The Escape

I woke up in the middle of the night.

Looking out the window, I found out it was still nighttime, and the perfect opportunity to carry out my plans.

Chancing a look at the Devil, I made sure he was still sleeping, before I rose from the bed. Slowly crawling down from the bed, I tiptoe to his side, waving a hand on his face to make sure he's still sleeping, I tiptoe towards the window.

I figured making use of the door will alert the owners of the inn of my plot, that's why I decided to utilize the window.

Since I can't escape through the door, I can make do with the window, as it's not too far from the ground.

Opening the window, I look back at the devil to make sure the noise hasn't woken him up, and it sure hasn't.

"Goodbye, the devil. Thanks for bringing out to this place." With one final look at the devil, I climb the window, and jump down as agile as a cat.

My agility came from months of trying to escape from the palace. Escapes that always ends with the guards catching me, and returning me back to my father?

I've attempted running away three times now, but all my escape plans have been thwarted by the guards always catching me.

But this time, there are no guards around to catch me. It's now I against the entire world and this unfamiliar place.

I look up to make sure my jump didn't alert the devil.

Come to think of it, why didn't the devil hear any noise?

I thought he's considered a supreme being? Or is it possible the devil happened to be someone who deeply sleeps?

In any way, I'm grateful for that.

Had he being a light sleeper, he would have caught me right before I climbed down the bed.

Coast clear, I took the direction that leads to the left, opposite to the direction we took when we came into the town.

Navigating through the town proved rather difficult as there was no light to lead me.

Compared to how the town was when we came in, the entire place is pitch black, making it difficult for me to navigate through the houses.

Following a path, I kept on walking in a direction I know not.

The more I walk, the eerier the entire place seems. It makes me shiver in fear as I rub my arms.

Going back isn't an option at all, and going Forward seems goosebumps worthy, but I decide to take the high way out.

Should I end up escaping from here, I'll one day look back and think of today.

With that determination, I strived to push forward.

Going back isn't an option now, as it'll only end up getting me shackled to the Devil, and that's not the future I see myself in.

A future of forever living in the flames with an entity that doesn't love me, but only took me as something gotten from a deal.

The path I was initially taking, opened up to reveal what I consider the worst part of the town, with how rundown the houses here seem.

I look around confused as I thought about how possible it is I got myself deeper into the village than out of it.

Did I make any mistakes?

I look behind me, but the place doesn't seem to be familiar at all.

It seems I've gotten lost in my bid to escape.

I tug my hair in frustration as I thought on my stupidity of minutes ago.

Had I known, I would have taken the route we took when we came here instead of following another path.

If only I had taken the familiar route, I would have been long out of this town, and on my way to another one.

But my stupidity caused me to take this route, as I figured the Devil won't be able to catch me if I happen to take another route.

His mind wouldn't go this far to know I might have taken this route. Presently, should he be awake, he's probably on his way out of the town, searching for me.

Despite knowing, I'd lost my way, I continued h my walk. It's better if I continue with my walk.

Who knows, there might be a way out of this place through this route.

All it should take now is my patience and determination.

The more I walk through the village, the fewer the houses became until the place opened up to more…

Houses?

I sigh in exasperation.

How many houses does this place have? I look at the houses in front of me.

The only difference between the houses I pass and the ones in front of me is how depleted these are.

The ones I passed are poor looking, but these are poorer. Most of them are missing zinc, while some are missing doors and windows.

Still not willing to admit defeat, I kept on walking.

Admitting defeat right now isn't an option at all. I've come so far to go back again.

Halfway through the depleted buildings, I stop dead in my tracks when I saw four males leaning on the wall of one of the buildings.

The night makes things dark and dull, but not too dark, I didn't notice they're males.

Looking ahead of them, I strain my eyes as I sought more people. In this context, Females will be more than preferable.

Seeing no one, I took to my heels, and that seemed to alert them.

"Get that boy!" A voice shouted.

Hearing their words, I increased my pace, weaving through the houses I earlier passed, like a pro, I mistakenly took a route I didn't take when walking to this place, and it leads me to a stop in front of a wall.

"Gods!" Groaning in frustration, I turn to run back the same way I came.