Shakespeare's Secret

Chapter 6: Escape From Prison

 Yes! 4,350 words!! Been trying to get longer chapters, real sorry about such short chaps.  Please enjoy Lizz's adventure in the prison. Once again sorry about any mistakes as I am still working on editing.

 If you would like me to continue Shakespeare's Secret, let me know in the comments or by voting. 

----------------------------------------------

    "You shall bang the chamber pot three times when you're ready" muttered Manny so as not to alert the approaching guard as he disappeared into the shadow where he came from. 

   Alright, the plan was simple enough, I only needed to await for a specific guard by the name of Cornelius. After hitting the chamber pot three times, who would tell me what to do from there?

  I watched the new guard that came into the hall in front of my cell. He had a long scraggly beard, a torn lip, and a worn face. He carried a large wooden bucket that reeked something awful. He continued walking as he payed no attention to me as he settled himself in front of my cell in a squatting position. His hands clutched a latch that I hadn't noticed before that was nailed into the bars of my cell. He shoved a hand that held piece of some kind of food that had great amounts of bones and other unknown types of food. It's smelled of sweat and looked to be both solid and liquid as some of it spilled out of his hand. A placed my bowl under his hand my face grimaced in disgusted.

   "This is breakfast, lunch, and dinner so eat it."

   He turned his hand downward and opened his hand to let the food fall into the bowl and splatter all over my clothes. I bit my tongue to avoid screaming as I felt the clumps of cold food drip down my shirt. I closed my eyes for a minute before opening them again to glare at the cackling guard.

    He quickly withdrew his hand as I got ready to throw the dinner back at the man before reconsidering. I heard the latch slap shut on my hand and watched him as he walked to the next cell and did the same thing. The next cell. I would try and talk to my prison mate as soon as this guard left. I wondered how thin these walls were. 

   I dumped the food on the floor, determined not to eat such a thing, and began banging it on the wall that lay to my right. I hadn't been able to see the other prisoners but I hoped there were some nearby. I tapped the wall three times and heard no response as I waited. I walked over to the other wall that secured my small cell. I banged on it three times. I didn't hear anything for awhile. I continued to bang on both walls and soon gave up. I sat down on my knees and decided on what next to do.  My hands covered my eyes as I lay there.

   Then I heard two small taps  on one of the walls. I quickly hurried to the wall and awaited another tap. Nothing. I went to the next wall and this time heard another tap. I laughed in delight. 

  "Who are you?" I whispered to the wall. I heard no response for a moment and then a hesitant voice came, barely audible as I strained to get every word. 

"I am Nathaniel." the voice was so thin and unused it seemed ancient.

"Why are you here?"  I quietly whispered back, unsure of what to expect.

"Murder." I gasped in shock. I was here only for stealing but this man it seemed was here for murder, of all things.

  "But I am innocent." Nathaniel said hurriedly to me. I slightly calmed, unsure of whether to believe him.

"My brother framed me for killing my own wife." He said quietly as he gave reason to his innocence.

  I was stunned. Why would anyone do such a thing? Their own family!