A Long Walk Home

Chapter 5: False Hope

Two days went by, but very slow. Leo came by three times a day with food, the same thing everyday, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple and a bottle of water.  The floor of the shack was dirt and had two stalls in it, with a loft. It was really dark only a small light bulb hung from the ceiling, but light did leak in from the cracks now and then. The nights and some days where extremely cold. At night Mike or Zach would hold Lizzie close to them as she rested her head on thier chest, and they would wrap her in the jacket that Mike had. These nights though were mostly sleepless, Lizzie would only sleep a few hours before waking up in fright. Mike never slept really, just closed his eyes,but would soon wake up startled by the littlest of sounds, Zach would do the samething. Mike during these sleepness nights and torturous days would try to come with any way they could escape, but nothing crossed his mind as successful. Leo would never fully enter the building. He knew that Mike and Zach could easily over power them.

It was the morning and sun was leaking into the shack. Lizzie woke and slowly got out of Mike's grip. Mike and Zach where asleep, she was happy, she knew they never slept and could tell it was getting to them. The other day Mike snapped at Zach and they started to argue Lizzie had to calm them both down.

"Mike, cut it out!" shouted Lizzie, pushing on his chest trying to get him to stop, "Zach you to, you both need to sleep and we can't turn on each other not now, we need each other."

"Your right Liz, Im sorry" Mike said as he pulled her in for a hug, "Im sorry to Zach."

"Me to" said Zach.

As Lizzie got up from Mike, she looked up trying to catch the sun rays coming in. She hadn't seen light for three days now and it was getting to her. As she stood there looking up rays of sun, something caught her eye. Light was shinning through theses cracks but in a odd shape, the shape of a small opening. She wasn't sure this was true, but it was something she hoped was. She was going to wake Mike and Zach and decided not to, they needed sleep and she didn't want to give them false hope. She wasn't sure how she was going to get up there, there looked to be no easy way, but she had to try before waking Mike and Zach. She was able to get herself up a on railing that seperated the two stalls. There was a piece of wood sticking up that might be able to reach and then she could boost herself onto and then onto the loft. She reached for it and grabbed hold of it . You used all her strength to try and lift her self up, but the shifted and she fell smacking to ground. Mike and Zach jumped up.

"Lizzie!" said Mike.

They both went over and helpd her up.

"What are you doing?" asked Zach

"I didn't want to give you false hope" replied Liz.

"False hope for what?" asked Mike.

"Look up, do you see how that light is coming in?" she asked.

"Ya" replied Zach curiously

"Look at its shape, it looks like a shape of a door, a square with a one line missing" Liz answered.

The both looked curiously.

"Maybe its not maybe its me being in the dark for three days and I am seeing things" said Elizabeth.

"No, no" said Mike "You right."

"Zach help her get on my shoulders" said Mike.

Zach helped her get up on Mike's shoulders. Mike stood up and Lizzie was able to lift herself onto the loft.

"Alright be careful, watch were you step, this place is old" said Mike.

Lizzie walked carefully heading towards to the old lighting. She arrived and took a deep breathe, hoping she was right. She put her hands on it giving it a push it move a little out, but not fully.

"What's going on?" yelled Zach.

"I think it is a door, but its stuck" said Lizzie

"Can you push any harder?" asked Mike.

"Ya I think so" she said, as she pushed it with all her strength, it a gave a squeak but it opened and a flood of light came through.

Lizzie fell to floor. She tood up and walked to the opening and took the sunlight in. She could she was pretty high of the ground, but knew she could fit through it.

"Its a door! Its a door!" Lizzie cheered.

"Yes!" said Mike as he high fived Zach.

All three of them had never been happier.

"Can you get through?" asked Zach.

"Ya, but its real high up" said Lizzie, "You two definetly won't be able to though."

"Thats ok, we will figure it out" said Mike.

Just then they heard, Leo's van coming.

"Lizzie! hurry shut the door and get over here now!" shouted Mike.

Lizzie pulled the door closed, but made sure she still would be able to open it.

She ran back to the edge. Mike reached his arms and she let herself fall a little as Mike caught her. The all sat down trying to stay calm. Leo came, threw food in, and asked to see faces. Just like he did everytime. He then left without another word. As soon as the truck was far away. They all jumped up. Mike hugged Lizzie and Zach did the same thing.

"Ok listen here the plan, Lizzie I will lift you up to the loft and then you go through and jump to the ground and then see if you can get us two out" said Mike.

"What if I can't get you out?" she asked nervously.

"Don't worry we will figure it out" said Mike.

"Listen Lizzie, he leaned over so he was face to face with her. If you hear his truck, you run and you don't stop or ever come back, you understand me?" said Mike.

Lizzie shook her head and went to hug him, he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Listen, you go back to the cabin and go past it and then go for the road, don't follow it directly hide in the woods and follow it that way" said Zach.

"We will find you Lizzie" said Mike.

"Promise" said Zach.

Lizzie hugged Zach and then Mike again. Mike then lifted Lizzie onto his shoulders with the help of Zach. Lizzie then lifted herself onto the loft. She started to walk but turned around.

"I love you" said Mike

"I love you to" she replied.

She turned and walked away and then opened the door. The light flooded in again.

"Don't worry everything will be fine" yelled Zach.

Lizzie then took a deep breathe and threw her legs over the side and sat down on the edge, she looked out and then looked back. Not knowing if she would ever see her cousins again and then jumped falling to ground and landing in the soft grass. She was free.