In a World Where Only Madness Matters

After several minutes of being pushed, shoved, and jerked around through the halls of the asylum, Rebecca and her two guards finally reached their destination. The Cafeteria.

She looked around. A lunch line to her right and the tables to her left. She saw the food, she saw the people. She didn’t know which was grosser. Not that she had any appetite to begin with, [she never liked eating much] any idea of food in the current setting made her stomach turn.

“Hey, um, guys I’m not really hungry. Is there somewhere else I can go during my lunch time?” Rebecca asked facing Rick and Howard.

“Uh, sure. Come on.” Howard said leading her by the arm to another door at the far end of the cafeteria.

This was good. Very good. Not only because she got out of having to sit, and assumingly dine, in the disgusting room filled with unpleasant smells. But she’d get led to another different part of the asylum, and kept in mind her main goal. To get out.

Once to the door at the far other side of the cafeteria, both Rick and Howard needed to unlock the door together. The two of them putting in two separate pairs of keys on each side of the door. Simultaneously turning them at the same time and waiting for the alarming buzz saying that it was unlocked. They pushed it open, shoving there keys back onto there belts and Rick taking hold of her arms again as they walked out.

Rick and Howard soon disappearing from her sides, finding a group of guards to talk to outside, leaning against the walls of the building. [Probably watching there own patients.]

First, there was air. Sweet, clean [as clean as it gets in Gotham] and refreshing air. Rebecca inhaled it deeply. Breathing in every ounce her lungs allowed. Savoring the wind against her skin as it flowed freely through her hair.

Then there was her surroundings. She was in a courtyard. An old dilapidating courtyard. With threatening electric-fences lined around it, and curled barb-wire across the tops.

Next she saw the people. There were only a few other patients outside. Some sitting on concrete benches, others standing, talking, or smoking.

Upon seeing this she reminded herself to make a mental note of where they had gotten there lighters from.

An autumn breeze through the cloudy atmosphere encouraged Rebecca to hug herself. Trying to keep warm. She walked over and sat down on a near by bench. Smiling up at the sky. It had only been a day, but she missed the outside like she’d been locked away for an eternity.

- - - - -

Jax paced. Stumbling over himself while chomping on the top of his bloody disintegrating thumb nail. He was waiting. Mumbling to himself. He was thinking. Screaming at himself. He was searching. Waiting for the sedatives to ware off, and his nightmares to come tumbling back to him. Thinking about Rebecca. How he wanted to be near her. Thinking about how much time she spent outside the cell, rather then with him. [He was getting jealous.] Searching for an explanation, to explain what he was feeling towards her.

He was getting frustrated, angry. He had to punch, kick, scream, kill something.

Jax lunged back to the concrete wall. Kicking it hard with his bare feet. He growled in anger, pulling his knee back further and further. Only to have it collide with a louder thud each time.

Blood began to surface on the skin of his toes and feet. Each kick sending splatter across the walls and legs of his pants. A crunch of toe bone being heard as it cracked against the cement wall. He screamed in anger and agony. Kicking the wall one last time out of rage. He fell to the ground in tears. He screamed in terrifying hysterias.

Jax had to get out. He needed help. He needed someone.

- - - - -

The sky was so gloomy. Rebecca thought holding herself tight against the slick breeze that pushed against her small frame. She was sitting on a cold concrete bench, on the furthest left side of the courtyard. Her feet up on the bench, and her chin resting on her knees as she held herself.

She looked around, watching the other patients. Everyone seemed so lost and dreary. They had probably been there longer then her. All finding a reason to lose there hope. Rebecca didn’t want to end up like them. Stuck in this miserable place the rest of her life, watching her faith diminish right before her small eyes like the rest of them. There had to be something to keep her going. She knew without giving herself something to be motivated about, she’d surely give up on her escape plan before next week rolled around. Becoming an empty zombie-like being, just as the crowd before her was.

She decided to put her motivation in Jax. Making each thing she did just for the sake of seeing him again. Her reason to keep living. Although she was very well aware of how risky this was, [not even knowing him for more then two days and all] but he was the only thing in reach. The only person who was more then half way worth it.

Besides, if his psycho-enthusiasm couldn’t keep her motivated, then what would?

“Hey!” A whispered voice called sitting down beside her. Rebecca looked up. She smiled brightly at seeing Loretta again.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Rebecca asked scooting over on the bench for Loretta to have more room.

“Oh, I always come out here. Well during lunch at least. What about you?”

“Well, I took one look at the scene in there, and the food, and thought it was best for both me and my stomach to sit out here until lunch was over.” They laughed agreeing.

“Yes the food here is quite unappetizing. Now, shall we get down to business?” Loretta said through her British lisp.

“Mhm.” Rebecca nodded pulling her chin closer over he knees.

“Okay so I was thinking we do it soon. Very soon. The less time they have to suspect you the better. Plus I doubt anyone will think you’d try to break out so soon. So you have a really good chance of getting out, in that area of course.” Loretta said crossing her legs.

