Getaway

Her footsteps echoed in the blood-curdling darkness that made her shaky heart thud against her chest. Silence screamed in her ears as she made her way through the endless tunnel. Her breathing was so loud, and was the only sound in the dark hush. Moistening her cracking lips, Kerr listened to her breathing as she took in mouthfuls of boiling air. The putrid smell clung to her clothes as she moved onwards, realizing that she was getting nowhere. But she couldn't cry out for help. She couldn't scream out to anybody, not when she had reached this stage. Absolutely not, because if she did, that would be the most foolish thing she ever did in her wretched life. If she lived, that is. The quiet made her feel uneasy, but it was important to keep it that way. But this was not going the way she had planned it. A life as a slave is not pleasant, especially if that fateful slave has someone to watch over him/her all the time. But this was her chance, maybe her only chance, and she didn't want to let it go from her very hands. A tunnel, below the basement floor, was just the thing she wanted to see. And now that she had gotten in, and was making her way towards freedom, she was not that sure.
Questions popped in her mind as she groped her way about. What if this passage was her way to doom? What if she ended up at a place even worse than the Prison of Haag? But then, she thought with a sigh, what could be worse than the Prison? Her face puckered up as images of torture darted into her mind. She had seen those innocent people who had been tormented so much that it had drove them mad or even killed them. A tiny cry of pain escaped her sticky lips as the memory of her friend Ramesh came into her mind. They had burned his ears and plucked out his toenails and placed knives on his skin such that blood had gushed out like red water. They had cut his tongue and thrown him in the desert, helpless and mental. It made her gag.
"No, no, no..." was all she managed to utter as she thought about that horrific epoch. But those terrible things had made her a tough girl and she had cried so much in her life that there were no more tears left in her. It was a miracle that she managed to survive in that bloody Prison for twelve years, with no thought of any kind of escape. But now she had found a way, a way that may, with any sheer luck, be her only chance of freedom. Thinking about all these things egged her on and she continued her dark route with a firm determination. A sound made her pause. A sound like water dripping down from high above the ceiling. Confusion hit her on the spot. What was water doing in a place deep down below the basement floor? She licked her lips again and quietly revolved on the spot, straining her ears for any sound of movement. If she were caught, the very though made her shudder. She couldn't detect any movement. Uncertainly, she carried on. The tunnel seemed endless. She had been walking for the last two hours and her feet wanted a rest. But she just couldn't bring herself to a stop. A fear hung around her that someone will spot her and catch her. If that happened, it would be the last thing of her life. Kerr was frightened and tired, but still the brave girl made her way through the rotten darkness. The dripping sound of water grew louder and louder and she realized that she must be getting closer. Despite the risk, her body was aching for some water. She was almost completely dehydrated.
After several minutes of fearful footsteps, something hit her hard on the head. She looked up and a droplet landed right on her left eye. A faint cry escaped from her mouth. The liquid was warm. She strained her eyes towards high up from where the liquid was dripping, from a safe position from getting wet. A small round beam of light was filtering from above through a tiny hole. Terror gripped her throat as she saw the liquid dripping from the hole, and its colour was red. It was no water, as she had thought. It was blood. So that meant, Kerr thought, that above this tunnel is blood. A picture of a floor full of fresh, deep red blood filled her head. She felt nauseated. This place was horrible. She had to get home. If there was a home for her, that is. Little did she remember her family and her relatives. She had absolutely no idea where she would go if she found a way out. Any place would be better than this, she thought with a shake of her head. She walked five more steps further and nearly knocked herself out as she bumped into a thick wooden wall.
Wait! That was no wall! If she wasn't mistaken, it was a big, wooden door. She stroked her hand on the hard surface and came across a metal stud. That must be the handle, she thought. Her exhausted self filled with glee and she realized that she had not had this kind of feeling in years. Brimming with edginess and confidence, she reached out towards the handle and twisted it. She held her breath as the great door swung open with the loudest creak she had ever heard in her life. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prepared herself for her first glimpse of freedom. A low growl filled her ears. Her eyes popped open and her heart came up in her throat as her eyes took in the beast's features.
One more roar and then everything blacked out. Silence. Kerr was gone.