Chapter IV

New Friends

Martin sits on a stone bench observing the yard, he was still having trouble raising his arm above his chest still, but he remembered that sometimes it took a while for the full effects to wear off, not that this helped him right now. He looks up as he notices that Olly was walking up to him, followed Russel Casmir a tall, thin boy of around thirteen from Riveruster, whom Olly and Martin had befriended when he had arrived at the prison a few weeks prior. As the two other boys sit down on the bench trying to get over the drug that had been injected into them just over an hour ago. They notice the girl who had refused to take the drug sitting alone on another stone bench about ten meters away from them. Looking as bad as they felt.

“Should we do something sparky?” Russel said looking first at the girl and then at Martin.

“Like what.” Martin responds also looking at the girl, he did want to help but didn’t know what they could do, the first time getting the drug weren’t great and nothing any of them could say to make the new girl feel any better about it. Before either Martin or Russel can do or say anything else, Olly calls out to the girl.

“Hey, new girl, come over ‘ere” Olly smiles, as coming from the north he was never one for subtlety. The girl looks up from the ground at the sound, before getting up and walking over to join the three boys.

“What do you want?” Jeanie asked as she looked from each of the boys faces. She recognised Martin, sitting in the middle, and could guess that the tall one was from Riveruster, given his slightly darker skin colour to the others, and that the ginger one was probably from the north, given his bluntness.

“We want to be the first to welcome you to hell, or whatever this place is.” Olly said with the same unerring confidence that he always had when talking to people. Jeanie stands there quietly, so Olly continues on. “Allow me to introduce ourselves my name is Olly, this southern lad is Russel, and the little one here is sparky.”

“Sparky?” Jeanie says, slightly confused.

“My name is Martin, but they just call me sparky.” Martin said looking at Olly and Russel, with a look that told them once again to stop calling him that name, although he highly doubted that they would, as nicknames had a rough habit to stick when you really wish they didn’t.

“Why?” Jeanie asked, she honestly couldn’t have thought of a normal reason why he would have been given that nickname. However, Olly was first in once more.

“Because of the number of times he’s been zapped by them electric rods.” Olly said before Martin can answer and Olly continues. “He swears he doesn’t enjoy it, but I doubt that given it happens more often than not.”

“What’s your name.” Martin said looking slightly embarrassed at his friend, and he was curious about the girl who had sat next to him during the film screening.

“Jeanie.” She replied. “How long have you been in here for?” Jeanie asked as she looked between the three boys.

“About eight months I think.” Martin said whilst scratching his head, trying to recall, although it was useless, he had lost track after the first few weeks when he had initially given up hope that his group were looking for him. “So has Olly. Russel has only been here a few weeks.”

“A few weeks to many.” Russel interjected at that comment, looking around at the yard and then towards the prison. Compared to the warmth of Riveruster, this place was like a frozen hell in more ways than one.

“How long do they keep us here for?” Jeanie said looking around at the prison.

“Until we graduate or get sent below.” Russel replied shrugging, that much he had been able to work out for himself, as even in his relatively short time at this place, he had witnessed several graduate, although none sent bellow. A fact that he was immensely grateful for, as from what he had managed to get out of both Sparky and Olly, the kids that were sent bellow were tortured for any information before being sent to die.

“Why are we even here?” Jeanie asked looking around. “I mean what use could we possibly give to the likes of them?”

“We think they are training us to be spies to use against the resistance groups.” Martin said, before looking around to check for guards, not wanting for his next words to be overheard by anyone else. Before continuing quickly. “Which is why we intend to make a break for it.” He didn’t know why he was telling the new girl of the plan he had been coming up with for the past few weeks with both Olly and Russel, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. Plus, Jeanie had demonstrated that she had some fight in her, back in the screening room. And even out of this place, they would need some of that spirit.

“Has anyone escaped this place before then?” Jeanie said with a renewed sense of hope in her brown eyes. That hope, like any kind of optimism in this place was fleeting as Olly spoke up.

“Nope, but there’s got to be a first time for everything.” Olly said with his usual unearned confidence. This was not shared by either Russel or Martin however, as both knew that there was a reason why nobody had succeeded and the look of hope in Jeanie’s eyes fades a little before looking around the yard.

“Do you think that there’s anyone out there looking for us?” Jeanie asked uncertainly. “I mean, loads of kids going missing, do you think that people even care about what’s happening here?” that had to be a fact, even if the governments had fallen, there were still resistance cells out there continuing the fight. And there was the mountain kingdom in the north that was still functioning, for now at least. Surely, they had noticed or heard about these disappearances.

