The Blade in the City

The Escape

Alex woke with her face pressed against the floor, she had a small pool of blood surrounding her head and her hands were tied behind her back. The ties were digging into her wrists, the blood was slowly soaking her clothes. Alex lifted her head slightly, she was in a white room. Alex groaned and rolled onto her back, she opened her eyes and stared at the roof. She remembered a time when she had been in a room like this, the first time, she had met the boys that day. Alex bolted upright, she remembered everything. Alex quickly untied herself and scanned the room looking for her knife, she found it resting on top of a wooden chair which was placed in the middle of the room. Alex attached her knife to her belt, well Jordon's belt.

Now that Alex knew he was her brother it made it easier to hate the countess, she had taken him away from her. Alex remembered why Jordon looked so familiar when she first met him, he was the other boy in the photo with her on top of the fireplace back at home. She had dreamt of some cousin that she had never met with again, but never the boy being her twin brother. Josh.

"Josh!" Before she could stop herself she yelled out his name. He's here. Alex looked around the room. There was no window and the only exit point was through the door which was definitely guarded. She heard a groan and turned her head to see Jordon.

"Jordon." Alex raced to him and helped him sit up. "Are you alright?"

"My family. I-I remember my family. I remember you." Jordon said. "We were at the park. Ma got ice cream for us and you dropped it and screamed your lungs out when she wouldn't buy you another one."

"Jordon we have to get out of here. We need to escape." Alex told him. "We need Josh."

· · ·𖥸· · ·

Josh sat in the corner of the white room, invisible to Alex and Jordon. Her brother. Her twin. She remembered me.

"I've tried." He said hoarsely. Alex whipped her head in his direction. "Good luck getting out."

"Josh." She breathed. "By the Stars. Josh it's you. It's me. I remember you."

He placed his hand on her beaten face and smiled, there was recognition in her eyes. She teared up and started smiling but the moment was short lived, the bolted door screeched as it opened and two guards walked in followed by the countess herself. Josh watched as Alex's face turned back to stone. Alex stood up and walked over to the countess, Josh watched as the scene played out.

"Don't try and touch me you'll be shot dead before you can lay a finger on me. Now Alex you're going to go into the tournament and you're going to win the final" the countess smiled, Alex's expression still didn't change.

"I'm not killing anyone," Alex argued.

"I make the rules Alex, there's nothing you can do about it. Especially since your families lives are on the line" the woman smiled and placed a hand under Alex's chin, "I would hate to see the look on your face if I ever need to murder your family"

"Why are you doing this?" Alex asked, giving the countess a death glare like no other, Josh had to give her credit for the amount of hate that went into that stare.

"Well, I want to so I am. You know what I want and nothing is going to stop me from getting there"

"You need me in your grasp" Alex said.

The countess's expression changed slightly and only for a moment, Josh just caught a glimpse of the change, "I don't. I just don't want you to get hurt"

"Why would you care, all you have done is beat me over and over"

The countess tightened her grip and shoved Alex out the door, "sit tight boys" she called over her shoulder. Josh watched as she walked out the door pushing Alex ahead of her. Once the door slammed shut, Jordon jumped up.