Escape From This
Metal
“What’s your name again?” she heard Randy asking her. She sniffed pathetically as she repeated her name. “Stay close to Jack. You’re coming with us now. Do as you’re told at all times. Cross me or jeopardise our escape in ANY way and we’ll leave you to the mercy of the Daymen. Understand?”
“But, please, can’t I just go home?” begged Lottie. “If you could just tell me how to get back there...?”
But Randy was shaking her head. “Don’t ask to go home. It’s out of the question for now. You won’t be able to handle it. Got that?”
And, because there was no alternative for the time being, Lottie nodded.
“Good. Away we go then.”
Lottie watched helplessly as Ragnar and Frank picked up a few bags and slung them over their shoulders. Frank then took Lottie’s arm and tried to pull her forward but she took it away.
“Just give me a minute. I’ll catch you up, promise.”
Frank cast a quick at Randy and then nodded.
“Come on,” a voice said from beside Lottie. Jack was standing beside her with two bags, holding one out to her. Lottie stared blankly back him. Jack rolled his eyes before throwing each one over his back and gestured that she had to move.
Lottie obeyed but couldn’t help throwing a glance back at Scarlett who was standing with her back to everyone else, staring at the spot where Lottie had fallen.
“I told you, come on!” called Jack and Lottie made her way to join him and the others down the grit covered path way. The road up ahead lay to the side of a vast field of grey slab where she imagined there had once been grass.
The field went on for miles but in the distance she could see the outside of a concrete town, with sky scrapers that stretched up to the clouds up above like blocks of standing smoke.
“Frank, hang back,” Randy’s voice rang out from the front where she and Rag had taken the lead. “Don’t wait too long for her. The evening drill will be sounding soon.
“Jack, have you got the sacks?”
“Got them all, Randy,” replied Jack, lifting them slightly even though Randy didn’t look back.
“Excuse me?” Lottie said timidly. “Where are you going?”
“To the water,” replied Jack, absent-mindedly. “There’s a boat waiting for us there. It’s our way out. Then it’s straight on until dawn. Here, put this on,” he said suddenly, awkwardly taking off his jacket with the bags still on his back. “You’ll freeze.”
“But...” Lottie was beginning to panic. “How shall I ever get home?”
When Jack didn’t answer her, she tried again. “Please, sir, I have to get back. Won’t you help me?”
“We are helping you,” said Jack, quietly. “More than you deserve. ”
“What do you mean?”
“Just...keep it low. And don’t let Randy or Lottie catch you asking to go home again. Put the jacket on, come on.”
Lottie was now thoroughly confused. “But, why?”
Jack slowed down a little and looked up ahead but Randy and Rag were having a conversation in low voices. Satisfied he would not be overheard, he leaned in to Lottie and replied, “Because there’s only one way for you to get back and it’s in my bag but...trust me, you won’t like it. You’ll make them angry. Believe me when I tell you, you do not want to make these girls angry. Especially not Scarlett.” Jack bit his lip nervously. “No telling what she’ll do to you.”
“Jack, here for a second!”
Jack put down his bags as Randy and Ragnar had stopped and he tripped up to meet them. Lottie took the opportunity, whilst everyone was occupied, to take a look inside the bag. There were bags of food, a large flask, a small notebook, several pens, an ominous looking blade and a small metal contraption. Lottie instantly knew that this was what Jack had spoken of.
Quick as a mouse, her hand darted out and snatched it up, storing it safely on the inside of Jack’s jacket. It looked decidedly complicated but she was certain that it was her ticket out of there.
“But, please, can’t I just go home?” begged Lottie. “If you could just tell me how to get back there...?”
But Randy was shaking her head. “Don’t ask to go home. It’s out of the question for now. You won’t be able to handle it. Got that?”
And, because there was no alternative for the time being, Lottie nodded.
“Good. Away we go then.”
Lottie watched helplessly as Ragnar and Frank picked up a few bags and slung them over their shoulders. Frank then took Lottie’s arm and tried to pull her forward but she took it away.
“Just give me a minute. I’ll catch you up, promise.”
Frank cast a quick at Randy and then nodded.
“Come on,” a voice said from beside Lottie. Jack was standing beside her with two bags, holding one out to her. Lottie stared blankly back him. Jack rolled his eyes before throwing each one over his back and gestured that she had to move.
Lottie obeyed but couldn’t help throwing a glance back at Scarlett who was standing with her back to everyone else, staring at the spot where Lottie had fallen.
“I told you, come on!” called Jack and Lottie made her way to join him and the others down the grit covered path way. The road up ahead lay to the side of a vast field of grey slab where she imagined there had once been grass.
The field went on for miles but in the distance she could see the outside of a concrete town, with sky scrapers that stretched up to the clouds up above like blocks of standing smoke.
“Frank, hang back,” Randy’s voice rang out from the front where she and Rag had taken the lead. “Don’t wait too long for her. The evening drill will be sounding soon.
“Jack, have you got the sacks?”
“Got them all, Randy,” replied Jack, lifting them slightly even though Randy didn’t look back.
“Excuse me?” Lottie said timidly. “Where are you going?”
“To the water,” replied Jack, absent-mindedly. “There’s a boat waiting for us there. It’s our way out. Then it’s straight on until dawn. Here, put this on,” he said suddenly, awkwardly taking off his jacket with the bags still on his back. “You’ll freeze.”
“But...” Lottie was beginning to panic. “How shall I ever get home?”
When Jack didn’t answer her, she tried again. “Please, sir, I have to get back. Won’t you help me?”
“We are helping you,” said Jack, quietly. “More than you deserve. ”
“What do you mean?”
“Just...keep it low. And don’t let Randy or Lottie catch you asking to go home again. Put the jacket on, come on.”
Lottie was now thoroughly confused. “But, why?”
Jack slowed down a little and looked up ahead but Randy and Rag were having a conversation in low voices. Satisfied he would not be overheard, he leaned in to Lottie and replied, “Because there’s only one way for you to get back and it’s in my bag but...trust me, you won’t like it. You’ll make them angry. Believe me when I tell you, you do not want to make these girls angry. Especially not Scarlett.” Jack bit his lip nervously. “No telling what she’ll do to you.”
“Jack, here for a second!”
Jack put down his bags as Randy and Ragnar had stopped and he tripped up to meet them. Lottie took the opportunity, whilst everyone was occupied, to take a look inside the bag. There were bags of food, a large flask, a small notebook, several pens, an ominous looking blade and a small metal contraption. Lottie instantly knew that this was what Jack had spoken of.
Quick as a mouse, her hand darted out and snatched it up, storing it safely on the inside of Jack’s jacket. It looked decidedly complicated but she was certain that it was her ticket out of there.