Martin looks around the yard again before answering this question.

“Yes. My family for a start as well as the group we were travelling with, they’ll be out looking.” Martin said, with the confidence that was usually reserved for Olly’s use only. This optimism was not met by enthusiasm from Russel however, as the teen raised a perfectly valid point.

“No one knows where we are though” Russel said gloomily as he glanced at the landscape, their current location was completely unremarkable, consisting of mountains, mountains and more mountains. “Heck we don’t even know where we are. How is anyone supposed to find us?” He asked to no one in particular, nobody answered it, as none of them could find a valid argument to this question.

“They will.” Martin said more defiantly, which he was once again slowly starting to loose despite his best efforts as he continued. “They’ll find a way.” He finished, it was all the hope he had, if that turned out not to be the case, he may as well just give up and let the enemy use him for their own ends.

Russel only grimaces in response. Jeanie did not look that hopeful as well. And Olly wasn’t shouting his agreement either. Even Martin himself had his doubts as to his own statements. All he knew is that the gods themselves, couldn’t keep the likes of Codsworth and Dmitri from looking for their missing comrade. As for his brothers they would want to help in the hunt as well.

“Well, I know there is nobody out there looking for me.” Olly said. “My whole village was slaughtered and those that were taken with me and sparky have since graduated.” Olly finished; they had of course heard the reports of what was happening in the south. But they believed themselves safe, both due to their location, far from the war-zone, and their closeness to the mountain. That had been proved wrong however, when the hoard had fallen on his home and proceeded to put the small town to the sword, before rounding up the kids and heading on out.

“Same.” Russel said. “I was part of a resistance cell in Riveruster. When we were attacked, I failed to get out in time.” Russel finished, his hands curled up into fists, not due to the fact that he had been caught, but because his group had been betrayed. He later found out that the child that had performed the betrayal had been groomed in one of these camps. The enemy had known exactly where they were, as well as their numbers and their weapons. He had witnessed his family being slaughtered to a man, and had tried to make for the northern mountains, but they had anticipated that escape route, and left men in black cars there to pick off stragglers. Killing the adults and capturing the rest.

Martin looks over at Jeanie who looks down at the ground anticipating the question that Martin was going to ask. It took some time before the boy came out with it. The question that was always asked of the newbies.

“What’s your story?” Martin asks, looking directly at Jeanie. She didn’t answer straight away, instead taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, after a few moments of this she began to answer the question.

“When they attacked the city. My whole family was slaughtered in the evacuation.” Jeanie said, as she remembered the fallen bridges and her family stuck on the other side of the river as the hoard descended upon them and the other unlucky souls that had failed to cross in time. “I was the only one to get out. I’ve been living alone for the past year or so, at least I think it’s been a year, I lost track of the date a few months ago. So, I held up in an abandoned house a few miles outside of the city. It wasn’t in all honesty that bad; I had much more space to live in than I did during my time in the city. There was also this husky that lived with me for a while, but he disappeared one day, and I never saw him again.” Jeanie paused for a moment, remembering the dog. This also perked Martin up, although before he could ask any more questions on the dog, Jeanie continued with her story. “But unfortunately, I got sloppy, and I was spotted by a man in a black car. He chased me for a few hours, like he was just toying with me the more like come to think of it. I was on foot and he was in a car. He enjoyed his game for a few hours before getting bored and decided to just drug me. I woke up in this place two days later.” Jeanie stops there looking around at the three boys, who sat wrapped to her story. Before returning to Martin. “I knew who you were before you introduced yourself, Martin.” Jeanie said, smiling slightly at the boy.

Martin looked up at this shocked, and slightly embarrassed as, if truth be told he couldn’t remember seeing Jeanie before today. 

“How?” Martin asked looking at Jeanie.

“That man this morning the one who knocked your plate to the ground, he called you Wolfrick.” Jeanie said. “My da worked for your father’s company, as a mechanic. He would often bring me in when I wasn’t at school, I saw you one day when you came in with your father.” Jeanie looks into Martin’s blue eyes, the only one of the four Wolfrick brother to have inherited them. “You have your father’s eyes as well. It took me a moment to recognise you as when I last saw you before all this mess, you had much longer hair, not the buzz cut is all.” Jeanie continued, before she got deadly serious and looked at Martin intently now. “You said your family will be looking for you Martin. Is your father still alive?” Jeanie asked, if that was the case, then they might just have a chance, as the way her da had talked about the man, you would have thought he was the most powerful man in the world. Martin looked at Jeanie a small tear appearing in his eye, remembering the assault on his home that took place what seemed like an age ago. Before he shook his head slowly. He takes his bruised hand and brushes the tear out of his eye. Jeanie sighs deeply at this.

