Judgement

Escape

              It was late September around the 23rd, it was gloomy outside and the rain showered outside over the swing set, giving out loud laughter and strobbing lights. I watched the dirt turn into a deep brown and stared at the plants drowning in the puddles, outside my window looked way better than having to stay indoors. We have to stay indoors cause it's pasted curfew and the guards will tell commander. I hate these days... though it was everyday I hate em. My brother was just upstairs across the hall in section 2B. The life we live is agony, we used to live in the streets in an urban area, but that was up until mama passed on, and since my dad's been apart of the government, we have no choice but to stay here, though ever since our stay here, about 6 months ago, we never seen our father. We have no other family, anyone we know is either dead or the next target, including my best friend Honor.... I truly miss her but she could've killed me and I'd be dead instead of her, that's what the organization taught us," never trust anyone, not even yourselves". They didn't treat us like slaves or anything, here we're treated like royalty, besides the training and physicals, it was perfect. Too bad. I don't like perfect, it's boring and we're not allowed outside the facility. Lights are out at 8 for safety purposes and and our rooms were locked and secured from the outside to prevent break ins, man this feels like sector 9, and yes I've been there.

           I lied down on my bed and stared at the dull blue walls, I told them my favorite color was purple  though. Staring at the ceiling all I could ever do is remember... remember the past. I watched my mom die you know, I wish I could've saved her but there was nothing I could do, my brother was unconscious because some man had knocked him out... it was that same man that shot my mother too. Crazy, huh?

      (knock, knock)

"Huh? Who is it, whose there?", shocked as I was I didn't notice that I began to unlock the door. "Open up short stuff it's me", Alex, of course... but what is he doing out of curfew? I let him in grabbed his arm and shoving him towards the ground,"what are you doing here dumbass? You're gonna get us in trouble... wait, how'd you get out?", I questioned my brother. He ran his fingers through his hair and leaned against the wall, "with this", he pulled out something rectangular and silver, a key card, I took it from Pace's pocket when he wasn't looking". Pace is commander, our so called guardian, he's been raising us and he watches us train, he's like a father to us... since we didn't have one around. "How? Why? oh my gosh Alex you're going to get into so much trouble, leave so I don't have to suffer with you", I pointed towards the door, "Oh shut up, you're too over dramatic, I just told you how and it's because I want to do the same thing you've been thinking about, escaping", he glared at my face knowing what my expression would be. "How do you know that I've been thinking about escaping?", I asked with a straight face, "cause I have too", he retorted, stepping closer he took a deep breath, "Listen short stuff, I'm going to get us out of here, I know you don't like this place and I know you miss mom, just let me play big brother for once", he put his hand on my shoulder. Man I hate this place if I don't go with him I know that I'll rot in my room and me being only 15 I'd like to live a life outside of these walls, though, if we get caught we will be treated as prisoners and we will never be out of sight again, plus... daddy might come back, I don't want to miss that chance. No! I have to leave, mama wouldn't want me to stay here to rot. I have to, but I can't. I'm tired. ".....Do you have a plan?", his face lit up and he gave me a big hug..... little did I know what was to come.

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               It was a week later and today was the day to break out, finally I've been anxious all day. I crammed my USB in my pocket. Today was the day that chief had to send out my guard for shopping duty, all the others either had the day off or were on duty patrolling the streets, my brother was supposed to be in bed acting as if he were tired but really getting ready for what was to come, it was about 5pm and my guard was out, I packed up my bag underneath my bed. I was out in the patio with a replacement guard, a guard dog. He was friendly but he'd be willingly to take me down if I tried to escape, I gave him some doggy treats stored in my pocket, chief gave it to me along with some chocolate. Earlier I entered the kitchen asking chief for some steak, he accepted my request and I watched him cook, not noticing me, I snuck into his spice cabinet and grabbed some bottle with a big Z's marked on it also taking his secret stash of money... under the cup board behind the microwave of course, luckily my slender fingers caught it. After my meal was prepared, I came into the patio... 'Now?', I thought to myself. I wondered what Alex would be doing right now and how long this would take, when it hits 5:50 I'm suppose to give this to the damn dog. I stared at it and it stared at me then suddenly did my watch go off... Now. "Here doggy, doggy", I made cooing noises and faces to lure the dog to me, he came as planned and I put the steak out in front of him, dropping droplets of the sleeping aide on the dish, but the clever K-9 refused. "Damn dog", I stared at the mutt then my stomach started to make dying whale noises, I pulled out some chocolate from my pocket having some dog treats fall out, the K-9 quickly scampered to my feet licking away the treats from the ground. Aha. "You want some more", I placed the rest of the treats in my pocket onto the piece of meat on the floor and the poor guard dog started away at it. After he collapsed, I ran down the hall and into the walls I went, through the air vents of course. Bob was on break so he wouldn't be in the camera room. "Lets see now, left, right, left, left, right, out that air duct and onto the next", I talked myself into finding the camera room by memorizing the whole facility. I came to the end another air vent and kicked it open, darting across the hall, I peered around the corner to make sure that no one was there then did I squeeze myself into the next one, "Right, right, left, left, right", I kept repeating this pattern until I reached my destination, the surveillance room. I grabbed my USB from my other pocket and entered it inside of the computer's hard drive, but first deleting the footage from the last 48hrs. It took a few password codes to unlock but I finally got through, what can i say, I'm good with technology. Uploading a video of myself asleep in my room and one with my brother doing the same, it was scheduled to start playing at exactly 9,"this should be good for tonight". I put an other video of the kitchen and the two main hallways empty also the garage. Suddenly something was downloading onto my USB, I didn't know what it was but I didn't care so I ejected it. Pleased with my success I scurried back across the room and slid into the vent, I closed all the other vents behind me then back into the patio kneeling over the canine, he was still asleep, I put his head on my lap and patted him while letting out my breath. I didn't know I was holding it.

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8:35pm, I had already took my bath and had on shorts and a tank top, I had a load of money, the organization gives us an allowance after training, nice huh? I lied down on my mattress and slowly started to think. What if we do make it out, mama would've been so proud and probably daddy too. I wonder what Alex is doing... how'd he know that I wanted to escape anyways? Oh brother, he's really a pain in the ass, though I love him. After we get out of here I want to go back to regular school and I want to find daddy before he finds us, yes that would be good enough for me. 9, 9 o'clock was when the plan was to move into action; in 25 minutes it would be time.

9:00pm, Now. I leaped off my bed and grabbed my bag, putting on my shoes I held a roll of tape between my lips. I could hear Alex, he was running down here to open my door and then we ran to the kitchen and into the air vent to the garage. "okay gimme the tape, go underneath the jeep", my brother commanded me and I obeyed. I hauled myself under the vehicle and my bag, as planned, there was a hole for me to enter above the back of the vehicle. I hoisted my bag and my brother's bag in the back then I went back to aid my brother who was checking all the areas to see if any security guards were coming, they were supposed to come by any minute now for rounds. "Okay, come on lets go", entering first, my brother helped me get in position on the pipes under the vehicle, I clung my body hard against the steel and waited for my brother to tape my arms and legs, but he didn't, "what's taking you so long?". Something's wrong. My brother stared at stairs on the left side of the garage, I didn't see anything. Wait! Blood. There was blood on the handle and on the ground near the entrance to the staircase, I followed to where to blood was leading to and it was going towards the corner, looking up I saw the security camera busted. Oh no! Now that the camera's busted, there's no point in uploading the video cause the camera would show static, a sign that there's something wrong and the guards would be here any minute now to do a full search... oh no