The Devil's Puppet

≪•◦Chapter 5.2❈Window of Opportunity◦•≫

"Mmm..." Sam groaned, pushing himself from the ground. He looked around his enclosed room, staring at the stone walls. "Ugh... the least they could do is give me a proper bed," he sighed, switching his focus to the metal bed with the shitty mattress. He rolled his eyes as he stretched, listening to his back crack. Since he and Abigail were moved from Sapnap's room, he refused to cooperate with the guards. Whenever they questioned him about what he knew, he kept quiet, even if it meant punishment. Whenever they brought him food, he threw it across the room.

From the moment he noticed the amount of food they fed Sapnap, he refused to eat any in hopes Stanely would change the amount to a bigger portion. Even if it meant he had to starve himself. "How long has it been?" he whispered, covering his face with his hands. Since he'd been sleeping on the floor instead of the bed, his head had been pulsing in pain. This made it harder to keep track of the days. Oftentimes, he based the time on whenever a guard brought him food. Sometimes, two guards would come around and speak about their lunch breaks at certain times.

He chewed on his lip as he let his hands fall to his lap, staring at the wall. He realized that although the walls were stone, it wasn't enough to drown out the noise from the next room. Sam learned that Abigail was being kept in the next room. All night he could hear her kicking the wall, sometimes she'd cry, and other times she'd yell in anger and frustration to get a guard's attention whenever she needed to see someone, anyone. However, he hadn't tried to communicate with her.

Sam suddenly turned to the steal door, listening to the keys jingle on the other side.

"Ahem! It is breakfast time, kid--" a guard said, pushing the door open. The keys hung in the keyhole, swishing back and forth. The usual guard brought food to him and Abigail three times a day. He would always open the door, leave the food, and leave. "Eat. General will be unhappy if you don't," the man said, placing the plate on the ground.

Sam stared at the man, keeping his eyes on him. "No. I don't care."

"Hm, suit yourself," the guard said. "Don't be surprised if the big man comes in later."

The guard turned around, walking away. Sam watched as he pulled the keys out, closed the door, and locked it. Sam took a deep breath as he stared at the food. He could hear his stomach grumble in need. "No," he said, bringing his attention back to the wall. His eyes widened. Sam quickly got up from the ground, stumbling to the wall.

He groaned as he landed on his knees, planting his hands on the stone. "Abigail?" he called out loudly, balling his hand in a fist, slamming it repeatedly. He breathed heavily as he waited, putting his head against the wall to listen closely. Sam tried to quiet his breathing, closing his eyes. He moved slightly before knocking loudly on the wall, turning quickly to the door. There was a small window in the door, watching for any shadows that could be a guard.

Thud... Thud, thud!

"Abigail?" he called out.

He could hear Abigail's soft voice almost clearly.

"Sam?"

"Hey! Hey... are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yeah... you haven't gotten food yet, right?" he asked.

"No," she responded. "I'm sure they'll be here any second though."

Sam sighed, "Right. I think I have a plan... it's for later, though."

Silence fell upon them. Sam could hear a guard coming, immediately shutting his mouth. He took a deep breath as he stayed next to the wall, keeping an eye on the window. He watched as the guard walked past, reaching Abigail's door. He could hear the keys jingle.

"Breakfast is ready. Eat up," he could hear the guard saying.

He listened closely. He could hear Abigail get up from the wall, retrieving the plate from the man. The guard immediately left the room and locked the door. Sam watched as the man walked past his door. He knocked again, "By the time dinner rolls in, keep quiet."

"Okay."

--   --   --   --   --

Sam took a deep breath as he sat on the floor, his knees brought to his chest. He stared mindlessly at the door, waiting for the guard to get there. He's been waiting since breakfast since lunch rolled around. He doesn't know how long he's sat there waiting, staring at nothing but the door. Suddenly, he could hear whistling. Sam sat up quickly, feeling his heartbeat quicken in his chest.

The door creaked open once the guard unlocked it, and he walked in with the plate of food. Sam sighed as he stood up, watching the guard. The man hummed as he placed the plate on the bed this time. Sam listened closely, realizing that nobody was near the rooms or the hallways leading to them. "Perfect," he thought.

Sam watched as the guard turned around without a word, approaching the door. He looked down at his cuffed hands, staring at the chains that connected them. He smiled as he realized it was big enough. He quietly followed the guard, getting close enough before the man reached the open door.

The teen jumped up, throwing his arms over the guard's head. He pulled his arms toward himself, dragging the guard down. "ACK!" the man grunted, reaching for his neck. Sam groaned as he landed on the ground, feeling the pressure of the man lying on him. It felt as if the air was knocked out of him the moment the guard landed. "ST- AGH!" he struggled, trying to pry Sam's arms away.

Sam took a deep breath as he pulled his arms further toward himself, watching as the man's face turned a beetroot red. He could see the chains digging through his throat. "LE--T... GO!!"

"No way!" Sam spat, wrapping his legs around the guard to keep him in place. He groaned loudly as he pulled his arms fiercely, listening to the guard choke. He reached his arms in the air, trying to reach behind him for Sam's face. The teen pushed his head away, keeping his cuffed hands wrapped around the man's neck.

Suddenly the man's struggles and gasps for air decreased. Sam sighed as he watched the man turn purple. He kept his hands in place for a moment longer, ensuring that the man wasn't alive. He carefully lifted his arms, pushing the man off his body. He quickly sat up, putting his hand against the man's neck, feeling for a beat. He leaned down, checking for breaths. "Ha... haha!" he laughed, smiling.

He grabbed the keys hanging from the guard's belt, realizing that they weren't hanging in the door this time around. Sam unlocked his cuffs, throwing them onto the bed. He quickly ran out of the room, closing the door behind him. He looked around, finding out there weren't any cameras in the hallway. He scoffed, "Stupid."

Sam approached Abigail's room, holding out the keys. He switched through them, finding the correct one. He put the key inside the hole, turning it. "Finally..." he whispered.

"We're free."

To Be Continued. :)