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Post by Val on May 16, 2020 20:04:25 GMT
Julian smirked, practically bathing in the uncertainty his declaration had caused her. She was so prepared to help that she was willing to dive into his plan with zero preparation or trust. He doubted that she was intentionally placing the power in his hands, but considering the fact that she was completely naked and hanging on to his words was enough to boost his ego straight into the stratosphere. Contrary to what she seemed to think, he was not nearly reckless enough to put his plan into action right then and there. To do so would be foolish.
"When is your next scheduled bath?" he questioned, glancing down the hall. He began counting the passing seconds in the back of his mind, trying to develop a timeline even though she had distracted him for the majority of the time with her strip tease. "And who is this Eloise?" he continued, having caught the name that the guard mentioned. Perhaps it was sexist of him, but he figured he had better odds of besting a woman with his plan, especially one that didn't know anything about him.
His eyes returned to Kinsley, following her fingers as they worked through her hair. He'd always wished he had blonde hair, but he'd been cursed with dark, unruly waves that had become utterly unmanageable during his imprisonment. It was perhaps the one thing he didn't like about himself. Subconsciously pushing a hand through the thick locks, he regarded Kinsley, "As much as I'd like to leave right this instant, that wouldn't be very smart. Patience will bring success." In the meantime, he would have time to find out if his neighbor was truly capable of pulling this off.
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Post by starrea on May 16, 2020 21:39:35 GMT
Perhaps Kinsley’s greatest flaw was need to take risks. It had always been a driving factor behind her behavior, even as a young child, but being in prison had only amplified the desire. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the idea of an escape was just too good to resist. She was an addict, desperate for a high no matter how bad the crash would be.
The first real memory Kinsley had was of being underwater. She didn’t know how old she was, maybe four or five, but she very clearly remembered the weightless, as if she were floating. The water muffled out all the noise above the surface and as her lungs burned from the lack of air, she could hear her heart thumping in her chest. There had been no fear, just the resounding beat of her heart. A pair of hands had pulled her up not long after that, but the damage was done. Or maybe she had been born like this - who knew. As she grew older, she started taking more dangerous risks. She was insatiable, searching for anything that made her feel alive.
Kinsley has never attempted escape with a partner and she wondered if that had been her problem. Her mouth nearly watered at the thought of getting her hands on a weapon; the beating the guards gave her would be child’s play compared to what she would do. By now, she was hopelessly hooked on the idea of escaping. She had little self discipline and wouldn’t have been able to resist even if she tried.
Julian’s question snapped her out of her daydreams and she had to take a moment to think. Even though she hadn’t seen the real sun in who-knows-how-long, they simulate day and night with artificial lights. She shrugged, her fingers working out the last of the knots. “Usually about once a week. Maybe more, if I get dirty like today.” She said coyly, shamelessly lifting both hands to rake them through her hair and leaving her entire body in the full, unobstructed view of Julian.
Kinsley could feel that her time was almost up. It was another under-appreciated skill she had learned while locked up - the ability to tell time without clocks. Even though they turned off the lights at night, Kinsley had found herself completely disoriented without the ability to ground herself with time when she first arrived. It took a few months before her inner-clock finally kicked in and well over a year before it became infallibly precise.
She giggled at Eloise’s name. Now that she was done cleaning herself, she leaned against the mesh again, wrapping her fingers around the cool metal. It must have been summertime because the air was hot and still and Kinsley wasn’t the least bit chilly without her clothes on.
“Eloise is one of the female guards. I’m surprised you haven’t met her yet. She doesn’t fancy me too much, but they don’t like to leave me unsupervised for too long so she comes to watch me while I bathe. I think she’s still upset about that time I ripped a chunk of her hair out, but it’s been at least a year since that happened so she should really let it go. I’ve heard that people who hold onto grudges and anger don’t live as long. But she doesn’t ever open my cell or anything. She refuses to come close to me. She just watches and calls for help in case I get... too rambunctious.” Kinsley rattled on with a sly grin, barely taking a breath between her words.
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Post by Val on May 22, 2020 6:41:44 GMT
Julian continued to stare at Kinsley through the barrier as he awaited her answer, feeling his inner feelings over the situation battle it out. He was enjoying the view, as any man might under such circumstances. However, he despised her prolonged indecency. Intrusive thoughts came to the forefront of his mind, begging to be unleashed. She deserved to be barraged with insults until she buckled with shame. The word 'whore' was on the tip of his tongue when she spoke up and saved the both of them from the onslaught.