“What about your ma?” Russel asked looking at Martin, who looks down at the grown, hoping to lighten the mood, however, all that did was cause more harm than good.

“I never knew my mum. She died a few hours after I was born.” Martin replied still not looking at the group and keeping his full attention firmly on the hard stone ground, that was the one thing he had always wondered, what would have happened if his mum didn’t die. Vernon had always said that the only person to make his father truly smile was Laura, he often wondered that if his mum had been alive, then maybe his father wouldn’t have felt the need to die fighting an un-winnable battle.

A silence follows these words, with Russel looking the most anxious out of the four. Before he speaks again. “So, who is out there looking for you then, Sparky?” Russel asked, trying to get the conversation going again after his questions had fallen on their face in spectacular fashion.

“My brothers.” Martin says without skipping a beat, that was something he was certain about, the odds that they would be willingly sitting back and let the others do the work was highly unlikely to him. He also wondered if Jack had been alerted, which would add a third brother to the hunt. That point however, was not a certainty so he continued on. “Codsworth, Dmitri.” Martin continued, he was about to say a few more names before Jeanie spoke up.

“Commander Codsworth.” Jeanie interjects looking and felling more hopeful than she had done ever since arriving at the prison. “He’s looking for us. You sure?” Jeanie finished, if that was the case, then their situation had improved, every imperial knew the name, as the hero of a hundred battles, even if his recent record wasn’t entirely up to scratch, it didn’t matter, for it was well known that when the commander locked onto a mission, he would see it through until the bitter end. Martin nods silently. Looking slightly more cheerful that he was able to give the group hope, no matter how small that was.

As the group continue their discussion, they were unaware that above them, the warden was watching them like a hawk. But as they proceeded to walk back inside the prison, as the temperature started to drop, they were blissfully unaware that their little chat was not as private as they had hoped.

Over the next few days, Martin, Olly, Russel and Jeanie spent what little of their free time together. It had felt weird in the beginning to include Jeanie in their conversations, although it had been the same when they had agreed to take Russel into their little group a few weeks prior, after the River-man had been beaten to the verge of death after referring to Layton as a; ‘See You Next Tuesday.’ Within said guard’s line of hearing. That had not been a pleasant sight, as Layton, along with two others had beaten the thirteen-year-old bloody. And having also been on the rough end of Layton’s stick, Martin had sympathised with the bleeding teen.

The four were currently sitting in the canteen area, discussing their pasts with one another. It was the only thing worth talking about in here, as no one was allowed to be even heard referring to leaving, when a guard walked up to theme and, looking up Martin silently groaned to see it was Layton smiling his cruel smile down at them.

“You there. Inmate 402. You are required in room seventeen.” Layton said, his silky voice more dangerous than any shout could be. Jeanie looked up at this, and all three could see fear in her eyes.

“What do you want with her?” Olly asked rudely of the guard that had taken the utmost pleasure in making their lives here even more of a living hell than they already were.

“That is no concern of yours. Inmate 347.” Layton said, and to prove his point, he clouted Olly across the head with his stick. At this Martin stood up, realising what he was doing moments too late, but also too late to back down now. Layton slowly and carefully turns around to face his much younger opponent, his grin back in place. “Give me a reason Mr Wolfrick. Give me a reason for me to send all four of you below. And I swear that I will.” Layton said in something that was little more than a whisper, but one that carried so that all four could hear it.

Martin didn’t move, he didn’t proceed with his planned attack, but neither did he sit himself down. Layton, seeming to take his chance, turned the stick to full power and raised it, before Jeanie spoke up, breaking the stalemate.

“I’ll go.” Jeanie said flashing a look at Martin that clearly told him to sit back down whilst hoping her friend would be smart enough to do as she silently said. Layton looked at her in astonishment for a moment. He turned back to Martin who slowly sat back down, the guard’s arm twitched slightly, and Martin knew that he so desperately wanted to strike them all for their act of insubordination. But eventually, the guard turned off the electro stick and holstered it.

