Deck of Cards

Day 22- Sally

Ten of clubs- outside time for 7 hrs

Sally's POV

I woke up in a good mood, maybe it was because I had finally got a full nights sleep or just because I was tired of letting them push me down into a pit of depression. The cold floor had become comfortable after twenty two days lying on it and I think my body had permanently made it warm or maybe it had made me constantly cold. Turning over my card, I was surprised to see that it was a new number.

He walked over to my bars like always, but today he was donning a rare grin. I smiled sillily to myself; I knew he wasn't smiling because of me but a girl can dream.

"Outside time for seven hours," he said in a raspy voice and unlocked my cell. It sounded horrible, I thought that it would be like every other task where it was actually worse than it sounded. I guessed we were doing something like they do in prisons where you move boulders from A to B. Anticipation was growing inside of me as we approached the doors which almost certainly led outside. Despite dreading the activity ahead, I was quite excited to get some fresh air. The air in my cell was stale and old, it choked me and made me gag sometimes.

The brightness of the sun was overwhelming after spending so much time in the dark and it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust. When I did I could have cried.

There was so much colour. The intense blue of the sky was so clear and beautiful that I felt like I could stare at it for ages.As I took in the garden, I failed to notice the four girls flailing their arms at me like chickens. Gasping I ran over, tears streaming down my face as I felt their warm embraces and I felt the love that radiated off them. I felt like they were my sisters and I had barely met any of them.

"Hiya sweetie, what's your name?" said the stunningly beautiful girl who managed to pull off the dirt and grime that was matted into her hair.

"Sall.. Sal..Sally," I managed to mumble awkwardly, I was still in shock.

"Well now that we're all here let's play a game, an ice breaker let's call it," said the confident one. We decided on Chinese Whispers. She started and the girl next to her gave out a small giggle. When it came to me, the girl sat next to me called Hannah pressed her lips firmly against my ear so nobody could hear.

"This isn't a game, were planning an escape. They'll hear us on the cameras so we're doing it like this. Now giggle and pretend like you don't want to say it out loud." Nervously I giggled, not wanting to spoil the brilliant ruse that they had planned.

"I don't want to say it," I said loudly and with mock disgust, the rest of the girls cracked up like it was some funny joke and I hoped that it was enough to fool the guards. The next round came again and this time I was sweating. These girls were serious, they had a plan. We were going to escape. I felt both relief and nausea- what would they do if they caught us?

Hannah again pressed her lips against mine,

"The word cook means escape
Chicken means guard
Kitchen means pantry/larder
Bathroom means secret room
Bedroom means bins
Air out means fake an escape
Wash your hand means wait for the others- got it?"

I giggled again and then someone suggested that we talk about hobbies. The beautiful one, called Ava, began to speak and I listened trying to relate the words to the code I had been given.

"To cook [escape], first you need a chicken [guard]. Lure the chicken [guard] and then kill it right? Run to the kitchen [pantry] in a minute so the other chickens [guards] don't chase you. Open a window to let the 'air out' [fake an escape] and then go to the bathroom [secret room] to 'wash your hands' [wait for the others]. Then go into the bedroom [bins] and get ready and voila, how to host a good dinner party."

I got most of it, she lost me in some parts but I got that she had to make it sound normal. So the plan was to kill a guard, go to the pantry. If you were in there first, open the window to make people think you've escaped and then hide in the secret room. Go in the bins and then I wasn't sure.

"Hey let's play Chinese Whispers again!" said Scarlett, the excitable one who wouldn't stop fidgeting on her chair. She obviously had something to add to our escape. Ava looked annoyed, I suppose she didn't wand her plan to be outshined.

It came my way again and I strained my ears to hear.

"Scarlett says a guard told her about this room where there is an object. He gave her the key but he realised that she couldn't get it so he's fetching it now. She doesn't know what it is though. Something about corridor B."

I passed the information on to Ava who looked confused and then it was like she was struck by lightening and she bolted up. It was agonizing having to wait for the whisper to come round and I savoured every second. I felt like a spy.

"Ava thinks that she's talking about the control for the security system which controls the electricity. It's in this special room. If we have that then our plan is bound to happen without a fault. They will think that we've gone because of the open window and the monitors can't tell them that we haven't escaped yet."

I nodded, if she was right- we could definetly escape. For the rest of the time we just chatted like normal teenagers and I learnt about all of the girls.

Jen was a single mum whose mother was a monster. She wanted to get back before her mother took full custody of her son.

Scarlett was a single girl who had been heartbroken. She had been kidnapped after going to an online date. I felt for the girl, I really did.

Hannah was homeless after she had ran away with her boyfriend. She was drugged and taken. She told us about how she thought she was going mad, I could tell from her actions that her diagnosis was right.

Ava was the leader's daughter, she held such a strong face but I could tell that inside she was dying.

These girls were all so strong and I felt weak compared to them. I hadn't suffered anything too hard in my life, the only thing close was my father's illness. I felt a pang of sadness as I thought of him- was he still alive?

Back in my cell I reflected on the day. It had given me hope; there was no date or any finer details but there was a plan. I thought back on the plan in the darkness; Ava made it sound so simple. Lure a guard in your cell, kill them...

"Kill them!" I blurted out in my cell and covered my mouth with my hand. I would have to kill my guard. I would have to kill my guard. The guard that I was in love with, the guard I pictured marrying. I would have to kill all my future to escape the present. Could I give it all up?