Runaway (choose your own adventure

Chapter fourteen - Out the back door

The first Fugitive Slave Acts, Made in 1793, said that it was illegal to hide and or interfere capture of, a slave. If you were found doing either you would be paid a fine and may have been sent to jail. However, in 1850, the south made changes to the acts, because they were made in a hurry in order to make catching runaway slaves easier and were seen as "weak", these additions included: forcing civilians to aid in the capture of slaves, denied slaves access to the right of jury, put individual cases in the hands of federal commissioners who were paid more to return a slave than to aid them, and increased the fine of aiding a fugitive slave to 1000$ dollars minimum, and a required minimum of six month jail time. According to Lennon Connor, "the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act increased prices in border states by 15% to 30% more than in states further south"

I made my decision, I would use the back door. It only made sense, no matter what it would have a lower risk of being caught, reason one, it may lead outside giving me direct access to the outside, and two even if it didn't go outside and he had seen me, I would be at a better chance to get away with the hospital beds probably one the second floor, and the fact that I would be in a completely different part of the building at that point and could find a window or something going outside. 

I looked towards the door and started for it. Quickly pushing it open to find another hall. I closed and rushed down towards another room. I managed to get about eleven feet at most before pain shot up my leg. I grunted in surprise, I had completely forgotten about my injury. I gripped it for a second and continued limping down the hall. My leg being less quiet as it took all my weight with each step. I heard a shout from behind me, it sounded like he had asked the woman to help him, and I heard a few steps right behind the corner in the hall.

Then I looked back.

If I hadn't recognized him in the window and known who he was I still would have been scared. He glared down the hall, his eyes falling down onto me. His glare forming into a devilish smile rivaling even Satan himself. Suddenly I couldn't move. Everything was frozen, my head feeling light. The world started to spin around me, fear tightening in my throat blocking my air from its path. Over and over again I screamed move, move, move. but nothing happened. He took one step, move, move, move, nothing. His step melting into a sprint. Move, Move, Move, I was still. He reached out to grab me like death itself, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, this time I turned, took a step and the pain flew up my leg but the adrenaline muffled it, smothering it like a pillow.

Fingers enclosed their way around my arms. I was trapped.

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