orphan | komahina

18

"we have to be really really quiet. if we get caught we're dead." i whispered to kokichi as i used the stolen keys to unlock the gate in the centre of the garden. every tweet of a bird, every gust of wind, every crunching of the leaves made me more and more paranoid. we hastily walked through the gate and left the keys in the lock, not knowing what else to do with them.

"i can't quite believe you're actually going through with this." kokichi mumbled, his voice getting slightly louder as we got further and further away from the building. i still made sure to keep my voice low.

"why's that?"

"i don't know. i thought you were more sensible than that. you realise how dangerous this is, don't you?" i rolled my eyes and couldn't help but chuckle.

"well look at you getting all serious."

"am i not allowed to be?" i felt a hand on my arm that stopped me in my tracks. kokichi stood perfectly still, glaring at me with a somewhat cold stare.

"this is super dangerous. i think you're an idiot for going through with this. yeah, this place may be hell on earth, but i'd rather stay here than go out there and risk my life. you've only got a year left here. why don't you just stay?" i stared down at the cold dirt. kokichi had a good point. this was incredibly dangerous. i'd be homeless, living cold and hungry on the streets. maybe someone would be kind enough to give me some spare change every once in a while, perhaps even a coffee or a sandwich if i'm lucky. i'd be susceptible to assault and possibly murder; after all i would be an easy target. but even with all of that, i was still eager to get out of here.

"i get what you're saying. but i still want to leave. and i still need you to help me with that." he let out a long, exasperated sigh and reluctantly nodded.

"well, don't say i didn't warn you." he remarked before we continued our hustled walk to the other gate, the gate that would allow me to finally get out of here.

"don't get too excited though. remember what i said: this might not work." at the back of my head there was a constant reminder that there was a chance kokichi wouldn't be able to pick the lock and i wouldn't be able to get out. but my hopes were so high that i was practically ignoring that voice.

when we reached the gate i almost lost my breath. this was it. if kokichi managed to unlock that gate and open it, i'd be able to get that sense of freedom i'd been longing for. i didn't care about the consequences at this point: i was just praying to god that this would work.

kokichi got to work unlocking the gate, completely focussed on the task at hand. so focussed in fact that he didn't even respond when i tried speaking to him. i kept my mouth shut so he could do his thing.

i began to worry when he let out grunts of anguish and defeat.

"this is a tricky lock. i've never done one like this before: it's pretty fucking old." i nodded, feeling a wave of distress and sadness wash over me. things were looking a little less hopeful. if he can't do it then i'm stuck here. i'm stuck here and i can't do anything about it.

"i'm trying ko but i'm finding it difficult. this could take a while."

"i don't care how long it takes if it means you'll get it done eventually." kokichi sighed and continued trying to unlock the gate.

"doesn't help that it's pitch black out here. i can't really see." shit. i should have brought a torch or something.

minutes passed and those minutes turned into an hour. kokichi hadn't given up yet; he was now just as determined as i was to open this gate.

"i think i've nearly got it." he mumbled with a hint of excitement in his voice. a smile spread across my face. this is looking a bit more promising.

then i heard a loud click. and suddenly, kokichi shot up from the ground and silently fist bumped the air.

"i did it! after an entire fucking hour in the freezing cold, i did it!" i grabbed the icy metal and pulled it open to see if what kokichi was saying was true: it was. the gate opened with a rusty creak.

"thank you...thank you so much."

"eh, don't mention it. now i'm going back inside, i'm freezing my balls off out here." he turned immediately back towards the orphanage, before stopping to say one last thing.

"i'll see you again at some point, right?"

"of course." and with that he ran away, obviously happy with his achievement. and i couldn't have been more over the moon. i pushed the gate open more slightly so i could get through. i took one look back. hajime would be waking up in a few hours in an empty bed. he'd look around the orphanage for me, only to not find me anywhere. he'd realise his keys are missing and he'd freak out trying to look for them.

i'm sorry hajime. but thank you for making those few days bearable.