Anyone else?" I asked, my hopes diminishing. "Not that I know of." She said. "Hey, it was a good try kid. Better keep that hidden." she told me pointing to my bobby pin. I began to turn dejectedly away when a voice from near the front called "I know how!" I wheeled around and called softly, "Who are you?" "My name's Jimmy." He softly called back. "I have been picking locks since I was 12 years old. That's how I got in here. I am the village thief! Or was." He said sadly. "You sound like just the man I am looking for!" I called "So, here's the plan! I will pass the lock to... What's your name?" I asked the women in the cell I had been talking to. "Valda." She answered. "Ok," I told her as I turned back to Jimmy. "So here is the plan I will pass the pin to Valda who will pass it to the next person and the next, all the way to you. then you will pick the lock on your cell and everyone else's until you get to me. Then we will all pretend our doors are locked until I give the signal, then we all rush to safety as fast as possible. Everyone got that?" I asked. A chorus of soft yesses met me. "Ok! Here Valda. Tell Jimmy to pass over Big Louie." She smiled an understanding smile and passed it to the next person. After a while I heard the soft creak and click of a cell door. "Good!" I thought. "When it comes to escaping even criminals are honest!" I whispered to myself. Then I heard another click. "Jimmy was keeping his promise too!" I heard about 20 more clicks and then he got to me. "Thanks Jimmy you are a life saver!" I told him. "He smiled and said, "Thanks for taking a chance on a common thief!"