The Room

Chapter 4

“I’m glad you ate today” he said in a soft voice and I simply nodded.

“I don’t have a choice” I replied as I watched him pick up the plate and spoon and look up at me.

“No… not really” he replied with a shrug. “It’s either eat this or die of starvation…” he continued and I frowned as I watched him. He gave me another smile before walking out, leaving me staring at the door in shock. I frowned again before deciding to try and get more sleep, I could tell the screaming would start again soon… and I would be up all night because of it. As I curled back up on my bed and tried to close my eyes to sleep, I heard the clank of chains as someone was walked up the halls with guards either side.

There were heavy footsteps, and some lighter ones, clearly the new victim was frail. I stood and walked to the door, like everyone else in this place, it was like a show… trying to guess who the next person was that was getting killed. Looking out the small glass panel, I saw the eyes of the person in the cell opposite me looking out too, we shared a look that showed we were both thankful it wasn’t us… another day to live, but how many more would there be?

If this escape failed, how quickly would they kill me?

Would they just leave me a while… the threat of knowing I was to die soon looming over me until I went insane?

Or would it be fast… do it straight away?

Get rid of any evidence of someone trying to escape? Maybe make everyone else watch, show them what happens when you attempt an escape. My thoughts were soon cut short as I heard the clanking again, the dull clank of the cool, metal hand cuffs and chains. I watched the hunched, sunken figure walk past, their tattered clothes covered in blood… they’re face was bloody too, had there been a fight?

Had they tried to get away?

Or was it just the guards being violent for the sake of it? the man slowly looked up, he obviously felt eyes on him, as his eyes met mine, I felt so bad for this man, he probably hadn’t done anything wrong… maybe like me, he had just been knocked out and taken… Maybe he hadn’t. A voice said in my head making me frown more to myself.  He continued to watch me, looking over his shoulder to get a better view, making me feel more and more guilty until I couldn’t look any more… I had to get away, walking backwards away from the glass and over to my tiny bed. I sat on it, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around them, my back against the wall as I started to rock. Suddenly the dreaded screams began, eerie, pained shouts echoed throughout the maze of cells, everyone could hear what was going on… and no one liked it, he sounded so scared and alone but no one could save him. There were screams of prays to God, accompanied by the mutters of other cellmates, all saying their own small prayers to God. I didn’t follow them though… I couldn’t, what kind of God would let this happen? I sighed as the blood curdling screams. I covered my ears as I tried to block out the screams, but it didn’t work… it never did, I didn’t know why I still tried, maybe just in the hopes that it would work this time. I frowned as the screams continued… they were dragging this one on a lot more than usual. I couldn’t take this… I needed to get out, I hoped the doctor would set his plan into action soon.

Finally the screaming stopped and the silence echoed around the corridors. I slowly removed my hands from my ears as I looked up slowly.

“It’s over” I breathed as I slowly stood again, walking to the door I saw that the other people all had their noses pressed to the glass as they tried to look out and see if there was anything they could see. As if to create a show, one guard walked out with a stretcher wheels. Looking closer I could see a body, with a white cloth over it, to hide what they had done to the poor man. As it came past me, I noticed a hand falling down the side of the stretcher, I let out a soft gasp as I backed away from the door as I tried to get the image out of my head, the ghostly white hand… I knew he had died… but seeing the hand, just made it seem so much more real. As I backed away, my knee’s hit the bed and I dropped down onto it. That was the first time I had seen someone after they had been killed… I still didn’t know why people were killed… what they did with the bodies, was it just for fun?

Or was there a purpose behind it? I sighed as I curled into a tight ball on the bed, desperate for some kind of sleep, even if it was only for a few moments; I wanted an escape from what was happening.

I didn’t really know I had fallen asleep, but I woke to the door banging open, I yelped a little as I looked up and saw a large, muscular guard he looked angry, I frowned as I looked up at him and watched him walk in with the usual plate of food. I needed to get out. As I looked around I spotted a rope, why hadn't I noticed it before. Frowning to myself I looked at the man who through the plate on the floor, making it go everywhere, I hissed and grabbed the rope quickly, before he had time to do anything I had it around his neck, strangling him with it. He chocked and spluttered as he attempted to get away, but I had the rope too tightly around his neck for him to do anything. I felt him slump and I smirked as I removed the rope and moved from beside him, letting his large body hit the ground with a loud thud.