Survival

“I don’t know where to go, Boone.” I whispered. My throat felt so raw that even whispering felt
like acid pouring down my esophagus.

“Try.” That was the last word he said before passing out and falling onto my shoulder.

Dammit! There was no way I’d be able to save us both with him passed out. Think. Think. Come
on, Brain! Think!

Suddenly I heard two men running toward us. I had to think fast or Boone and I were done.

I glanced around the hall and found a stack of crates. I dragged Boone over then set him down
behind them. When I was certain he was out of sight, I hid with him.

“They must be going toward the exit! Come on! We can’t let her escape again!” Their feet ran
past us and echoed down the hall. They were running to the exit. It was the perfect opportunity for
me to find it.

I jumped out of hiding and moved to follow them, but my foot clipped the edge of a crate and I
fell to the ground. The crate stacked on top fell down and landed beside me. The lid flew off and
everything scattered.

I got to my feet then scanned the floor. I wished I hadn’t. My whole body froze when I saw a
women’s head facing the ceiling with her mouth hanging open. Her skin was pale and dry blood was
tangled in the small amount of hair she had.

I glanced away and stared down the hall I needed to go down. How much time did Elizabeth
have before they did that to her? I couldn’t leave her.

I followed along the dark cement walls as quietly as possible. I wanted to make sure I could
hear everything. The whole place reminded me of mining tunnels. If it weren’t for the layers of
clothing I had on, I’d be freezing cold.

I kept moving until a big red steel door was in front of me. I was hesitant to open the door
because I didn’t know what or who was on the other side, but I had to.

Slowly, I pushed the door open and peaked through the crack. To my disbelief I had found the
room full of cages. Why had they made this place so small? More importantly…Where did the paths
lead?

I walked into the room and slowly trudged through the maze of cages. Some of them were
empty and some had women who were either asleep or quiet in their own corner.

“Hey! Stop!” I was pulled to a stop when a hand flew out from a cage and grabbed my shoulder.

I quickly grabbed it then twisted until they let go and cried out in pain. Only till I realized it was a
girl, did I stop.

“Please, Please let me out.”

I looked over at her and instantly felt sympathetic. She cradled the wrist that I twisted and tears
filled her eyes. I could tell by her skin tone and fear that she was new. She was wearing a pair of
jeans and a jacket that was all too familiar.

“Where’d you get that jacket?” It was the one I gave to Silvia.

“A woman. Before they took me here. She gave it to me.”

“Is she here?”

Sorrow filled her eyes. “No. She tried to protect me and they killed her. Please help me. I’ll
explain later. Please help me out.”

I nodded. “I’m going to find a set of keys then come back and get you, okay?”

She nodded, “Promise?”

“On my life.”

I turned and continued on my way. It wasn’t long before I heard Elizabeth’s scream. I hurried
toward it, making sure not to blow my cover until I saw her.

A man had ripped off her clothes and thrown her onto the steel floor. He was working on the
removal of his own clothes. Elizabeth was squirming underneath him as he placed one of his knees
down on her stomach.

The anger that enveloped me was too much to bear. I ran into the cage and tackled the man off
of her. He fell to the floor with his pants down to his knees, struggling to recover. I kicked him
between his legs and then stood on his arms so he wouldn’t move. Then I grabbed his black ski mask
and yanked his hand back to expose his throat. With as much strength as I could, I punched him as
hard as I could.

His breathing became raspy and slow as he struggled for air. His eyes widened as he
desperately tried to find his breath.

I watched as he slowly stopped breathing. He looked like a fish out of water. His eyes rolled to
the back of his head and his body shook until suddenly he stopped.

“Haley?” Elizabeth tried to say my name, but it was hard to understand through her sobbing.

I pulled off my camo coat and quickly wrapped it around Elizabeth to cover her naked body. Her
head buried into my chest as she cried.

“Elizabeth, we need to leave now. You need to get up and follow me. There’s not much time,
okay?”

She nodded at me with tears streaming down her eyes and her body trembling as she worked
to control her breathing.

I helped her to her feet then grabbed the set of keys attached to the guard’s pants. I pulled
Elizabeth along with me until I found a cage with the newer girl.

The girl’s eyes perked up and she was quick to her feet. “You did it? I didn’t think you would
make it!”

“Shh!” I quieted her down and unlocked the cage. “Okay, now we need to grab Boone then
leave.”

“But why? The exit is right there!”

I looked at the girl and gave her a dark look. “I’m getting Boone. If you want my help getting out
then you should follow me.”

She hesitated then nodded. “Okay, let’s get this Boone guy then get out of here.”

