The Flames

Chapter Fifteen

The next day, I decided to see if my plan would work. The plan was this: If there was a window in the bathroom, I would crawl out of the window to get help. After asking the others about it, I learned that there was, in fact, a window, and it wasn't covered with bars or anything. Previously I wasn't allowed out of my cell for anything. Now that they were done punishing me, I could leave the room with permission, according to the rules. The next time a guard came to my room, I asked to go to the restroom. I was given permission, and went to check it out. I was followed there by the guard, and he gave me exactly five minutes.

When I got in there, I discovered why there were no bars. There wasn't any need for them. The window had a padlock, and there was nothing in the room that could possibly break it. Plus, if we did manage to break it, say, with an elbow, the guard could easily come in and catch us before we could get up there, because the bathroom door had no lock. Disheartened, I flushed the toilet and told the guard I was ready to go.

I relayed what I learned to the others at supper. They were beyond disappointment. It seemed they had put all their hope for escape in the "special" prisoner. I had to come up with a new plan, and fast, because it seemed the guards were getting impatient. I don't know what they were waiting for, but if they wanted it to happen, it was probably nothing good.

I voiced this thought to the other prisoners, and a young dark-skinned boy, about age twelve, told me the reason. I recognized him as the same boy from the table who I talked to earlier. In a small, whispered voice, he said, "It's coming."

Momentarily confused, I asked him, "What's coming?"

"It is coming." He said, sounding exasperated. My eyes widened as I finally realized what he was talking about.

"H-how do you know?"

"I heard the guys that watch us talking. They were really excited," he said, looking up at me, "I'm scared." He started to cry.

"What's your name?"

"B-Ben."

"Well, Ben, we're all scared. We wouldn't be human if we weren't. And I wish I could tell you everything would be okay, but I honestly don't know. We'll all just have to be brave." He nodded, wiping tears from his eyes. At that point my resolve hardened. I was going to get these people out of here.

"Can I ask you somethin', Ben?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you all look up to me like that? What makes you think that an ordinary seventeen-year-old could do anything to help you?"

"Because you're not ordinary. You're important to It, and the guards, so you have to be important to us," He considered for a moment then added, "that is, if you really are on our side."

Do they really doubt me? I was chained up and starved for days, they cut me with my own knife, and even threatened to kill me multiple times! I thought, but I said aloud, "I promise you, I am."

I turned around to see Jayse looking in Ben's direction, but he looked spaced out, like he wasn't really seeing him, or anything from our own world, for that matter.

"Jayse? You okay?" I asked softly.

He blinked hard, looked at me like he hadn't expected me to be there, then whispered, "It's almost here. And there's something else too..." At that moment, the door slammed open hard and a wild-eyed guard burst in. He looked angry and ready to kill us, if need be. But what he did next was what really scared me.

He smiled.

Smiley motioned for me to walk his way. I hesitated, and he beckoned me more insistently, still smiling, still not talking. I walked up to him slowly and cautiously. He suddenly stopped smiling and pulled a rope out of his belt, turned me around and tied it on me. He then motioned for more guards. They rushed in, all carrying lengths of rope.

It happened fast. The prisoners, some of whom I now considered my friends, were backed against the wall. The guards were advancing. In no time, all five pairs of hands were bound. The women were rushed to another room, while the remaining guards bound our feet.

"What..." I ventured, but was cut off by a deep voice yelling, "SILENCE, PRISONER!"

The guards left, the last one locking the door behind him. I looked around the cell at the five desperate faces. The last time they did this to me... My mind trailed off, unwilling to finish that thought. I let out a long string of swear words. Ben and Jayse stared at me, bewildered.

"Sorry guys," I said sheepishly.

A guard opened the door a crack and tossed in six tattered blankets, one at a time. He slammed the door when he left.

I got to work. Once again, I had Luke take my lighter from my pocket and carefully burn the ropes. Thankfully they were coated with something, I assume to make them stronger, so there was really no danger of something other than the rope catching on fire.

When I was free, I untied Luke's hands and we got to work untying everyone else's hands, so they could all free their bound legs on their own.

"What do you think is gonna happen to us now? What will we do?" I heard behind me. I turned to see a tall, handsome black man.

"Why are you asking me? How should I know anything about what's going on? I'm just a random kid! Try asking someone who can give you a straight answer, because I know about as much as you. Maybe less."

"Well then, the first thing we should do is compare what we know," he said calmly, "First, my name is Tom. And yours is...?"

"Cole," I answered.

"Cole? Cole Carter?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," I said casually. His eyes widened. "Yes, I know, I'm 'special' somehow. But that doesn't matter at this point."

"Right," he said, "Well, here's what we know. First, we are all here simply because we survived."

"Number two: 'It' is not human. Nowhere close," a man named Jack said.

"It's evil," Jayse added, "and dangerous." I counted that as number three.

"Four: The guards work for It, for some reason."

"Five; they start the Fires."

"They say scary things in a different language when they start the Fires," Jayse said, number six.

"How do you know that?" Ben asked him. Jayse relayed his story of "adoption" and capture as simply as he could. When he was done, all four other pairs of eyes stared.

"Number seven: It wants us to die," Tom said.

"Then why didn't It just kill us when we got here?" Ben asked.

"It wants to play with us," Jayse said, "like a cat plays with a bug."

"Those sick bast-"

Tom was cut off by Jayse, whose eyes had glazed over. "It's coming, and it's almost time to start the games."

"What kind of games Jayse? And what else is coming with It?" I asked hurriedly. I needed to get answers while he was still in that state, but I was too late.

"Huh?" he asked innocently.

"Never mind, Jayse."

"I did it again, didn't I?" he asked as if he already knew the answer. I nodded.