“As you say. This way Inmate.” Layton said and pushed Jeanie forward towards the door of the canteen, and back into the prison corridor.

Martin heard Russel let out a sigh of relief as he sat himself back down, a few of the other inmates continued to watch them also. A few even looked disappointed, as if they had wished for more of an altercation. But eventually the others returned to their own conversations and left Martin, Russel and Olly alone.

“That was close.” Russel said looking at Martin who was glowering towards the door that Layton had shoved Jeanie through moments before. “What should we do now Sparky?” Russel asked looking at his friend for answers. For his own part, Martin looked between the door to the canteen, back to his friends and then back at the door again before making up his mind.

“I say we follow them.” Martin said as he returned to his two friends, who both nodded, Olly a little slowly, as he held his hand over the cut on his head.

It took a while to locate Layton, who stood outside the door to room seventeen, looking more like an oversized ape than he did normally. At the very least he had failed to notice Martin and Russel, with the pair forcing Olly to remain behind after the wound on his head had continued to bleed.

“How do we get in?” Russel asked, there were no other ways into the guarded room, other than the one that Layton stood outside guarding. Martin also was contemplating this very problem. He had an idea. A very foolhardy idea. But he thought that it was the only one that was going to work.

“We need a diversion.” Martin said and looked back to the canteen, in truth they had not come very far from the mess hall. But he guessed that it was just far away enough to give them enough time to get Layton away from his guard duty. “How good is your aim?” Martin asked looking at his friend.

“Not bad. Why?” Russel asked, a curious look on his face, that did not entirely hide the fear that was also there.

“I need you to cause a food fight in the canteen. Lob some food at the biggest person you can find, and then run.” Martin instructed, he would have done it himself, if only for the fact that he had already been caught in this plan that had got him thrown in the tank for good measure and that was if he was lucky. Russel at least had a cleaner record than him. Not that this silent reasoning seemed to be going through Russel’s mind.

“I dunno Martin.” Russel half moaned at the request, the memory of his first misdemeanour fresh in his head.

“Look, don’t you remember what they do in that room.” Martin said pleading with his friend to understand, as he could remember as if if it was yesterday.

It had been a little over a fortnight into his time at the prison when he had been called into room seventeen. This had still been at the time that he had been openly resisting the guards, and so he had not walked there, but had been dragged unconscious into the room. He had woken up strapped to a chair, and had been injected with the gods only knew what. Before quickly being asked questions about anything and everything that the bastards could think off. His family, friends and there locations. As he had been on the road when he had been caught, he had been able to resist about the locations part of the questions, with him simply stating that he didn’t know. But the others were not so lucky, and he had been compelled to answer the questions. Giving up the names off everyone he had been travelling with at the time of his capture: Vernon, Charlie and her niece, Dmitri, Codsworth, the scientist, the translator, the wear-bear, and his two brothers. He had told them all, including of their plan to go to Normanguard. The only one he had been able to resist telling them about Jack, his eldest brother hadn’t been with them, so the drug hadn’t compelled him to talk about him. So he had been able to lie and tell them that his oldest brother had died on route to the north, that way it would at least keep him safe.

Afterwards, another drug had been injected into him and he was asked to state what was on the backs of several cards. At this he decided to have some fun, and came up with completely random answers which earned him some slaps and in one case when he referred to the guard’s lazy eye as an answer, the electro stick had been applied. If it hadn’t been his first week, he would have been smarter, but he thought at the time that his brothers would have been proud with his play, and that had made the pain he had been made to suffer a lot more bearable.

But something had always bothered him, the flashcard test had made no sense, he knew about his limited ability to understand Echo, even if he had never really understood it. The problem that he had was that these people had wanted him to perform a whole new ability, something that he had never done before.

Martin shuddered at the memory of the experience and looked towards Russel, awaiting his respond, which eventually he gave, nodding sheepishly and returning to the canteen leaving Martin alone in the corridor. Martin waited along the wall, out of sight of Layton. One minute went by, nothing happened, the two and then three, still nothing. On the forth Martin was about to go and see what was taking so long before an explosion of noise came from the canteen.

“WHAT IN THE GODS NAME IS GOING ON IN THERE!” Layton bellowed as he charged past Martin, missing him completely as he hurtled towards the canteen. He was followed closely by the guard inside room seventeen, a short plump man who Martin knew hated working here as much as he hated the inhabitants of the prison. Smiling at his good luck on that count, Martin hoped to the gods that Russel had managed to get out in time, as he ran towards the door, and opened it.

