InsaneJournal

The door was open.

Erato stared at it for a long time as her mind slowly ticked over the implications of such a thing, curled on her side on the mattress. It was hard to think things through. Her stomach was constantly aching for food, never given quite enough of it, and her mind was clouded from lack of sleep. The lightbulb above her flickered and hummed most distractingly, preventing her from resting properly. She was always given some, but never enough, until she was aching for fulfillment, her nerves stretched to breaking point.

And now the door to her cell was ajar, and Erato had been staring at it for over an hour.

Slowly, she rolled back a bit so both eyes could see it. Yes, it was definitely open, her mind wasn’t playing tricks yet. She watched it a bit longer, but there was no movement outside. She could hear music echoing from far away down a corridor, telling her what direction not to run in.

Run? Was she running? When had she got to her feet and padded on cold toes to the door, to lean up against the crack and peer through, holding her breath as she listened? She still wore the straight jacket, her shoulders and elbows aching from being held in position for so long, but it didn’t stop her feet from nudging against the door to push it a little further open, adrenaline spiking as it creaked and she jumped back in a panic. Far away, Hybris laughed at something and changed the music.

Erato tried to control her breathing as she nudged the door open enough to squeeze through, and then she could pad down the hallway, hugging the wall and looking around wildly as she went. Her feet were so cold, and she looked down and freaked for a moment that she’d leave a trail of blood behind her, but no, that had long dried. She mourned a moment for the loss of her cute little toenails, but that could wait. She had to take this opportunity now.

On some level, she knew this was likely a set-up, but her innate optimism told her she needed to try. Perhaps she would get lucky and find a way out that Hybris hadn’t foreseen. Perhaps now was when Apollo would swoop down to save her and carry her back to civilisation. Thoughts of that carried her through the dark hallways as Erato picked her way through the detritus of human misery and suffering, moving only away from the faint sounds of Hybris, and down towards freedom.

“Oh!” A trolley clanged as Erato’s brain fuzzed with exhaustion and she stumbled into it. “Oh fuck!” In a panic, she broke into a clumsy run towards the nearest stairs and found herself finally on the ground floor, heading towards a fire escape and Oh merciful Gaia she was outside and she could fill her lungs with blessed fresh air. She stopped in the shadow of a tree for a moment, just to lean her head back and suck in the clean air.

The moon was high above, casting a dim light, enough to see by as Erato picked her way into the trees that grew wild over the abandoned grounds. In the moonlight, everything looked twisted, and she turned her head this way and that, trying to be aware of everything. Were there footsteps? Was someone following her? Every rustle and snap made her start. An owl hooting made her fall against a tree, her heart fluttering in her chest. Ugh, if only she could get free of this awful jacket! It snagged against the tree, and she struggled in its snare, tugging hard until she felt a tear and the bonds came looser, and the tree branch snapped.

Was there a laugh, somewhere behind her? Erato looked around, and decided she couldn’t stay to try and get the jacket off. She stumbled on. Her bare feet ached and stung, pain shooting up her legs every time her heel caught a sharp stone, or a stick cut into the soft skin of her instep. Her breath was ragged in her throat and her only thought was get away- get away- get away- pounding with her pulse in her ears.

Falling down, Erato struggled in her jacket and finally, with an almighty yank, one arm tore free. She still didn’t have enough to be rid of it, but at least she could pick herself up. She’d hit her knee on a branch and gashed it, and as she went on she limped as blood ran down her leg. A sound made her veer to the right. What was that? Up ahead? Cars? A road! Civilisation! A path seemed to open up before her and with a desperate cry she pushed through the last of her reserves, to make a last, agonised dash for freedom.

The bear trap came out of nowhere, chomping into the soft muscle of Erato’s lower leg with a loud snap, and she screamed in shock and fear and pain, her flight cut short. With her face in the dirt, she burst into tears, and her voice broke as she screamed out for help, trying to drag herself with her one free arm. Like a fox in a snare, she would have gnawed her own leg off if she could, just to get away from the footsteps coming inexorably toward her, and the gloating, horrible grin she knew she’d see when she looked up…