RECOVERY

PRISON BREAK

“Do you hear that?” Rant asked Hunter. They were locked up in the same dungeon as they awaited the time for their sentence to be carried out. “What?” Hunter asked him. “They are preparing the stand from which we would be hanged.” “You think I haven’t noticed?” Hunter asked him before he added. “Perhaps if you, had joined me while I spoke before we were sentenced to this fate, we would have put up a food defense but you were busy admiring one of the women that condemned us to death. You are unbelievable” “Hey! The idea of coming here was unanimous okay, so you had better stop sounding like I dragged you out here.” Their little chat lingered on for quite some time before the guard on routine check got tired of it and yelled at them to shut it up.

“We need to get out of here.” Rant told his brother after a long silence. “Well… well, look who’s talking about getting out.” Hunter mocked him. “I know you are jealous.” Rant answered him. “Why would I be? It’s not like the lady even so much as noticed your pitiful presence,” Hunter defended. “Alright, I promise you we will talk about this if we survive. But how about we get to working out a plan to get out of here?” “And how do you even propose we do that? We don’t know where they have kept our swords and we’ll need them for a start.” “I do,” Rant told him. Hunter turned and shot him an intense look of surprise mixed with confusion. “Well?” Hunter asked and expected him to say where, but he did not. “We’ll get to the swords, but for now let’s focus on how to get out of this cell.”

It was a real problem because the guards were instructed no0t to allow the brothers out of the cell on any account. Their fighting skills were well known and the local magistrate was taking no chances with them. The noise coming from the preparation for their execution was dying down, meaning they were all but finished. If the brothers were going to escape, it had to be now.

Not exactly sure of what Rant had in mind, Hunter began to bang at the prison door. The sound attracted the attention of the soldier standing guard and irritated at it, he rushed to the cell and warned Hunter to stop whatever it was he was planning or thinking. “It would only bring down more problems for you two.” The soldier said and was about to leave but Hunter called to him from the cell. “Hey wait up.” “What?” He shouted angrily as he unwillingly turned back towards the cell. “My brother is not feeling too well, and I think…” “What does it matter? You two are going to be dead in… let’s say… a few minutes from now. I wouldn’t be bothered about not feeling well if I were you.” The soldier rudely interrupted him and turned and walked away.

Hunter began to speak again but the sound of the commotion happening outside stopped him. There was disjointed screaming and what seemed like the sound of heavy objects being thrown all over the place. “Hey! What is that?” Hunter shouted out to him. He had stopped to listen closely to the sound, then he drew his sword and ran outside. “Stay put” was all he said to Hunter as he did.

Rant gave up the play with which they were hoping to execute their escape plan following the sound and joined up with Hunter at the dungeon’s gate. “Whatever that is, it can’t be good.” Rant told him. “We have to get out now.” Hunter confirmed. Rant reached out for the small dagger stashed in his left boot, the one he was planning on using on the soldier if he had opened the cell gate. There was one in the right boot as well and he always carried them. Their size made it almost impossible for someone who didn’t know they were there to notice. And fortunately, the soldiers at the local magistrate did not bother to search them after they surrendered their swords.

“What are you planning on doing with that?” Hunter asked him. “Step aside.” Was the reply. Rant then walked to the door. The screams of the people outside were terrifying and Rant knew it was now or never. The clicking sound Rant was making with the lock in the cell was encouraging and Hunter hoped whatever it was he was doing would turn out fruitful. Just as he was hoping, Rant turned and looked at him and his face was cheerful. Hunter smiled knowing good news had arrived. “Got it?” he asked his brother. “Piece of cake. Let’s go”

Rant pulled at the door gradually to try and avoid making too much sound. They walked very carefully past the guard station which was empty, carefully observing the steps and looking around as they did. “Whatever is attacking out there seems to be doing a lot of damage. We need the swords or better still, I need mine.” Hunter said and turned and started off towards the opposite direction to which his brother was leading. “Hey! Get back here. I said I know where the swords are, remember?” But Hunter did not so much as turnaround or reduce his pace. “Alright, let’s have it your way.” Rant said to himself and followed him.

Hunter could be annoying sometimes and so could himself, but among other things, he could not afford to be separated from his brother. Not especially as they were being attacked by who knows what. “If we get out of this, I would kill you myself.” Rant told him when he caught up with him. “Shh. Look!” Hunter was standing close to a large window and he was pointing out. Rant followed the direction of his hand and what greeted his eyes caused him to leave his mouth open for some time.

Out there, there was roaming freely, a monster none of them had ever seen or imagined before. It appeared to have killed all the soldiers who thought they stood a chance against it, as well as all the people they could find. It had three heads, its legs could crush an adult. It was large and the common thought they both entertained about this monster was that it it definitely would be slow in movement given its size. But their thoughts were quickly thrashed when through the window, they saw it chase after a lone magistrate soldier. Their hearts sank when they discovered that the monsters were two.

“Where did they come from?” Rant asked Hunter. “How do you expect me to know?” Hunter asked him in return. “Yes I know. I wasn’t talking to you, it was a rhetorical question.” “Really?” Hunter looked at him. “You really think now is a good time for your stupid games?” “I wasn’t talking to you.” Rant maintained. “You are unbelievable.”

The monsters appeared to be male and female from their estimation. “We need to look for a way out of here.” Rant said. “Without the swords... are you insane?” Hunter countered him. “Let’s look for the women, they could tell where they are.” Rant continued. “Now I am certain that you have lost your mind. What makes you even think they are still alive? We are looking at three-headed monsters killing everyone yet you are still thinking about a woman. Better wake up because in case you have forgotten, that same woman in the company of her evil friends sentenced us to death. Had it not been for these monsters, we would probably be dead by now and, for all we know, she has been torn to pieces by our friends out there.” Hunter didn’t know that his voice had gone beyond the required volume appropriate for the situation. “Now I know your problem, you…” “The brothers are escaping.” A distressed voice proclaimed behind them.

Hunter and his brother turned to the sound of the voice. It was a soldier who had blood all over him. He was joined by two others and they immediately began to run towards the brothers. “You need to return to your cell. Execution has been delayed.” One of the soldiers told them. “Are you crazy? Have you not seen the monsters? Give us our swords. We can help you.” Hunter told the soldiers but they were not interested in what he just said. Just then, as they closed in on the brothers, the monsters crashed through the window, having seen the figures from outside. It was then that the brothers got a close look at the monster as it destroyed the soldiers. The third was not exactly a head.