“But what about you?” Rebecca asked concerned for her.

“Don’t worry about me. I know my way around here…” Loretta trailed looking off at the fences.

Rebecca thought of how depressing this place must be for Loretta. How long she’s been trapped in here away from her children. She must be absolutely miserable. But her next thought sent good ideas into both there heads.

“There lighters,” Rebecca said pointing to the group of patients smoking. “Where did they get them? I thought we weren’t allowed to have anything like that.”

“Were not.” Loretta answered. “You see those guards by the wall over there talking?” She said turning her head to indicate where they were for Rebecca. “They have them. They all smoke. Sense were all low risk, and as long as your guard likes you, they’ll most likely light your cigarette for you.”

“But where do they get the cigarettes?” Rebecca asked. A smile formed on Loretta’s lips.

“People trade for them. Your not allowed to have them either, but like I said if your guard likes you, they don’t really mind. Just as long as your outside.”

Rebecca nodded, beginning to understand.

“So if they trade cigarettes, they probably trade all sorts of other things, right?”

“Correct.” Loretta replied. She liked how fast Rebecca was catching on.

“Hm, and think of what else those guards might have on them.” Rebecca said eyeing Rick more then any of the other guards.

“Exactly. But I do know for sure, if were ever going to make it down to the main floor, were going to need a set of keys and a master clearance pass for the bigger doors.”

“Right, because those are so easy to come by.” Rebecca said frowning.

“No, there not. Not by most patients. But you can get them. I know you can.”

Rebecca’s expression changed from disappointed to confused. What made this lady so sure she could get a pass? Why was Rebecca different from any of the other patients? And if Loretta meant by force, then she must’ve really been out of her mind. Rebecca had little to no strength, and she knew this. Thinking about it more and more made her realize, maybe escape it wouldn’t be as possible.

“Has anyone ever escaped before?” Rebecca asked, trying to get past the idea of her not being able to get a hold of keys.

“Yes.” Loretta answered, but her face was not filled with a victorious-ness for whoever had managed to get out.

“Who was it?” Rebecca asked curious. Not only with knowing who it was, maybe they could benefit from some of the methods they used.

“No one knows his real name. He was completely mad, everyone was scared of him. Killed 14 guards and 2 nurses, but he got out nonetheless.”

“Do you know how?” Rebecca asked. But Loretta shook her head.

“No, I wasn’t here when he did. And they made damn well sure no one else knew how he did it. But no matter, I believe we can do it.” Loretta said confidently. Her words reminding Rebecca to tell her about Jax.

“Oh! By the way, we may already have some help. My cell mate he’s very strong and he…”

“Wait he?” Loretta asked confused cutting her off.

“Yes, he. Don’t ask. My doctor has some kind of grudge against me for being smart. But he offered to help. And in all honesty I believe we can use all the help we can get. Even from the more dangerous crowd.”

“True. But how dangerous?” Loretta asked raising her eye brows in suspicion. Rebecca again thought before she spoke. She was good at that, while other children her age rarely thought of the consequences before blurting things out.

Telling Loretta Jax was not only high risk, but extremely high risk, would not make there situation any easier. It’d scare Loretta, and she’d no longer want to include Rebecca in her plans. That would not be good. She did not have to lie, but she did not have to tell her what she knew.

“Nothing to bad. If anything he’s only hurt himself very badly.” Rebecca replied, trying to hear herself and if she was indeed convincing.

“Okay, then we’ll set a date. Anything in mind?”

“Sunday.” Rebecca answered swiftly. “The day of the Lord.” She smiled, and so did Loretta.

“Alright then. So it looks like we’ll be able to meet here everyday at lunch. Each day we need to bring back new information. Think you can do it?”

“Yes. I’ve already signed up for all the weeks activities around the building.”

“Perfect.” Loretta’s smiled turned from sweet and humble, to sly and mysterious. There plans were in motion and task were now set to make escape more possible.

Not to long after there conversation lunch time was over and it was time to go back to there cells. Rebecca hopelessly smiled the whole way back. She had a to do list.

First, find out how to get a hold of keys. She looked every which direction she could when being pulled down the hallways. Taking mental photos of everything and everyone she saw. She knew it would come in handy later.

Second, configure an escape route. This would probably be the easiest task, she thought. The hard part would be being able to get to it, and use it without guards seeing or getting in the way. Which sounded hard, but the closer she observed, the more she found that distracting guards was not at all a difficult task.

Third, and remembering that patients trade for things. Surely someone around here would’ve had enough time to scratch out or smuggle in some sort of knife. Putting a knife in Jax’s hands would defiantly be a lethal idea. The only problem would be what she would have to trade to get a hold of a knife. She thought of the things her mother had brought her. These wackos were plenty easy to fool, surely there’d be something in her care package to trade with someone.

In the meantime Rebecca needed to ready herself. Grow some muscle and learn how to fight. Or at the least, out maneuver a guard. [She really didn’t want to kill anyone.] On a positive note she already had speed to her advantage. She could run. And so far, that was more then she already had.