Durham Killer

5

Goderich Jail, Goderich, Ontario

July 15, 2023

Walking abruptly, Laura pulled her hands apart and felt the steel edge of the cuffs dig painfully into her wrists. Guards stood like statues along the moldy walls of the prison. Moans and groans of the prisoners filled the empty spaces of her ears.

"Get," One of the guards that was holding her down ordered. He shoved her into the cell and locked her in. Another person was in the cell as well. She kept staring at Laura with curiosity and hatred. Laura ignored her and threw herself onto the hard bed. The other person, a criminal at the age of 30, kept staring at the young girl.

"What do you want?" Laura asked rudely. The woman didn't answer. Laura ignored her again and banged her head on the concrete wall. A metal bang made her look up.

"It's time." A guard with a thick, red beard of hair motioned for her to follow him. Laura sucked air threw her teeth and followed him. He grabbed her locked arms and shoved her forwards. The guard led her outside in the courtyard. The weather was extremely humid outside and everyone around was sweating profusely. A large platform stood looming in front of them. A thick noose hung from the coarse wood. The guard shoved Laura forwards. She stumbled but caught herself. The red-bearded guard hauled the girl up the steps onto the platform. Another guard threw the noose around her neck.

"I can't believe I'll be the one to execute the Crimson Killer. Ha!" The guard laughed loudly, but soon started coughing on his spit.

One minute passed. Nothing happened. A siren blazed. The people in the stands going to watch Laura's death started scrambling around and yelling. A guard ran outside from inside the prison screaming. "The Crimson Killer! She's escaped!"

"No, you moron! She's about to be executed right here. The chief ordered for her execution to be today, not next Thursday."

"Where is she?"

"Here!" The red-bearded guard motioned to an empty area beside him.

"Where?"

"HERE!" He yelled, turning to where Laura used to stand. "WHAT? WHERE IS SHE?!"

"She escaped. Under your watch, Liam. The chief will not be pleased."

The people around them were still yelling, pushing, shoving, and screaming.

"QUIET!" Liam hollered. "I WILL FIND HER. I, LIAM REYNEKE, WILL FIND HER AND MAKE HER PAY!"

"Call all the guards! Bring a search party and find the Crimson Killer!"

Meanwhile, as all this was going on, Laura was hiding in the ceiling of the chief's office. He had run out to address the situation, so Laura snuck in and climbed into the ceiling. There was a spot where it was hard, and she wouldn't fall through. The deafening sound of the guards yelling echoed off the walls of the prison. I have to get out of here, Laura thought to herself. She scanned the dark area for a way to escape. She saw a break in one of the parts in the ceiling. She crawled towards it. Below her was a window. She carefully lowered the ceiling and peeked her head through. Nobody was there. She slowly and silently let herself down and tiptoed towards the window. She whirled around when hearing guards and ducked behind the office desk. When they had left, Laura stood back up and unlocked the window. She slipped it open and shimmied herself out of the thin opening. The wall around the prison was covered in barb wire at the top, preventing the idea of her climbing the wall. She scanned the empty prison yard for an escape. Again, the sound of guards was heard. Laura spotted a lonely bush against the wall of the prison. That must be what the prisoners were talking about, Laura thought happily. She bounded from her spot and raced towards the bush. The guards who were looking for her spotted her.

"There!"

"She has no escape! She can't climb that wall!"

"She's headed for the bush!"

"Crazy idiot!"

The four guards caught her tail. Laura sprinted with all her strength. If the prisoners were lying, she would probably be dead. Either from the impact of her head cracked against the stone wall or her hanging which would probably be immediately after they caught her. She leapt in the air and dove into the ground. The force she landed sent her sliding forwards, through the prickly bush, through the hole in the stone wall, and into a rushing river. She surfaced the water and gasped for breath. The river pulled her under again and she swirled around in her freezing surrounding. Why do they have a rushing river right outside their prison, Laura asked herself angrily. She saw a tree root reaching its arms into the water. Seeing her chance, she seized the root and held on for dear life. Pulling herself up with difficulty, she gasped for breath with each pull. Eventually after what seemed like hours, she landed on the dry ground and breathed a sigh of relief- well, several because she was breathing so fast.

"Now to find Durham. Those guards won't be there very long."