Chapter 2

4 years later.....

At the Seattle prison.....

°°°°°°

I watched as two men in uniforms walked by my cell. The smell of cigarette went along with them making me cough. I never liked the smell of cigars or even smoke, but tonight, I'm about to inhale a lot of it.

I sat patiently on my bed waiting for the right time. It was Saturday and most of the prisoners were allowed to go down to the cleaning house to wash their stuffs, while some where allowed to roam the parameter .

A lady in uniform stopped by my cell and opened the iron cell door.

"Sadie Manchester, and Elaine Rivera" she called. I and my bonk mate came out. Sadie has been a nice friend to whom I've poured out most of my heart's content to.

She's a great listener and adviser. We were led by the patrol officer to the cleaning house. I monitored everything going on. The guards tonight are not much here. Most of them are patrolling round the second block cell.

I glanced at the light moving around the parameter. The light from the watch tower. Sadie held my hand as we stepped into the cleaning house. Some inmates were there too. 

"I got every thing you need, Elaine" Cora came behind me. She's an inmate too. She was set on watch. They grant some prisoners that opportunity. She helped me sneak some petroleum.

"Your seriously not going to burn the place to ashes would ya?" Cora asked.

"No. Only here." I looked around he wash room at all the prisoners here. 

"We'll have to get everyone out of here before then" I said. The washroom is closer to the outer wall because from here all the pipes are channelled to the river just close by.

It means my way of escape. I've plotted every move of this day and I'm not about to mess it up.

"Are you sure about this?" Sadie asked.

"Affirmative" I dumped my dirty clothes into the wash machine and turned it on.

"But how are we going to get everyone out? The guards will suspect something is up" Cora fiddled with her hair, a nervous habit she's got.

"I know that" I pulled out a pocket Knife from my pocket. One I'd snuck from a police officer. They never allow us hold any harmful thing. I used the knife to rip the washing machine opened at the side. 

"Elaine!" Sadie gasped.

I fiddled with some wires in there making the washing speed up. Smoke appeared from behind the machine. The tinsel was about to explode.

"Bitch, you really are a master of craftiness" Sadie chuckled hitting my sides. I smirked. I guess four years in prison has changed my way of thinking. 

"Now, let's alert everyone to get out" I threw the knife to the side and ran toward the door.

"A tinsel is burnt! Everyone out!" I yelled. The room was in scramble as the inmates tried to escape. Two guards came in.

"What's going on?" The tall, dark one asked.

I pointed them to where the smoke was coming from before running out. Sadie and Cora right behind me. 

"The petrol" I said. Cora handed me the bottle and Sadie gave me the matchstick. I smiled hugging Cora. She wiped a tear away.

"If this works out and you escape, I'm going to miss you" she sniffed. We hugged for a while before she ran toward the other inmates. I stared at Sadie.

"Sure you don't want to come with me?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "You've got a daughter to get to, I've got no one. Being in this prison cell is better than being out there. I didn't have a home" she smiled sweetly.

"Any time you get out, call me. I'll be your family" I sobbed as I hugged her tight. She nodded with a smile and then shoved me.

"Now go!" She said.

I ran toward the wash room, leaving trails of petroleum as I ran around. I noticed some guards coming toward the door and quickly lit the matchstick igniting a powerful flame. I ran back behind a tank and watched as people scurried around the yard.

I lost sight of Sadie as she was mixed among the crowd running away from the fire. I wiped my eyes and started for the outer wall staying low and carefully out of sight. The fire was a major distraction.

A guard ran up to me griping my hand.

"You should run to safety"she ordered but I wasn't listening. I kneeled her against her stomach and pushed her to the floor. She blew her whistle alerting other guards. I picked up my pace as some guards looked my way.

I ran until I came to a large iron gate. I turned around to see them running after me. Why do you fight? I reminded myself. Why are you escaping?

"For Autumn!" I yelled as I started climbing the iron gate. I made it halfway when I was dragged by the ankle to the floor. My head made contact with the ground and I thought I'd lost all sight but I got up. In seconds the guard was holding me down. I struggled, kicking and pushing. "Let go!"

I noticed a trifle attached to the guards waist and pulled it out and shot his leg. He groaned landing on the floor. More guards were running toward me and I sighted a door by the iron gate so I started for it. 

I sighed when I made it through and was now headed for the outer wall. The last barrier between me and my freedom. Me and Autumn. I ran with all my might into the free yard.

The bright light from the tower spotted me and in no time, the sound of an helicopter hovering in the air made me groan. Really?

I got to the wall and spotted the sewer attached to the wall.

"Hey stop right there or I'll shoot!" A guard called behind me. I've come so far to stop now. Don't you think officer? 

I budged the sewer opened and jumped in. I tied my nose with my shirt and started walking through the big pipe. I made it outside and blocked the pipe so I wasn't followed. 

Staring at the large wall behind me and the wood ahead of me, I started for the woods dodging a lot of bullets being fired at me.

Autumn! Autumn!

I ran through trees, stumbling over roots sometimes but I got up. It was raining now and I could hardly see but it was also a good advantage. The helicopter had stopped chasing me. Though, some men were still after me on foot. I hid behind a tree. There was a bridge over the huge river. 

Running toward it is exposing myself to a lot of bullet but I have to. I sighed and squeezed my chest willing myself not to cry. Footsteps behind me made me jerk up and start for the bridge. 

Rain of bullets were released but I was almost through when i felt a pain shoot through my back. I didn't stop running but I could feel the thickness against my body. another pain shot through my ankle and I was falling over the bridge and into the roaring water.