Sad, scared, and abused.

Chapter 29

Life was a loop of boredom and stillness that seemed to never stop for Alice.
She woke up at 9, went to breakfast, and waited in her room until dinner. Then she would go upstairs and wait till the nurses shut out the lights. She passed around A few smiles here and there but barely said a word.
This day, This day was different.
Alice woke up and took a couple of deep breaths before going out into the hallway and stumbling down to the cafeteria. She was wide awake, unlike most of the other days where she seems to be in a grey void doing nothing, seeing nothing, and speaking nothing. Taking a look around her room she began to pick things up and put them on her bed.
Her notebook, and writing utensils where the only thing she ended up leaving on the bed. She didn't have much, everything was a hazard as the nurses said.
Alice walked into the hallway and said Good morning to the nurse standing outside of her door. The nurse did a double take and called "Good morning!" Out to Alice as she walked away.
They hadn't heard her voice in weeks.
Taking a deep breath, and wiping her sweaty palms off into her dress Alice stepped into the cafe.
She sat down in a corner hoping everyone knew to leave her alone.
The nurse brought over some food, greeted Alice and walked away to supervise.
Alice started balling the food up in napkins, and stuffing them in her pockets.
"Alice?"
Startled, Alice dropped her muffin and looked up quickly.
A boy with pale white skin, and brown hair that fell around his chin was staring at her. His eyes seemed to sparkle with laughter, and he was almost smiling at her.
"What?" Irritated, Alice's widened eyes returned to normal, and she bent to pick up the muffin. As she did this he pulled up a chair and sat across from her.
"Your leaving." He said.
"What?"
"Your leaving."
Alice looked up and smirked.
"I know your leaving Alice, you know why? Because the last person who left did exactly as your doing. If you want them not to suspect you do as I say."
"Who are you?" Alice said, you could tell she was annoyed and surprised by the tone of her voice.
The boy smiled, a smile that Alice knew broke hearts. A dangerous one. A familiar smile..
A smile like Kids smile.
Alice shook her head and the boy stopped smiling.
"I'm Xavien."
"I've never heard of you."
"That's because you spend most of your time here locked up in your room, Alice.
"But I've heard of you, we all have."
"Your gonna Help me?" Alice asked trying to ignore the fact that more people then she had thought knew her story.
"Don't bundle your food in napkins, they know. Wipe your mouth and put the napkins back on your tray."
Alice put the dirty napkins on her tray.
"Now excuse yourself and meet me in the hallway."
He got Up, and Alice sat there for a while just wondering who this boy was and why on earth he was helping her.
After a while she excused herself and walked out the doors. She didn't see Xavien anywhere so she kept walking down the hallway.
But suddenly she was on the floor, a hand over her mouth being dragged into a corner. She struggled against it, and tried to bite the hand.
"Can you shut up if you want to get out of here?"
Jesus fucking christ, it was Xavien.
"Can you not fucking touch me like that?" Alice jerked herself away from him and stood up. Brushing her pants off.
"Come on". He jerked his head towards the bathroom.
"That's the staff bathroom."
"That's our way out". He replied.
He walked towards the bathroom and opened the door. Alice stood there, hesitant to follow.
"Alice, the bathrooms are never occupied during any of the meals. Hurry up."
She noticed he had a backpack on.
Alice followed him into the bathroom, her heart beating so hard she thought it was going to pop out of her chest and onto the floor.
Xavien took out a screwdriver and started prying the window open. He gave Alice the backpack and pulled her up onto the sink next to him.
Once the window was open, he moved over and Alice took his spot.
"Trust me." He whispered.
Alice put her hands on the windowsill and he held out his hand for her to step on. Shakily, she pulled herself up and he gave her a boost.
He handed her the backpack again once she was out of the window and at the bottom of the gutter.
He hopped out next to her and smiled.
"I'm guessing that was easier then your escape route?"
She started to say something but they heard the bathroom door open and the staff talking.
"Go check on Alice, I saw her in the cafe. It looked like she was taking the food."
"Alright. "
"Yeah she did leave kinda early from breakfast didn't she?"
Alice looked at Xavien and noticed he was already out of the gutter. He held out his hand and pulled her up.
"Look, the windows open." They heard one of the staff saying.
"Run." Xavien whispered, not letting go of her hand.
And she ran.
Ran for her life.
Ran for kid.
Ran until she collapsed near the edge of the hospital parking lot.
Xavien picked her up and kept running.
Alice was trying so hard to catch her breath but she kept on coughing.
Xavien heard shouts from the hospital.
"There they are!"
He kept running, and running till he reached the hole in the fence. He threw Alice down and pulled it up. She crawled under it and pulled herself out on the other side.
She made it.
He pulled himself threw and stumbled towards Alice. He grabbed her and kept running. They heard car engines starting and the gates opening. He dipped into the forest, and kept running.
The staff and security guards where behind them.
Xavien threw Alice down behind a log and pulled himself down with her. There was a small hill going towards a creek and they dived down the hill.
The staff ran right past them.
After their voices got distant, Xavien pulled Alice up so that she was facing him.
"Wh..what.." Alice gasped. Her head was bleeding from falling so many times.
He wiped her forehead, and blood and sweat came off on his hands.
"We got away Alice."
She lay down on the grass, her chest heaving and just stared up at the sky while she caught her breath.
"Why'd you help me?" She asked, as soon as she had caught her breath.
"Because we both needed out of there. You don't understand what goes on in there. I'll explain to you sometime else."
Alice nodded, and lay back down.
But Xavien pulled her back up.
"I hear them. Let's go."
She got up and followed him. He was leading her deeper into the forest.
He stopped and Alice bumped into him almost falling over.
"Why'd we stop."
"Our escape route, it's right here."
"I thought we escaped already.."
"No, Alice.. No not yet." His voice seemed sad almost. Distant.
He started pulling apart branches and an entrance in the ground appeared. He climbed into the log and gestured for Alice to follow so she climbed in also.
He jumped down out of the log, and landed on dirt.
It was some sort of cave.
Alice jumped down and landed next to him.
"Be quiet .." He whispered.
He pulled a flashlight out of the backpack and started to walk further into the tunnel.
Hesitantly Alice followed him.
They walked for what seemed like hours, before Xavien stopped and turned around.
"Alice .. "
"What?"
"I.." He looked down at the ground , clenching and unclenching his hands nervously.
"What?" Alice repeated.
She walked towards him and as she did she saw what was behind him.
Bodies.
Dead bodies strung up along the walls, and piled in corners of the caves.
It seemed like Alice's heart stopped for a few seconds.
"Alice .. I'm so sorry."