A week would give them plenty of time to prepare. It was this Eloise he was concerned about. He didn't like to rely on faith and chance, but his plan partially relied on how this woman would react to whatever circumstance was thrown at her. If she went squealing to the others, everything would go to shit. If she was compelled to act on her own...now that would be a different story.
An image of his previous neighbor flashed in his mind. The miserable man had strangled himself with the bed sheets and ended up sprawled across the floor of the cell in a rather unnatural looking position. Julian recalled forgetting his rule to keep a distance between himself and the wall the divided their cells. Instead, he had pressed up against it, staring at the lifeless form until a guard finally showed up. This was the moment that had truly caught his attention. The guard had thrown all caution to the wind and simply entered the cell and approached the limp body, as if this was a common occurrence and he had no doubt as to whether the man within was dead. If he could lure this woman into a trap of his own, she would be done for.
"If Eloise shows up to her next shift, we shall have a surprise for her, hmm?" he hinted, though his ideas were cut short at the sound of foot steps approached from down the hall. Offering Kinsley a wink, he retreated from her cell, backing slowly into the shadows. There was no need to draw attention to himself. He had maintained an element of surprise throughout his entire imprisonment, not once revealing an act of violence. He didn't need to be affiliated with the likes of Kinsley in the eyes of the guards.
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Post by starrea on May 22, 2020 19:16:20 GMT
Kinsley’s eyes lit up at the implication and her thoughts ran wild with all of the possibilities. She could imagine the blood dripping down Eloise’s face, down over her lips and cascading down her neck. She could see the look of confusion in her eyes and the way her face would undoubtably scrunch up in pain. She could hear the bones snapping and the heavy thump her body would make when it hit the cement floor. The fantasies flashed behind her eyes and there were so many juicy possibilities that she couldn’t settle on just one.
The sound of footsteps abruptly halted her delicious daydreams. With one last look at Julian as he retreated and a pout, she, too, pulled away from the bars and redirected her attention towards the returning guards.
“Hi, boys.” Kinsley lifted her arms above her head and did a twirl, her giggle echoing off of the walls. The two guards stopped in their tracks and it took a couple of seconds before they were able to pry their eyed away from her fully exposed figure.
“What the fuck, inmate. Put your damn clothes on.” The older guard snapped. Kinsley slowly obliged, the delighted smirk never leaving her face as she watched the two men struggle not to look at her. When she was done, she automatically walked up to the bars and stuck her hands through.
“Mmm you know how I love it when you cuff me. What else do you want to do to me?” Kinsley drawled as the cuffs locked around her wrists and her door was opened.
“Fucking psycho.” Was the only response she got as her make-shift bath and dirty clothes were carried out. They didn’t respond to anymore of her sexual comments or delighted giggles at their obvious discomfort. When the door was relocked, her cuffs were removed and Kinsley pulled her hands back through and blew the guards a thank-you kiss as they left. One of them resumed his station further down the hall, far enough away that Kinsley couldn’t really interact with him but close enough to monitor her.
The next week passed the same as the other ones before - unbearably slowly. Over the week, Kinsley’s swelling had gone down entirely and besides the faint purple bruise on her cheek and the sickly yellow and purple one on her ribs, she was good as new. She mostly kept herself occupied with fantasies of their upcoming escape, completely unconcerned with the fact that she didn’t know the plan. The idea of just getting out to play was mouth-watering and she almost no longer cared if she even made it all the way out.
Kinsley had been mostly quiet this week - something that was extremely uncharacteristic for her. She hardly interacted with Julian or the guards, something they definitely noticed. Instead, she often hummed or sang softly to herself, remaining relatively unresponsive to attempts for her attention.
It wasn’t until a certain feminine voice finally cut through the daydreams that Kinsley had lost herself in that caused her head to snap back into reality.
“Kinsley, they’re getting your bath shit together. You know the drill, don’t be stupid.” Eloise called out, disappearing back down the hall to presumably hurry the other guards. A wide grin stretched across her face and her body hummed with anticipation. It was time.