Inside was just as he remembered it, a solitary chair sat in the centre of the room, and along the walls were a collection of bottles and flasks of strange liquids. And strapped into the chair, looking slightly dozy, was Jeanie, her eyes were out of focus as Martin walked up to her, and began to undo the straps.

“What, is it over?” Jeanie asked as Martin finished his work, she was still slightly out of it, and would be for the next few hours if Martin’s’ estimates were right.

“Er yeah.” Martin said as he helped her out of the chair and towards a table with the half completed results sheet on it. At which point Martin realised that there was a serious problem, if they left, the guard would suspect that he had not finished and then punish them. But if they stayed here much longer, then the guard would know that they had escaped and then punish them.

Martin looked down at the piece of paper for a moment before turning to Jeanie who was leaning heavily on his shoulder, her head lolling from side to side.

“Can you stand on your own for a bit?” Martin asked the girl despite being thinly built, she was tall and that height made her a lot heavier than Martin had originally thought, and he didn’t think he could support Jeanie’s weight for much longer. Jeanie nodded, her usual bravado gone for the time being. As Martin grabbed the pen on the table, and began to forge the document, he didn’t know how much time he had left, the diversion would only be good for about five minutes he guessed, but as the seconds ticked by, still nobody came back into the room.

Eventually the form’s forgery was complete and Martin helped Jeanie back to her feet, although she was slowly starting to regain full consciousness by now and left the room.

As they walked down the corridor and towards the canteen, an unfortunate coincident that they had to pass the diversion site to get back to their cells. They saw the scene of destruction that lay before them.

It looked like a bomb had been detonated inside the canteen, tables and chairs were covered in food, as was the floor and most of the walls. Several of the remaining inmates, were lined up against the wall covered head to foot in the grey slush that the institute fed them. And Layton strode amongst them, looking livid and although he was not speaking above a whisper, his voice nevertheless carried.

“If I find out who did this. I will personally make sure that that inmate is tortured and then thrown bellow.” Layton said with a sneer at the group before his eyes found Martin, leaning up against the wall of the canteen standing in awe at the scene of mess that Russel had created. Their eyes met, and Martin gulped, he didn’t know how, but he suspected that Layton thought that he was responsible for this whole mess.

“He knew it had something to do with us.” Martin said as he sat on his stone bed. He was back inside his cell, along with Russel, Jeanie and a slightly out of it Olly, whose gaze was still slightly out of focus.

“How can he though, he can’t read minds can he?” Olly said looking at Martin with unfocused eyes, the last remaining effects of his most recent head injury. “What can he do?” Olly asked shrugging.

“Knowing Layton. Something foul.” Martin said glumly, he knew that Layton would love an excuse to have him thrown bellow, and he was afraid that he had just given that monster his excuse. He looked out of the barred window where he could see the sun set out towards the western horizon, and lay down on his hard bed.

“If he knew it was you Sparky. Then Layton would have had you in room ninety-nine in about twenty seconds flat.” Russel said, trying to reassure his friend. And whilst it did work somewhat, as Russel was quite right on that count. Martin still felt uneasy about the whole thing. As he was thinking on this, the evening call was sounded, and the four friends vacated the cell, and headed back to the canteen once more with Martin still worrying about all the possible retributions that Layton would have in store for them.

Now back in the canteen, which still bore the smell, if not the looks of Russel’s direction earlier on in the day. The four friends sat in their usual seats after getting the gruel that this place tried to pass of as food, and began to talk. None really interested in eating, but all knowing the consequences of refusing to as well.

They were however, once more interrupted when a small thin guard, who Martin knew by sight, but not by name. Came up to there small gathering, looking slightly nauseous himself.

“Inmate 394. You are required in room sixty-seven.” The small guard said, his eyes boring into Russel, who swallowed too much food at his own number being called up. only regaining his normal breathing back when Olly clapped him on the back.

“W-What?” Russel asked, looking as terrified as he sounded. His skin had gone chalk white at the instruction, and the hand holding his fork was shaking madly.

“Room Sixty-Seven inmate. Do I have to repeat myself.” The small guard said, and like his colleagues, he brought up the electro stick to prove his serious point.

At the sight of weapon, Russel looked almost ready to faint. Not that Martin or Olly could blame the teenager. They had had enough experience with those things to last them a lifetime. But Russel, being a recent arrival at this hellish place, was still getting used to what these guards could do to them, and thus had more fear than his two younger friends.

