The Sanatorium

Chapter Eleven

"Ah! Remember to deposit your empty plates in the nearest trash bin in order to keep our holy sanatorium clean as always! After that head to your dorms for the night, and make sure to not let the bed bugs bite!"

As the nurses called out for dorm time, Jupiter and Wolfie slipped through the crowd as quick and silently as they can until they made it to the Entrance Hall. No nurse was around as they were all in the cafeteria or the dorms. They quickly opened the giant door and closed it behind them, creeping in the dark down the stairs of the Sanatorium. As they made it down they heard the night bell of the Sanatorium.

"This is it!" Wolfie whispered just as they heard a clang at the entrance door. The Sanatorium was secured.

They scampered under the moonlight, Jupiter learning not to slip. They followed the sound of the waterfall and as Jupiter lit her candle, she saw a whole tunnel.

"Time to go down there," Jupiter grinned.

She grasped Wolfie's hand tight, held out her candle, and slowly and carefully they descended into the cave, following the tunnel. They explored more tunnels and found cool water pits. Suddenly a swift current grabbed Wolfie and pulled her away, into the tiny tunnel of the river.

"WOLFIE," Jupiter screamed. Wolfie's drowning shrieks echoed in the cave. Jupiter stamped her feet. For the last six years she had thought Wolfie could swim, but she could. She dove into the river and swam as fast as she could into the tunnel.

It was very tight. The underwater rocks began to scrape against her arms and legs, as she fought the currents, swimming after Wolfie. She grabbed hold of Wolfie's arm and pulled her over, and she clambered up a boulder, pulling Wolfie up with her. The barnacles scraped her legs hard but she didn't wince, as she worried about Wolfie.

Wolfie wasn't awake. Her skin was pale as her breathing was wheezing. Jupiter tried to wake her up but then looked down at the river.

Keep swimming, help is on the other side.

She took Wolfie and dragged her along the river until she swam into open ocean, to find herself at the faraway beach. She lifted Wolfie up the sand and clambered on, wheezing slightly. She pumped Wolfie the best she could, with loads of air, until Wolfie finally gasped for breath, coughed out and sneezed out a lot more water before sitting up, wheezing.

"Thank you," Wolfie gasped for breath, her eyes widening, "Where are we?"

"Somewhere, I suppose. The beach, away from the Sanatorium, is where I'm guessing."

They stumbled up. There were cuts all over Wolfie's legs and some bruises over her arms. More cuts were over Jupiter's arms and legs, caused by the hard rocks and shells that scraped against her.

"We'll have to find shelter first," Jupiter said, her teeth chattering.

They climbed up the mountains of the island, Jupiter never realizing how big the island actually was, when they finally came across a melon tree, hanging over the sides of a cliff.

"Let's grab some," Wolfie said, gasping for breath and staring at the melons hungrily, "I'm starving."

"Be careful though," Jupiter said, "Don't slip and fall."

As they grabbed their melons and headed off on the island, it began to rain. Then it started pouring rain that Jupiter felt like she was drowning, being drenched in so much rain.

"Find the village, or a cave we could stay in," Jupiter groaned, wiping her face constantly.

They stumbled in the wet day, the rain splattering over Jupiter's soaking wet body. Jupiter felt annoyingly and depressingly wet in every drenching second. Finally they found the long and old bridge that took them to the village.

"Should be slippery," Wolfie muttered, feeling the wet ropes of the bridge.

"We'll take our chances. Step by step."

Once they made it to the village they tried all the doors of all houses until they found themselves into a small and warm house. There was a sign over the door.

VACANT, FOR SALE OR FOR STAY

They found a dry towel and wiped themselves, and then found a wardrobe with old robes and clothing in it, and decided to change from their drenching wet and soaked uniforms into warm and dry robes. They found some stored bread and drinks in the cupboards and ate.

"YAWN," Wolfie stretched her arms and got off from the table, "I'm EXHAUSTED. We should take a nap until morning."

"We're not going back right?" Jupitr asked, pushing the chairs into the table.

"Nah, I'm happy here, living ourselves in freedom."

Jupiter giggled as she climbed up the ladder to the attic, and Wolfie came up a few moments later. They found their beds, closed the windows, and curled up in the blankets.