Sickly Sweet

Out of the Tube

Sophie pulled at a hangnail with her teeth, counting the seconds until the pain would come.

1...

2....

3-

"Eeek!" she squealed as the skin ripped away. Looking down at her hand, she found the red mark of blood.

Frowning, Sophie wiped it on her gown. Oh well. They could always replace it. They were, after all, pretty rich.

She thought about what her mom would say if she wiped blood on her shirt. She would probably look at her sternly and tell her to go place it in the laundry room to be soaked and to use a tissue next time.

Ugh. How did even a hangnail remind her of home? She just couldn't get her family out of her mind.

Sophie leaned her cheek against the cold glass and closed her eyes. Rubbing the sore spot with one finger, she used another to curl a piece of hair behind her small ear.

When more blood came off onto her hand, she simply slammed it against the glass. A few men looked up, startled. Sneering, she smeared the blood all over the glass section of the tube.

Suddenly, the metal door opened and Sophie gasped to see that it was Coraline. She hadn't visited in ages, otherwise known as two whole days.

She briskly walked into the room and frowned at the smeared blood. Looking Sophie up and down, she nodded with approval and whispered something to the man closest to her.

He nodded but seemed uncertain as he walked over to a large lever by the computers. Casting a glance at her, he pulled the lever and watched as the tube opened.

She was astonished. Was this really happening? Freedom? Smiling, Sophie stepped out of the cylinder and ran to the door. Pulling on the handle with all her might, she managed to turn it and now had the problem of pushing the extremely heavy door open.

Throwing herself against it, she cracked it open a little bit before giving up and falling to the floor, breathing hard. Coraline looked at her, amused.

"Need some help there?"

Sophie glared at her.

"I can do it just fine."

With renewed strength, she heaved herself back up and assaulted the door. Pounding on it with her fists, banging against it with her body, and kicking with her feet.

She managed to open it about three inches and bit her lip, pushing as hard as she could. It gave way another two inches, then three more.

Finally it was just barely enough to slip her body through. Smiling with acted innocence at the queen, she triumphed over her scowl.

"Told ya."

Sophie slipped out the door and ran down the hallway, elated. She was freed! She could see Lochlan again. Figure out what happened to Martek.

She might even go home.

~*~

Sophie ran to the large double doors marking the exit of the castle. No guards. Nothing stood in her way.

She laughed as she went, leaving a trail of joy and feverish excitement in her wake. Coming to a stop just at the doors, she paused.

This was it. Freedom. The moment she had been thinking of, hoping for, praying would happen. It was here.

She opened the doors wide and ran, free.

Or at least for the first few seconds.

She felt long, sharp nails dig into her skin and screamed. Whipping her head around, she discovered cold black eyes staring into hers.