Never As It Seems

Getting Out

"You do have the key to this dumb thing, don't you?" said Annmarie. 

The Fuzzy Guy nodded and raised the ring full of keys. "It's here."

"Good. Hand ‘em over here." She beckoned to him wildly.

"Hey, be nice to the poor guy," said Flames, elbowing her. 

The Fuzzy Guy laughed. "It's okay. Hey, you on the bed."

Rick looked up. "Yes?"

"Catch." With that he threw the rings to Rick, who fortunately caught them. 

"Which one is it?" said Rick as he examined them. 

"Smallest one's for handcuffs."

"What, they're all the same?"

He shrugged. Rick sighed and sorted through the keys until he found what was seemingly the right one. "Aha." He stood up, walked over to where Flames and Annmarie were sitting, and handed it to them. Annmarie grabbed the key and jammed it into the handcuffs’ lock. They unlocked with a soft click, and with it they stood up. 

"Glad we got that over with," said Flames, dusting himself off. "I mean -" He turned to Annmarie. "I know we're life partners and all, and we're bonded for life, but that really takes it -"

"Ugh, spare me," she said. "We're not even close to being married."

"We could be."

She made a face as Rick said, "All right, break it up."

"Never," said Flames defiantly. 

"I didn't mean - whatever. So, Mr. Fuzzy Guy, because I don't know if you actually have a name or not. What are we planning on doing after this?"

"Well, that's why I approached you now," said the Fuzzy Guy. "You're in luck. All members of staff are currently on a lunch break."

"What, all of them?" said Annmarie. 

"That's how they do it," said the Fuzzy Guy. "All at once. Don't want to leave each other, I guess. It's social time."

She rolled her eyes. 

"So, I was thinking to myself as I walked down the hallways of this miserable place – maybe I'll be nice to those three new prisoners, who seemed to me to be completely innocent, and during the only time when I knew there would be no guards around I would let them go free. And that, my friends, is what we are doing right now. You'll have to be quiet, mind you, because the lunch break room isn't too soundproofed. But I assume you all know where the exit door is?"

They all nodded. 

"Right. That's where you'll be going."

"Obviously," muttered Flames. Annmarie gave him a look. 

"Now, I can't reach the lock, so one of you will have to do it."

Annmarie was still holding the ring of keys, and she walked over to the lock for the cell. 

"Which one is it?" she said. She gave the key ring back to the Fuzzy Guy, who sorted through them until he found one that was much larger than the one that unlocked the handcuffs. He held it out and Annmarie took it. She held the key with her right hand and reached through the cell bars, and after a few moments of working with the lock it opened with a quiet clang. 

"Got it!" said the Fuzzy Guy. She held the key ring to him and he took it. "Now go. Quickly, but not too quickly."

"Thanks!" Flames shout whispered as they quickly walked away. They hurried past several cells, full of people who were probably as innocent as they were silently gazing at them. Finally they reached the front room - and the door.