“I was visiting Master Gabriel,” I confess. I can’t come up with a good story at the moment. My mind seems to be paralyzed to the point I’m unable to think.
“All right then. Get out of here.”
They ascend the stairs, leaving me behind. I stand still for a moment, not believing my good fortune. Gabriel must beat and torture his servants often. The guards must have assumed I was one of his victims. I shake off my stupor and descend the staircase toward the basement. I spend a couple of minutes trying to find the right key, before finally managing to unlock the door.
The basement is immense. Dim lighting along the wall illuminate the space. I pass a section containing barrels of wine and stocks of food. I finally arrive at a long row of cages. I make out muffled sobs and walk toward the voice. Amy sits in the corner of one of the cages, her hair cropped short and deep cuts running across her face. Upon hearing footsteps, she lets out a whimper and crawls in the opposite direction.
“Amy,” I whisper. “It’s just me.”
“Kora?” Her eyes sparkle feverishly. “Is that really you?”
“It’s me,” I repeat, feeling my throat tighten. “I have Gabriel’s keys.”
I stand at the door to her cage, trying to unlock it. I can’t find the key that fits the lock. Amy sits in front of me, large tears rolling down her disfigured face.
“You have to go now,” she mutters. “Please leave me. You must get away. Gabriel already promised to kill me. And he’ll kill you too if he catches you here.”
“I’m not leaving without you.” I continue trying different keys. “We’re going to escape together.”
“I’m hurting so much. He beat me really badly.” Amy puts her hand to her face, wiping away blood mixed with tears. “I just can’t do it. I can’t escape now.”
I finally get the door open and enter the cell. I grab Amy under her arms and pull her up. I place one of her arms across my shoulders for balance.
“You can do it,” I say. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
I start walking toward the exit, half leading, half dragging Amy. She’s in terrible shape. The cuts on her face are still bleeding and she’s not able to remain in an upright position, bending over and swaying. My heart aches in sympathy. I bite my lip, angry with myself for permitting Gabriel to live. I should have smothered him.
The basement door in front of us suddenly swings open and our master appears in the doorway. I freeze, staring at him stupidly. Amy lets out a startled gasp. Gabriel smirks.
“Hello, my darlings.” He points his gun directly at us. “And where do you think you’re going? Did you really intend to leave me?”
I stand side by side with Amy, unmoving, our hearts beating as one. I gaze down the barrel of the handgun targeting my head. I calculate whether I have a chance to attack Gabriel before he can pull the trigger. How long does it take to fire? There are about fifteen feet between us.
“Kora,” he grins. “I wasn’t asleep. I knew you were in my bedroom.”
He approaches, holding the gun on me.
“My keys please,” he demands, extending his hand.
I drop the keys in his hand and he places them inside a pocket.
“What were you thinking, Kora?” he asks, pressing the barrel into my cheek. I stand unmoving. “What mischievous thoughts crossed your mind while you were standing beside my bed? Thoughts of killing me? Am I right? I couldn’t watch you because I had to keep my eyes closed. I was so curious to learn what you intended to do.”
His smile disappears. He watches me thoughtfully, studying my face. I don’t know what I might do to help our situation.
“You surprised me,” he admits. “You were behaving so obedient and passive, yet you suddenly broke into my room in the middle of a night. It’s quite exciting.”
“Please, don’t kill her,” Amy pleads. “You have me now…”
“Shut your mouth, girl,” Gabriel orders her. “So why didn’t you do it, Kora? What stopped you? You had a chance to kill me and you took a pass. What’s wrong with you?”
What’s wrong with me indeed? I ask myself. I don’t have the answer.
“It was a mistake,” Gabriel sighs. “You shouldn’t have hesitated. You should have gone for it while you had such an opportunity. Don’t you agree?”
I remain silent.
“Tell me!” he yells. “Damn you, Kora! Why won’t you speak to me now?”
“Please don’t hurt her,” Amy sobs.
“Please don’t hurt her,” Gabriel mocks, rolling his eyes. “I believe I already told you to shut your mouth. I’m getting bored with you, girl.”
He shifts the handgun to Amy and pulls the trigger, shooting her in the face. I shudder from the loud gunshot as her warm blood showers over me. She remains standing for a moment longer while I’m still holding her arm. I release her arm and she drops to the floor, limp and motionless. I begin screaming. I stagger backward, not believing my eyes.
Amy is gone. My beautiful wonderful friend is dead.
“Yes, that’s right,” Gabriel sighs. “Just look what you’ve done now.”
I stare blankly at the blood spreading across the floor. I backpedal several more steps until my back presses against a cage. Nowhere to go.
“Now it’s your turn,” Gabriel smirks, holstering his gun. “But let’s not use firearms, all right? Let’s just pick up right where we left off.”
He moves in closer and I scream, trying to brush past him. He grabs my arm, yanking me back against the cage. I bend down, trying to push him away. Still holding my elbow, Gabriel slaps my face and throws me to the floor.
