A Home Called Cage

Pull the trigger

Another day went by, Kendra and Sam were still upstairs. Elijah could barely keep his eyes slivered open during the day. He was worried Bill would notice him sleeping during the day so he kept his mind awake to avoid Bill's suspicion. The brush was now skinny enough to slide into the key hole. The darts were too thin to rotate the lock. He was waiting for the right chance.

Phil's heart started to pound and sweat beaded off his face. He skipped his exercise routine this morning and sat in the middle of the cage.

Kyle mumbled to himself as he clutched the hand, imagining himself with Sam.

"Where the fuck are they," Phil started shaking back and forth. His body started to feel numb. Both Elijah and Kyle shot Phil a glance and returned to their thoughts.

*Slam

Phil immediately shot his body upward and curved his hands into the bars near the door. The steps came down the stairs and Cindy appeared with a brown paper bag. Phil shivered and bit the inside of his cheek. He knew what was in the bag. Cindy had a horrified look on her face, with her hands clutching the bag. Her black nails wrapped around the bottom of the paper.

Phil remained quiet, and Elijah bent his knees to a standing position against the wall. Cindy's heels clacked as she approached the cage.

Elijah noticed the disgusted look on her face, "Why does he need us here." Elijah's voice echoed through the basement.

Cindy looked at the bag and again at Elijah, "I can't say, he'll hurt me." Cindy crinkled the bag in her hands, her crow's feet around her eyes seem to focus her appearance. Her dark hair was brushed to one side in front of her shoulder. She wore straight, blue jeans and a brown jacket that covered her grey shirt.

"We can help you, if you get us out... We can overrun Bill together," Elijah whispered to Cindy and her eyes got a little bigger. He glanced at the camera and back at her, "We know there's a camera in here Cindy, we have to rush up the steps before he realizes we're gone."

Cindy's eyes grew wet and a tear dripped down her cheek, Phil stared at Cindy with hate. Kyle ignored the conversation and continued to mumble to himself. Cindy stepped near the cell's door and clutched the bag tighter, another tear streamed down her cheek.

Phil stood next to Cindy from inside the bars, Elijah's soft eyes stared at Cindy's every movement. She reached for her pocket when a hand shot outside of the bars.

Cindy let out a scream and Phil pulled her against the bars with his hand over her mouth. She dropped the bag from her hands, and her screams filtered through his big hand and muffled her face. Elijah's face covered in shock and fear. Kyle's gaze turned to Phil wrapping his arm around Cindy's throat as his other hand covered her mouth. His muscles bulged as she screamed, flailing her arms like a fish on a line.

"Kyle!" Phil shouted over the screamed muffles. "Reach in her pocket and grab the keys!" Kyle shot his body up and reached his thin arm out of the bars toward her pocket. His hand jumbled through her pocket until he pulled out the keys.

"She was going to let us out Phil!" Elijah stepped behind Phil.

Phil ignored the comment and tightened his grip, letting Cindy breathe through his fingers. Tears rolled down Phil's stressed hand.

Kyle rushed to the other side of Phil and ran his arm through the bars and inserted the key. He turned it slowly and heard the click. Phil let go of Cindy and pulled his arm back into the cage, he flew his foot into the door. Cindy flew into the ground as the door slammed into her. Her crumpled body laid on the ground behind the door.

Elijah's jaw dropped and rushed to the door, "We have to hurry Phil, he can't see us on this camera."

Kyle laughed as he stepped out of the door onto the foreign concrete, with his hand in Sam's pale hand.  "We did it Sam!" Kyle laughed as Phil looked at the camera.

Phil swatted his hand into Kyle's cheek, sending him to the ground, "You dumb shit, he's going to hear us through the camera."

Kyle felt his stinging cheek that turned red, he couldn't help the tears fill his eyes. Elijah stood amazed as Phil stood over Kyle.

"Give me the darts and rag!" Phil shouted back to Elijah. Elijah ran to the corner and grabbed the three items and gave them to Phil who stood in front of the cell's door. Phil quickly put the darts between his fingers and wrapped the rag around his right hand. Elijah ran past the door way and in front of Phil.

Cindy groaned in pain in front of the bars. Phil glared over at her and slammed the cell door, he reached for Cindy and grabbed her by the arm. He choked up on her body and threw his arm around her neck as she cried.

"We push forward up the steps, and use her for leverage against Bill," Phil clenched his fist with the darts sticking out and moved toward the stairs. Elijah and Kyle followed as Phil held the darts up to her neck.

---------

Kendra was asleep and Sam nestled her into his body. Her face was dried with tears and matted with her wet hair. Blood stained the cement floor below them. Sam couldn't sleep or close his eyes. Images of Kendra's hand haunted his vision. The blood that spewed into his face as the axe struck still covered his face. The scream she let out still filled his ears.

Footsteps flooded the hallway next to the locked door. Every time the footsteps became present, Sam clenched Kendra tighter.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered to Kendra's sleeping body.

Pain filled Kendra's stub and she winced from Sam's grip.

"God dammit!" Bill's voice seemed to shake the house. His footsteps approached the dark room. The lock clicked and the door flew open. The light exposed the shaking bodies.

"Get up!" Bill rushed to Sam and Kendra. Kendra winced and was half conscience when Bill's hand grabbed the two of them.

Bill grabbed Sam by the shirt and dragged Kendra by the back of hers. He shoved the two to the basement door, and pushed Sam into it. "Open it!" Bill barked at Sam's shaking body. A shifty click came from behind Sam, he turned his head to see Bill pump a shotgun with one hand. His hand was smeared in Kendra's blood, rubbing off on the handle. The door creaked open by a shaky hand. Muffled cries came from down the steps.

The cries stopped from the basement's cool air when the door creaked. Sam stepped down the stairs as Bill followed, deepening toward the basement.

Sam shook as he got closer to the bottom, Bill tightened his grip on the shotgun and pointed it at the back of Sam's head.

Sam faced the shelves with jars and turned the corner to see four figures. Bill still held the shotgun at Sam's head as he gripped Kendra's mouth with the other. Phil clenched the two darts against Cindy's neck while Kyle and Elijah stood behind him. Cindy cried as Phil tightened his grip at the sight of Bill.

Kendra's nub made Phil grit his teeth, and Kyle shuddered at Sam's crimson body.

"You let us out of here, and I won't kill her," Phil pushed the darts closer to Cindy's skin. Cindy let out a cry, gulping down the tears.

Bill's face scrunched from behind Sam, "You kill her, I kill Sam and force you back into that cage." Bill's face started to bead with sweat.

"No fuck that, I'm not going back in there," Phil's muscles bulged from his arm.

Bill started to grin from Phil's statement, "I don't think Kendra would like Sam to die."

Sam squinted his eyes shut and bit his cheek. Kendra's eyes were still shut as her body lay limp in Bill's arm.

Phil glared at Sam and gritted his teeth. Elijah went to reach for his pocket but hesitated. Sam looked at Kyle's glowing, red cheek and observed the tears dried to his face. Sam looked back at Phil, the end of Bill's shotgun rested on top of Sam's shoulder toward Phil and Cindy.

"Pull the trigger Bill" Sam said still glaring at Phil.