Darkness Dissolves When the Door Opens

Busting Out

“What are you doing here?” The drowsy guard pressed his left hand to his face, but his other one was ready before his rifle. He was of course talking to Himari with Japanese.

“Oh, I forgot to collect a plate from one of the prisoners. I just remembered.” Himari’s voice shook like she never talked before. Everything felt black and white. She was holding her other hand so it did not shake.

“How did you get out of your room anyway?”

It was easy. Himari already thought about it, but if she failed, then no escape for everyone.

−

Himari banged her door loudly. The noise startled the single guard who stood guard at the corridor by her room.

“What’s wrong, maid?”

“I need to use the toilet really bad. I think this is a female thing.”

And she waited behind the door, a chair in her grip. The soldier pushed the key into the lock, and as the door unbolted, she smashed the chair directly to his face. Woods collapsed into pieces as the soldier fell to the ground with blood all over his face. Himari almost shrieked weeing what she did, but the soldier wasn’t unconscious yet, so she stomped his face six times until his eyeballs almost plunged out.

−

“The guard near my room opened the door for me.” Himari was surprised her tone was more than genuine. It was the smoothest lie ever, and the guard immediately stood, believing her story or probably just didn’t care.

Himari followed the big man down the steps and waited while he unlocked the door to Jules’ dungeon. Jules and the others pretended to sleep, but no one would obviously do it for real.

It was dark, zero light. The guard, as usual, turned a candle on using his match. Himari didn’t go to Jules’ cell door, but to Asher’s. He was the strongest physically because he exercised every day, and the guard might get suspicious if the left out plate was conveniently in Jules’ cell.

“Can you give me the plate back, please?” Himari asked Asher. He opened his eyes from his pretend sleep and reached from beneath his sleeping plank.

The guard cracked his fist and tried so hard to not yawn, but he did it anyway.

Asher reached for the iron bar and gave her the white plate. At the same time, Himari took something from her coat pocket and gave it to him with the other hand. The guard didn’t even pay attention. He was fighting his drowsiness and hoped he could go back to his nap as soon as possible.

Asher took the object, and Himari took the plate. 

Himari moved back and nodded to the guard. He was about to snap the light out before Asher opened his mouth.

“You seem sleepy. Wanna share a bunk?”

He didn’t seem to care and was preparing to blow the candle.

“You know, I never in a million years understand you Japanese.”

The guard seemed very angry that he was annoyed once more. He shot a cold stare to Asher with both his eyes. 

“You old, big bastard. What’s that in Japanese? Kuso yaro is it?”

Finally, the guard charged to the cell and banged his fist on the bars.

“Shut up,” he said, with the worst accent ever.

But quick as a thunder, Asher pulled the knife Himari just gave. His right hand flew directly to the guard’s neck, stabbing the guy within the dark. The guard was surprised, but it was too late to counter. He jerked back with waterfall of blood from his neck. He choked and produced a squeaking sound like a dying dog. The candle slipped off from his hand and down.