Escape

He froze. He daren’t even breathe. The looming shadow was getting bigger by the second.

Have I been found out? He thought to himself.

Slowly, as noiselessly as possible, with all the courage he could muster, he crept slowly backwards, back to the direction he came from.

So much for easy escape, he mused silently.

They warned him, he knew. But, he still wanted to have a go at it. Worse comes to worse, he would perish.

‘At least it would be quick,’ he said, louder than intended.

‘Who goes there?’ responded a startled voice.

He would curse if he knew how. Panicking, he was rooted on the spot, backed against a side of a huge pillar, deep in the shadow, eyes wildly searching for a quick getaway.

The corridor was dimly lit and narrow but quite straight. He would be seen if he ran down (or up) it for sure. Lady Luck smiled on him as he noticed a small, almost invisible crevice directly opposite him.

Perfect, he thought. But the snag was how could he cross the corridor without being seen? He took a peak at the source of the voice and saw a guard, armed to the teeth and holding a bottle. The guard was swaying.

Drunken lout, he thought.

The guard was peering here and there, looking confused. He shook his head and muttered,

‘Bloody wicked ‘tis ale, makes me ears hears things.’

Still muttering, the guard turned and tumbled up the corridor. As the guard walked past him, he decided.

I’ll never get this chance again, he said to himself.

With that, he dashed across the corridor and squeezed himself into the crevice. It was tight, even for his slight built. Alas, in his haste, he knocked against a loose stone, sending it tumbling onto the corridor.

The guard reeled on his heel and came running down the corridor.

‘Who goes there?’ he shouted; voice thick with drunkenness.

‘What’s all this!’

A new, commanding voice sounded. Through the opening of the crevice, he saw a tall ‘being’ which definitely did not look human. A single rhinoceros-like horn protruded from his forehead. That bulky thing, easily over eight feet tall, wore a chainmail made from what seemed like hardened leather. A huge broadsword hung from its waist and a cudgel was held in his left hand.

The first guard saluted, spilling ale all over him.

He would laugh if he wasn’t so scared, as the guard looked so comic with the bottle against his forehead, trembling.

With a slurred voice, the guard explained himself to the thing, which seemed to be his commanding officer.

Within seconds, more guards were summoned to investigate the ‘unusual sounds’ heard by the first guard.

He could hear the sounds of the guards scrambling here and there, investigating. He tried not to stare at that thing, fearing it would draw attention to his hideout, but he could not stop himself.

After awhile, which seemed like hours to him, all the guards reported that nothing was found. Narrowing its eyes, that thing focused its gaze towards the drunken guard who had his back facing the opening of the crevice. That thing’s massive right hand, with long sharp talons in place of fingernails, closed around the guard’s throat, lifting him off the floor and choking him.

‘You are drunk while on duty and you fail to investigate and ascertain the source of the noises you heard! For all I know a prisoner may have escaped! I’ll have you hung for this!’

The bottle crashed as the guard tried vainly to remove the hands from his throat. Guttural sounds escape from his constricting throat. Suddenly, the thing tossed the guard aside and peered at the opening of the crevice.

‘What’s that glittering thing?’ he pointed.

The medallion! He gasped in his head. Oh no! Terrified, he shoved the medallion inside his tunic and backed further into the crevice.

One of the guards came forward and started checking the wall.

‘Commander!’ shouted the guard. ‘There’s an opening here!’

Pushing the guard aside, the thing came forward and peered into the darkness.

He could have sworn (if he was the type to swear) that the thing was looking directly at him. He almost yelp when something busy grazed his ankle. He kicked it in fear, propelling it out of the crevice.

‘What have we here, hmm?’

The thing stooped and picked up a squeaking rat the size of kitten. Looking at the squirming rat, the thing cocked his head to one side, as if thinking.

‘There’s something in there,’ he said thoughtfully.

Shoving the guard nearest to him, he shouted,

‘Get in there!’

The guard tried, but the armour he wore and his ample size prevented him from doing so.

Looking sheepish, he turned to his commander, who bellowed,

‘Break down the wall!’

I’m trapped! He screamed silently.