Slowly and carefully, as if determined not to pass out. Russel got to his trembling feet, and followed the short guard out of the canteen. There were a few murmurs from some of the other tables. Raising suspicions that it was punishment for the distraction that had been caused earlier on in the day. Unfortunately, the same thoughts were going through Martin’s head, and he wondered what kind of trouble he had brought onto his friend by asking for his help earlier on.

“We should do something. Shouldn’t we?” Jeanie asked looking between the two boys, wondering why neither had raised any resistance like they had when it had been her earlier on in the day.

Olly only looked at the ground in embarrassment at the hypocrisy that Jeanie had just brought to the forefront. But Martin was watching the double doors that Russel had just been left out off. Along with checking the canteen area itself, or more specifically, who was and wasn’t stationed to guard it.

After giving the room the once over. Martin nodded, and gingerly nose out of his seat. His food still only half eaten. A few months ago, this act of rebellion would have terrified him. But now was different. He had been forced to grow up a lot during these long months, and he felt a lot braver now, than he ever did in his life.

“Come on.” Martin said, gesturing for his friends to follow him. Jeanie almost immediately leapt up, but Olly was more cautious although eventually followed along. All three exited the canteen area, looking as pale as Russel had been, but equally determined to help their friend.

As they walked down the quiet corridors. The three were basically left alone whenever they encountered a guard. With the adults most likely assuming that they were returning back to their cells after evening meal. That was until they rounded a corner that led away from the main cell block, and down towards the labs that the prison had.

They eventually found room sixty-seven and peered through the window, with Martin having to stand on tiptoes to see through the specially hardened glass.

Inside the room, they saw two people in pale white lab coats standing over the unconscious form of Russel, who was lying on a medical table, completely dead to the world around.

“What in the gods name?” Jeanie asked, looking from the window, to her two friends in mild alarm. But before either Martin or Olly could respond. A cold and calculating voice from behind them distracted all three from their quest.

“Well well well.” Dr Larry said with his sadistic grin.

All three of the friends turned around to face the psychotic doctor. All looking terrified as to what was going to happen next. Martin looked between his two friends, seeing that Jeanie looked more scared that he had ever seen her did nothing to improve his own confidence. A fact that was also mirrored on Olly’s face, who looked ready to faint.

“Come with me children.” Dr Larry said, raising one boney finger and gesturing for the trio to follow. For a moment, Martin thought about running. Before realising with a sinking feeling that he had nowhere, and no-one to run to. So glumly, he followed his friends towards whatever Dr Larry had in store for them.

The trio were first led back towards the canteen. Where Dr Larry called for order. A task that would normally have been difficult. But for this man, was so simple, that he didn’t even need to raise his voice. For the entire canteen hung onto every word out of fear.

“Children. These three inmates have disrespected our great and noble saviour. His eminence the merciful Shadow gives you purpose, and provides sustenance for you to survive. These three however, have chosen to spit at this generous offer and refuse his gift.” Dr Larry spoke in his soft voice and not having to repeat a single word in the unusually quiet canteen. “The Shadow is merciful, but these three will still be punished for their insubordination.” Dr Larry continued, and for one wild minute, Martin feared that they were going to be sent bellow. But it was not to be. “Two days without food, only essential viewing material from out good overlord. Guard Layton. To be observed in silence I think.” Dr Larry said with a coldness that broke no argument from inmates, or Martin noticed as he and his two friends were being dragged away, from Layton, who stood stewing in rage.

Martin’s joy at seeing Layton mad was not to last however, as he along with Jeanie and Olly were led into a small room with a projector set up in the back pointing at a blank wall. What was wore however, was the three, his backed, wooden chairs that were waiting for them as well. And before long, the three found themselves strapped into them at the ankles, wrists and neck. Only to be made worst when Layton walked into the room.

“Now. Dr Larry has stated that this additional screening is to be observed in silence.” Layton said as he drew out three pieces of cloth, a terrible grin on his face. Olly began to struggle wildly at this, as did Jeanie. Both rocked madly trying to escape. Martin however, did not. Having been punished the most out of all of them, he had gone passed the resistance stage, and was now focused on not extending their already long punishment.

Despite the resistance, the guards eventually managed to gag Olly by pinching his nose shut, thereby forcing his mouth to open for air. Layton did the same to Martin even though he had offered no outward signs of resistance.

