World at War

Chapter 4

The keys.. They are right here! I could be free! My thoughts trace back to my original mission. Food. That native has that knife, he is still collapsed on the ground, sleeping off the pain in his wrists. I finally unlock what kept my wrists bound together, and the metal falls to the floor causing the Englishman to jump in fear. Once I tie the keys to a small strip of my skirt, I walk over to the Native, searching for the knife he held so close, which I find quickly. It lays just a little ways past his sleeping form, I scoop it up quickly and sprint over to the bars of my cage. The door to the cage lays wide open, and I take a step out. I glance back at the two beings I savagely harmed, then close my eyes.

"I'm sorry." I apologize, before running far from the prison. I make it through the many cages that are built into the brick walls. But my eye catches on one specific noise, of a person crying. Specifically, a little girl. I force myself to stop, and follow the cries of pain and fear. I find myself standing in front of a cage, half the size of mine, and a back turned to me. My weak heart can't take the throbbing guilt if I leave her to suffer or.... die.

"Little girl?" I call out to her, causing her to stop crying and sit very still. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise. I am here to rescue you, everything will be okay. Okay?"

As I speak, I walk up to the cage slowly and figure out the condition of the lock. Of course it is locked. Luckily I have the keys tied to my skirt, maybe one of them will fit. I untie the keys from the skirt bounded to my hips, and try each one. To my relief the third one out of 10 works, and I hear a click. I pull on the bars, and it comes towards me successfully. I smile then look up at the little girl to find her not sitting in the spot she was sitting. I look around to find her in the farthest corner, hugging her knees to her chest and staring at me in fear. Her brown tangled locks of hair falls over her scratched up dirty face that shows teardrops outlined in dirt on her cheeks. Her clothing is ripped terribly, mud and dirt covering her bright blue skirt and shirt. I shake my head in disgust of the scene. She's just a little girl, how could they treat her this way...?

"Hey," I speak in a gentle voice. "I won't hurt you.. We will make it through this together. You hear me? We could do this! Escape from these horrible people. Please, come with me. Things will be okay. Can you think of yourself as a princess? Yes, you are a princess, being saved from the monsters. I am here to save you, my princess."

I walk over to her, and to my surprise she doesn't scoot away from me. She just stares up at me with big watery brown eyes. I smile widely to her, kneeling on one knee, and hold out my hand to her hoping for her to take it. Her small hands travel up to her eyes and she rubs them before taking my hand. 

"I am a princess? A-and you are here to save me from the monsters?" I nod, her face immediately lightening up. She smiles, which I could tell, she hasn't smiled in days. 

We walk out of the cage holding each others hand tightly, and I grab the keys that hang from the lock. After tying it back to my skirt, we hurry out of the prison without a sound. Soon, I spot a window with splotches of mud covering much sunlight. I smile and kneel down to the little girl's height.

"My name is Alex the hero," I introduce myself, with a welcoming smile. "What's your name, miss?"

"M-my name.." She looks away blushing and speaks in a quiet voice. "Camille.."

"Such a beautiful name! Nice to meet you Camille." As I speak, my mind fills with joy. She is from the French, that name is nothing of the English women's name. I glance back up at the window then back at her. "Listen, we must climb out of that window. We could escape together, princess and hero. Can you do that for me?" She only gives me a simple nod. "Okay, hun. Back up."