Risks

9

Tyler's pov

I groaned as I opened my eyes, trying to figure out what had happened and the status of my situation? It wasn't long until I pulled my thoughts together and realized I was shackled to the wall by one ankle. I shifted slowly as I looked around at my surroundings trying to figure out where I was after I was struck. I turned my head slightly and saw Ethan still chained to the wall and when I went to call out to him there was a muffled popping sound followed by a very sharp pain; this alerted me to the fact that my jaw was no longer in place. Doing the very best I could, with labored speech, calling out to Ethan to check on his status, "Ethan, Ethan are you alright?"
A muffled sound and a reassuring nod, he was okay as far as I could tell. Looking around the area I noticed there was a dim light bulb underneath some stairs meaning we were still held captive in the basement. As I looked at Ethan again, I could tell why his reply was muffled because of the piece of duct tape over his mouth. Remembering that Ethan told me that the key was in the dresser and I looked at Ethan and asked if the key was still in the drawer and he gave another reassuring nod.
Quickly my thoughts raced on how to retrieve the key from the dresser which neither of us could reach, and if it would work on both locks.
Never mind that, if the key would do just one lock then one of us would get out.
What do we need?
Some kind of grappling hook??
But all we have is what we have on.
I quickly began to remove my belt and look over at Ethan, "Remove your belt and throw it here." Ethan swiftly begins to struggle with his belt since his hands were shackled in front of him but he does manage to remove it and then turned back towards me, rolling into a ball and with whatever remaining strength he had he managed to throw it at me with the one shot he had.
Yes! Success!
I have both belts and link them together and proceeded to remove a hiking boot. Telling myself if the belts were too short I could use the laces if need be. Fastening the end of one belt to the to hiking boot, I, now, have a makeshift grappling hook.
Now to the business at hand, can I get the boot wrapped around the leg of the small dresser?
Extending myself as far as I could across the uneven, stone laid floor. I propped myself up on my left elbow and holding the belt securely in my left hand, I throw the boot with my right and seeing that it was a miss but it reassured me that it was a doable task.

At my second attempt, the boot wrapped around the leg of the small dresser and I mentally cheered at the success before I started to tug the dresser towards me. It was slowly making its way towards me but the joints between the stones made it difficult to slide across the floor.

Just a little over eighteen inches, I encountered a ridge in the floor that was holding one of the legs in place. Slightly angered, I tugged a little harder on the leg and much to my dismay it snapped the leg off, causing the small dresser to topple forward and rest on the broken leg.
The jarring impact from the from the fall of the small dresser creates enough force to slide some of the drawers halfway out. In the dim lighting that we had I could see the silver key shimmer from the left top drawer.

Retrieving the boot back to my side and untangling it from the broken leg, I stretch out again across the floor and aim from the left drawer. I throw the boot at the drawer and on my third attempt the boot caught onto the tilted drawer. I tugged the boot a little harder and groaned softly when it fell after the back piece snapped off. Clattering to the floor, I froze slightly with fear that someone heard the thunderous noise. After a few seconds of deafening silence, I continue to drag the broken drawer towards me in hope of retrieving the silver key, but as it slid across the uneven floor, it vibrates causing the key to move to the back of the drawer then with a little clatter sound, I realized that the key we needed had slipped out the back of the broken drawer.

Feeling my hopes escape with my annoyed sigh, I rested my head against the cold stone floor. If I had been alone, I would have completely given up all hope of escaping, but the soft muffled sounds of Ethan trying to speak to me made me determined to get the key, giving up was not an option. I pulled the drawer to me and slung it out of my way, ignoring the loud clatter it made when it struck the wall. I laid back down and stretched as far as I could before I began to throw the boot at the key; with each and every throw, I gained at least three or four inches of dragging this stupid key closer to my reach. I stopped for a few seconds, my muscles were burning from all the throwing and my other arm ached as I was laying all of my weight on one side. I glanced at Ethan and felt my body seemingly restores of its strength and glared at the key, it glinted in the light as if to taunt me. I focused all of my energy and throw the boot again...