With both boys now gagged, Layton turned to Jeanie, who was still struggling madly, trying to get out of the chair. In truth, Martin wished he had spoken up when he had the chance, purely to try and get Jeanie to stop panicking to avoid anymore trouble, but it was to late for that now. The rag in his mouth kept him silent.

“You fuckin…” Jeanie started to shout. That was until Layton lashed out himself, striking Jeanie across the face. There was a loud, audible crack that echoed across the room, and blood began to drip from Jeanie’s now broken nose, before applying the rag between her teeth. Now Martin did try to break out of his chair, too no avail, only stopping wen Layton came and leered into his face.

“Stop that now dog boy. Or I will break your other friend’s nose.” Layton said, and Martin stopped struggling. Smiling now, Layton turned to the guard by the projector and nodded. At which the sound of the machine whirring into life could be heard, and the propaganda images began to materialise on the wall in front of them. “Enjoy the show.” Layton said, as he and the other guard exited the room, and left the three unwilling audience members to watch the films, locking the door behind them.

Categorically, those two days were the worst that Martin, Olly and Jeanie had had in their lives. They had all agreed on that after being escorted to their cells and allowed to change out of their soiled attire.

They had found Russel waiting for them when they returned, looking just as bad as they felt, he had winced as he got up and looked at the three of them, clutching the back of his right leg. And explaining that after waking up in his own cell a few hours after being escorted to room sixty-seven. He had discovered that there was a massive gash on his right leg, just above the back of his knee. And too boot, he had no memory as to how he had gotten it.

“I tried to get you guys out of that room. But there was no way, old Larry had a guard stationed outside twenty-four seven.” Russel said after explaining his side of the story. “They didn’t seem interested in stopping me, or anyone else looking. They were just there to stop people attempting a rescue.” Russel finished.

“Yeah.” Martin said croakily, his voice acting up from lack of use for the past two days. His jaw was also aching to hell as well. Layton had done up the gag so tight in his mouth that he had found it almost impossible to close his jaw properly for the entire time. Which he thought bitterly to himself, was the point. An extra sort of sadistic punishment just for him. “Make an example out of us was the idea, I guess.” Martin continued, as whilst he had not seen Russel. He had seen others peering through the small window in the door as the other inmates continued on with their lives. The only people who had been allowed into the room, were the guards assigned to change the film over after each showing finished. Otherwise, they had been locked inside the room, around the clock. “We’ve got to get out of here.” Martin finished, more to himself. Although his friends took notice of the statement as well.

“How?” Jeanie asked, like the others she too was exhausted from the involuntary screening that had been given to them. And whilst she fully agreed that they had to make a break for it, she didn’t really see much hope. And if they were caught, they had strapped them into chairs and forced them to watch propaganda films for the crime of not eating. Meaning that jeanie didn’t want to know what they would do for an escape attempt.

“I’m still thinking on that.” Martin said, he had an idea, and there was no better time to test it than after been stuck in his now ruined cloths for the past two days. But the fact of him getting caught weighed on his mind. But deciding that that night, he would test his plan.

That night, after Martin was sure that the last rounds had been made by the final guard, he slowly got up out of bed, and walked over to the single toilet that was situated in the corner of his room. Aside from his stone bed, it was the only other item in the cell.

Not entirely sure why this was the plan he had come up with, Martin learned up against the wall, and began to slowly push the toilet away with his feet. The basin was a lot heavier than he had initially thought, seeming to resist his efforts to move. But very slowly, the toilet began to grind across the floor. And in the dead of night, Martin thought for a moment that the noise was sure to alert one of the guards stationed down the corridor, so much so, that he stopped, whining at the thought of what would happen to him if he was caught.

But no guards came, nor did any of the inmates seem to hear the noise as well. Or they were too afraid to be seen with him. Either way, Martin was relieved, as what he didn’t need now was to be interrupted, and he began to re-double his efforts.

After what seemed like hours, the toilet had moved enough for a hole in the ground to appear. The waste pipe, that would hopefully lead to freedom.

Once there was enough of a gap, Martin sat down against the wall and wiped the sweat of his brow. Truthfully, he had not expected this plan to work, or even if it had, for there to have been another obstacle to his escape. But it seemed that nobody who built this place would think that one of the prisoners would be desperate, or crazy enough to try this method. Which, after Martin got up and looked down into the black hole, thought was probably a very good assumption.