I led them back to the crates with Elizabeth holding onto my shoulder the entire way. I couldn’t
imagine what these bastards did to her while I was outside safe. The regret made my chest hurt.

“Where is this guy? They are going to see that we escaped soon!” The girl wouldn’t shut up.

“He’s behind the crates up ahead.” That’s when I remembered the head. If they saw it then they
would surely freak out and our situation would worsen.

“I want you both to stay here. It will only take a second to grab him.” I moved Elizabeth against
the wall and let her go.

“Woah! Like hell I’m letting you leave!” The girl grabbed my shoulder and pulled me around.

I glared at her. “There’s something ahead that you shouldn’t see. Why do you find it so hard to
trust me? We are all in this together.”

“Then why do you wear their clothes?”

I pushed her arm off me. “You need to trust me. We don’t have the luxury for answers.”

I ran past her before she could argue and turned around the corner where Boone was hiding.
The crate and head were all in the same places. I could only pray that Boone hadn’t moved either.

I peered around and saw Boone on the ground. Relief flooded my body as I moved toward him
and saw him breathing.

I picked him up from the ground and dragged him out in the open. All my muscles were already
tired and begging for a break, but I couldn’t.

I dragged him around the corner until I found the others. Elizabeth was quick to come help me
hold him, but the other girl just stared at him.

“What happened?” She asked just above a whisper.

“Answers later. Move.” I said between clenched teeth as I pushed forward.

Just as we passed the red steel door, a man came running around the corner and knocked us
all over. Before I could recover, he was to my aid and helped me up.

The girl screamed then backed up quickly with a face as pale as snow. That’s when I noticed he
was one of them and dressed in black. His green eyes looked at me, but they weren’t hungry. They
were warm, soft and inviting unlike the rest.

I pushed him off me and stood up with my fists ready. “Bring it on!”

To my surprise he raised his hands and back away. “I’m here to help!”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Lies! I don’t believe you!”

“We don’t have time to prove this. Please, I’m here to help. They are coming to get you now!” I
couldn’t get over how nice his voice sounded.

“I…Fine!” I reached down to pick up Boone only to be stopped.

“I got him! You go!’ The man grabbed Boone and hoisted him onto his shoulder like a soldier in
the army.

I nodded and grabbed Elizabeth’s hand then pulled her up and began running. It didn’t take us
long to get to the room full of weapons and clothes.

“Wait,” The man called out just as we were about to leave. “Grab those packs on the wall, next
to the bows.”

I glanced up and saw huge backpacks that were already full with stuff on the rack. I ran over
and grabbed one then tossed it to the girl and another to Elizabeth. We all put one on then turned to
leave. Quickly I snatched a bow and two quivers full of arrows.

We ran out of the place at a full sprint. The bags were heavy enough to slow us down so that
the guy holding Boone could keep up.

I wanted to stop and interrogate him, but now wasn’t the time or the place. We ran until we all
collapsed onto the ground out of breath.

“Who the hell are you?” I asked between breaths.

“My name is Charlie.”

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the name sounded familiar. “What are you helping us for?”

“It’s not like I enjoy raping women. I want to help you. You’re like a ghost around there. I’ve
heard so many stories about you from unc-, I mean Marvin.”

I stood up and put an arrow in my bow then pointed it at him before he could move. “I
remember now. You were in the house when they kidnapped me. They were waiting for you to finish
eating.”

“Hey now.” He raised his hands. “I was born into this. I don’t want to be a part of it. It sickens
me.”

“It sickens you?” The girl stood up and pointed at him. “It’s wrong! Kidnapping women and using
their bodies to make the perfect child is sick!” All of us looked at her with surprised eyes.

“Haley, kill her! She’s one of them!” She stood up and made a move.

“He is too! How can that be a sufficient argument?” She backed away from us in defense.

“Hold it! Both of you!” I raised my bow and aimed at the girl. “How did you know all of that?”

“I heard some guys talking about it!”

“She’s lying.” Elizabeth spoke up this time. She stood up to her feet and glared. “I’ve been here
for years and haven’t heard a single thing about what they do. You just got here today.”

I narrowed my eyes. “How did you really get that jacket?”

Her face changed into a crooked smile and her eyes darkened. “Damn it. If you had just saved
me instead of everyone else, I could’ve done it. I had to snap the bitch’s neck. She wouldn’t cough it
up for me to use.”

“Use for what?”

“To trick you of course. You are very valuable, Haley. You don’t know it, but you are.”

I clenched my jaw. “Her name was Silvia and consider this her last request.” I let the arrow fly
through my finger tips just as she was about to scream.

The arrow plunged through her mouth and she dropped to the ground. I placed another arrow
in the bow then aimed at Charlie.

“You’d better start talking.”