The Escape

Chapter 5: The plan

It had been about 30 hours since the other children had seen Luke. They began to worry about what happened to cause him to stay in his room for so long.

"Hey Avery, do you think you could try to talk to him? Send him a message or something?" Kalisha asked.

"I can try, but I think he's asleep," Avery answered. He tried to contact Luke but it was like trying to make a phone call underwater. He could send Luke messages but got replies that sounded like a distant memory of a voice.

"I heard that they cut off his leg." George suddenly spoke up.

"Don't say that. You don't know anything." Helen said in an annoyed tone. "We are all worried, any rumors are bullshit and need to be shut down." She added.

—

Luke began to slowly open his eyes. He felt like he had magnets in his eyelids, pulling them closed. His body felt numb except for the cold sweat that coated his palms and neck. He was confused, unaware of the pain about to hit him the minute he moved his leg.

Fire

That's all he felt, it was like someone had taken a knife heated over a fire and pushed it deep into his calf. He fell to the floor in a pile of limbs that ached and stabbed at him. He couldn't help but let out a muffled scream. He was now trapped, unable to get back up on the bed or stand up. All he could do was use his good leg to push himself, in a sort of spider-like crawl, to the door. He reached up to grab the knob. It was a spherical knob, not like one with a handle he could easily pull towards him. He needed a good grip on it with his entire hand, but in the moment only his fingertips could touch the side. He used his other arm to push his body up farther, his torso was off the ground, bending his back in a way he was not used to. It burned his tense muscles and he dropped back down to his chest.

Luke tried to reach out to Avery, but he was weak, he was only able to call out to the boy, but unable to send coherent words. Still, he hoped that the Avester would come through for him, all he needed was an extra hand to open the door.

"Guys! Come quick!" Avery yelled out, he was running around the halls frantically waving his arms. "It's Luke! He needs help!"

Kalisha, George, Nicky, and Helen came running over to him. The five kids bolted toward Luke's room.

The door flew open, practically hitting Luke in the face.

The kids looked down at their friend. He was sprawled out on the floor, one leg was bandaged, and blood seemed to be seeping through the white fabric, creating a grotesque Rorschach inkblot. He looked so hurt

so pathetic.

Avery felt his eyes begin to water when looking at Luke. He had seen Luke like an older brother, like a protector, but now Avery felt ashamed and afraid. He wished he had never helped Luke escape, he felt like this was his fault. I have to help him, help all of us get out of here.

And that was when Avery decided that he would plan a rebellion. 

He ran back to his room, he couldn't bear to see Luke on the floor anymore and didn't want the others to see him cry.

While Avery began his plan, the others tended to Luke.

Kalisha crouched over Luke and placed her hand on his pale forehead, she remembered her mother doing the same to her when she was sick, but she pushed the memory out of her head. 

"Nicky, help me get him up. You hold on to his arms, me and George will lift up his leg. Helen, can you lift his injured leg?" Kalisha began to order the others. They all listened to her as she had become their mother-like figure. The children lifted Luke back up onto his bed and placed a pillow under his injured leg.

"Luke, can you hear me? How is your pain?" Kalisha asked in a soft voice. Luke seemed to mumble a yeah, and slowly closed his eyes. His head began to droop down to his chest but Nicky gently pushed it back upright. 

"He's out of it Sha, we should try tomorrow, just let him rest," Nicky whispered. He saw Kalisha's watering eyes and pulled her head into his arms. He let her stay there, her cheek in the crook of his arm, and lightly brushed his fingers across her hair. George and Helen quietly left the room to check on Avery, leaving Nicky and Kalisha alone with Luke. 

"We should let him sleep, we'll check on him tomorrow," Nicky said, still holding Kalisha in his arms. She was tense, she barely seemed to acknowledge him. He let go of her head and knelt down, pulling her into a tight embrace. She cried into his shoulder and he squeezed her gently. He stood up, pulling her up with him, and carried her to her room. She was still crying, they said nothing but so much at the same time. They were sick of the abuse, and the violence, this was their last straw. 

Nicky laid Kalisha onto her bed and left the room. He was angry, angry at the institute for hurting his friends, and angry at the world for allowing it to happen. He was done with their bullshit, and he was finally going to do something big. Something that would end it, permanently.