He looked back at his bed, thinking that he could just wait. His family couldn’t be that far away from finding him and staging a rescue. But that thought was drowned out by the fact that they had not found him yet, and that the attitude of sitting and waiting for help, would end up with him being used up as a spy. If he wanted to escape this hellish place, then he would have to take action himself.

Making up his mind, Martin took a deep lungful of air, and slowly lowered himself into the hole. It was as bad as he had feared, the smell was enough to make him retch, and almost loose his grip on the rim of the waste hole. But after managing to steady himself, Martin began to scale down. Fortunately the natural pipe wasn’t smooth, meaning that Martin was able to use finger holes in the rock to help him down, on the downside however, stuff had caught in these holes beforehand, and he could feel the sludgy substance on his fingers as he continued his decent.

After too short of a time for Martin’s liking, he reached the point where the pipe deposited its waste into what he guessed was a cistern. It was massive, but not very high, so much so, that even the slight and small Martin was having to bend his head at some points.

Despite the terrible situation he was now in, knee deep in sewage water, Martin found himself smiling at the thought of what Vernon would say at his current surroundings. He vaguely remembered a time where Dave, or it might have been Jack, had gotten stuck in a bog a few miles away from the manor to the south, and more importantly how Vernon had reacted. The old butler had shouted himself hoarse at his older brother about how: “The smell would take weeks to get of their clothes.” Whilst wondering what Vernon would say if he ever found out that he had entered a toilet pipe.

Smiling at the memory from his happier past. Martin continued to explore this underground place. Wondering where the exit pipe was. For there had to be one, else this would have overloaded months ago. As he continued to explore, he eventually came to a fork in the path. There were two passages, one that headed right, and the other that seemed to go downwards.

“Great.” Martin said to himself quietly, although his voice echoed around the cistern, seeming to magnify his timid voice. Martin spun around, looking around at the empty and reading cavern, hoping that the noise wouldn’t carry upwards. Once sure of this, or as sure as he could be. He returned his attention to the dilemma ahead of him. Which path should he take? Thinking that the most logical was the one that went downwards, he made to step towards that direction. But as Martin took a step forwards. He felt something brush against his shoulder, seeming to hold him back from his decision.

Fearing that one of the guards had discovered him, Martin spun around, bringing his small fists up, ready to defend himself. But he was still alone down here. Clutching his heart, which had double timed, at the thought of the guards down here with him. He looked at each passage in turn. His gut still told him to go for the downwards one. But something, or someone, had not wanted him to take that passage. As despite himself being alone down here, he had definitely felt something holding him back from that decision. They’re was something down here with him, whether friend or foe, something was directing him down the other path. So, with only that knowledge, Martin proceeded down the right hand path. Not knowing where he would end up.

After about half an hour, or that was at least how long Martin had calculated it to be since taking his new route. He had yet to come across his desired exit, and was starting to get both tired and hungry, even for the gruel that they had here. Not only that, but he was sure that whilst the nights were drawing to their longest of the year, he didn’t want to be down here once daybreak came.

But as he continued to walk through the small trickle of fifth that streamed across the ground he found no sign of his intended escape route. Martin thought to himself that he should just have trusted his gut, and gone down the downwards path.

As soon as that thought came into his head however, a ray of light came from round the next bend. Martin stood frozen at the sight, not daring to believe what he was seeing. But as he rounded the tunnel curve himself, he saw it with his own eyes.

A steel grate stood directly in front of him, but beyond it was open air. Martin ran towards the steel bars, no longer concerned if anyone heard his splashing footsteps and breathed in merciful fresh air once he reached the end of the tunnel, then he slumped down to the ground and began to cry. He couldn’t have stopped himself even if he wanted to, all those months spent thinking about escape, through all the pain and the suffering that he had endured at the hands of his captors. Now here he was, on the brink of freedom.

As Martin looked out of the barred exit, he saw that the situation was not as dire as he had first feared. Whilst there was a drop down to a small brown lake bellow. It was not as far as it could have been, only about ten meters, and the cliff-face did look scalable. Meaning that they were unlikely to die on their descent, even if they slipped and fell into the mirky waters below.

And even though the grate the stood as the only barrier between Martin and freedom was made out of steel. It had rusted over, and looked like it had never been properly maintained. So much so, that whilst Martin was not able to fully open the grate, even with his limited strength, he was able to move it somewhat.

Now knowing where their freedom lay, Martin resolved to return, and bring his friends to help finish the job. As with their help, he was certain that this was now the way for them to break for freedom.