Chapter 24: Escape From The Past
1024 Words
There it was.
Candy looked down and saw what she’d tried to find so long. It was a missing tag that people placed on their key chains. She didn’t know why people kept those things around, but decided it had to do with the cars. People liked their cars and the keys made the cars work. She decided some time ago that the keys gave them control over the cars. Candy knew there was a lot to learn about people.
She began to climb down from the building and zeroed in on the small object she was certain Jason would want. It was down there wedged between two bricks on the ground. Some people might consider it a piece of trash, but Candy knew that it was too important to leave. Someone had tossed it there to get rid of it. She wanted to get it back as this would make Jason happy.
The trip down the building was slow. She looked up and saw the wolf stare down, so she let him back inside. No reason to allow the wolf to wonder around where he might get into trouble. Although Candy was the only one who could see him, she knew the wolf liked to cause all manner of trouble if left to wander around on its own.
She looked into a window on the way down and determined no one was inside. This was good as it gave her a safe place to rest on her descent. So far, no crowds had gathered to watch her this time, which was fine with Candy. She didn’t like to be a spectacle and avoided the prying eyes of them. She couldn’t understand how people lived in a place like this. There were no streams to wash in or fresh air to breath. The air in this place was horrid and made her gag at times. Even the birds seemed to act sleepy around here. She longed for the solace of her forest, or at least a peaceful place she could return to once Jason had what he needed.
The wolf had told her right that day when she escaped. Candy stayed quiet and pretended to sleep when The Shape entered her cell. She stayed quiet and heard the familiar sound of its shuffling. The wolf told her it would be vulnerable at this point and where to strike. She waited until something fell to the floor. Now was her chance to act.
It came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder. Candy was jerked upward, but still managed to look at the wolf in the corner. Just as it told her, The Shape didn’t notice it. She was hauled upward by the force of The Shape’s pull.
“Now!” the wolf yelled at her.
Candy turned around and struck The Shape between the legs, just where the wolf told her to hit.
It went down with a scream. She looked to the other side of the room and saw the open door. As the wolf told her, it was slightly open. In one leap, she was through the door and to the corridor on the other side.
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Jason emerged to the ground level to greet the police detective whom he’s spoke with earlier. “We’ve found her again!” he told Jason. “That girl is climbing down a building, can you believe that? Not only did she climb up one, she went on a different one the same way!”
“Take me to her,” Jason pleaded. There still might be time.” He rushed after the detective as the older man left the building.
They raced down the street toward the building Jason last saw Candy sitting on the ledge. It was built close to the one she scaled, as where most of these older buildings. Nowadays you couldn’t put up a building this close to another one, due to the fire codes. However, no one thought about spreading flames when these were built.
As Candy came down, a small crowd formed at the base of the building. Smart phone cameras clicked. People on the ground tried to get a better look at the woman who climbed barefoot with her naked hands down the side of the old building. Jason heard people express amazement at how she did it. Thy wondered why Candy didn’t fall. Few of them knew her backstory.
All the time Candy kept her gaze on something near the ground. Jason realized she’d found what she sought. He didn’t interfere with her concentration. The last thing Jason wanted to do was cause the crowd to scare her away. Candy had a difficult time. She focused on whatever it was she saw on the way down. Candy continued to crawl down the side of the building, her head turned to look down at the source.
“Can you get those people away?” Jason asked the nearest cop. “They might scare her. Jesus Christ, we’ve done all we could to get her back. We don’t need someone to yell and scare her back to the top.” In truth, Jason didn’t think Candy could be distracted that easy, but he wanted those people away from her.
The police went into action and pushed the media and onlookers back as Candy came down to the second level. Jason walked up and stayed quiet as she dropped down to the ground with a loud thump. He looked around and found the cop who held her shoes and socks. She’d have to wear them when they left, no matter how much it might bother her.
He watched as Candy reached down behind a stone on the ground and pulled something out. Candy took it to him. She handed Jason a busted man’s watch.
“Sorry,” she told him. “But I knew I had to climb up there and get a good look.”
- Writer
