I pushed a heavy hand through my hair as I sat up. The sun was streaking in through the metal bars like it did every morning awakening me from my sleep. The wind was blowing in slowly bringing in the scent of car exhaust. I inhaled deeply letting the familiar scent cover my body. Out side a small white butterfly landed on a branch. I watched it as it flapped its clean, pure wings. The idea overwhelmed me, that’s something could be so calm just sitting out there feeling the fresh air. To be able to be free come and go as you please. To be able to leave these four walls. I slammed my head against the wall feeling the concrete crumble under my forehead.
“What’re you doing in there?” A guard yelled slamming on the metal bars. I didn’t respond as I sat up staring at the wall hoping he’d go away.
“Don’t ignore me what are you doing?” the guard yelled again. I could hear the chiming of his keys as he searched for the right one. The door squeaked open clanging as it hit the wall. “Do you want to go downstairs again?”
“Go right ahead” I mumbled without even turning around.
“What did you say smart ass?” I didn’t respond getting ready for the cold slap across the back of my head. “I said what did you say smart ass?”
“Go the fuck away” I said. WHACK. The hit rattled my head shaking me all the way down to my feet. I could feel the anger boiling up as I griped my hands into a fist. My breathing was getting heavier and my face was getting hotter. Before I could make my self stop I whipped around throwing my arm out. In slow motion I saw my fist hit the bottom of the guards chin causing a spray of blood to come out of his mouth. He fell back hitting his head on the hard cement floor. He didn’t sit up which meant he was knocked out. I stood over him looking for any signs of movement. After a few seconds I kneeled down. The keys lay in his palm just resting there waiting for me to grab them. The choices ran through my mind. I could be free in just one swift move. I could escape leave from this horrible place. Without second-guessing myself I grabbed the keys from the guards hand. I slid out the cage I had been stuck in for the past 10 years. A sudden cold feeling ran over my body as I started walking down the hallway. Most of the other prisoners where still sleeping and the ones awake were to crazy to even contemplate that I was running away. Hopefully that guard was the only one on duty on this floor because then-. I stopped walking as I heard footsteps coming from further down the hallway. I ducked into the corner hoping I was hidden by the shadows. The guard walked by without even glancing in my direction. I quickly ran down the rest of the hallway to the doorway. I flew out into the sunlight letting the warmth hit my back. I couldn’t stop to enjoy this moment I thought I would never experience again. I kept running though ignoring the searing pain in my chest of years of being out of shape, ignoring the fogginess in my head from all the days of sitting inside, I just kept running and didn’t look back.
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