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Post by Val on May 27, 2020 3:33:38 GMT
With each passing day, Julian only felt more sure of his plan. It wasn't exactly foolproof when it came down to it, he had convinced himself that success was the only option. He spent the week alternating between observing Kinsley from afar, meditating, and obsessively visualizing how everything would play out. He would sit for hours and stare at different points of the room, allowing his vivid imagination to play out until the fantasies truly felt like reality.
As for Kinsley, he had deemed her worthy by day two. She had clearly fallen into a pattern of concentration similar to his own, and appeared dedicated to his scheme, even if she was mostly in the dark. He appreciated her unexpected bout of silence, though it admittedly only made him more curious about his new partner in crime.
Julian was laying flat on his bed with his eyes closed when an unfamiliar female voice sounded from the hall. His eyes shot open and he felt the sweet rush of adrenaline already begin to flood his senses. Indeed, it was time.
As Eloise's footsteps faded, he rolled out of bed and set into motion without a moment of hesitation. His movements seemed rehearsed to perfection as he stripped his bed sheet off and began tying it around the bed frame. Once it was secured, he stripped the pillow case from the sad excuse for a pillow and turned to Kinsley for the first time that day. He offered her a simple smirk before slipping the pillow case over his head and dropping to the floor. Taking the loose end of the bed sheets, he looped it around his neck and pulled tight, angling his body in an unnatural position similar to his previous neighbor's lifeless form. Wasting no time, he allowed the pressure to build against his neck until his airways were nearly caught off. He blatantly resisted his body's urge to fight for air, allowing himself to sink into a borderline comatose state to the point where he looked believably dead. His dedication truly had no bounds, as he appeared to have been cutting off the circulation in his fingers until they appeared blue.
Although he was sprawled on the floor, Julian had made sure to position himself in the shadows far enough that it would take someone a considerable amount of effort to actually take notice of his motionless form. That was where Kinsley came in. Once the other guards vacated the prison block, Eloise would be left alone with two unassuming predators and they would be happy to guide her in the right direction. Once she was informed of the little surprise waiting for her in the next cell over, she would have no choice but to go in and inspect the body. Perhaps she did have a choice, but Julian had witnessed first hand that people seemed to hold a certain level of morbid curiosity that would draw them to take a closer look for themselves before they ran squealing with the news.
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Post by starrea on May 27, 2020 17:23:15 GMT
The moment Eloise turned her back, everything sprang into motion, moving at the speed of light. It was like time was suddenly rushing as if to make up for how slow the week went by and Kinsley almost couldn’t keep up. Up until this moment she hadn’t been nervous but she scrambled to the bars and fidgeted nervously as she watched Julian. She didn’t want to break the silence to ask a question, it was too risky that they would be overheard, but she wasn’t exactly sure what role he wanted her to play. It was easy enough to figure out what he was doing - he was faking his death, but what did he expect of her?
The sound of footsteps caused Kinsley to nearly jump out of her skin and whip around to face the hallway. She pushed herself away from their shared wall of mesh quickly, not wanting to draw attention to Julian prematurely. For now, she decided, she would stay silent about Julian’s little trick. She tried to calm herself down but the excitement and anticipation was overwhelming and her body was almost shaking.
Kinsley pressed herself against the bars and eagerly waited for the trio to reach her cell. It didn’t take long for Eloise to notice Kinsley’s unusual energy and her face reflected her wariness.
“What’s got you so happy? You’re locked in a fucking cell and you haven’t seen the sun in months. Wipe that fucking grin off your face.” Eloise snapped, glaring at Kinsley. All three guards hadn’t even spared so much as a glance towards Julian.
Eloise’s shitty attitude didn’t dampen Kinsley’s great mood - in fact, her grin widened. It would be all that much more satisfying to cave her skull in.
“Just excited to see you, Eloise. It’s been so long.” Kinsley chirped, sticking her hands through the bars so the two guards could handcuff her. Once her wrists were secured, Eloise backed up a step as the men entered the cell and dropped the bucket of cold water and a change of clothes on the ground. They swiftly left, locking the door behind them, and then released Kinsley from her handcuffs. Eloise‘a wary eyes never left Kinsley and she was careful to leave a wide berth between her and the bars that separated them.
“Ten minutes. Get to it.” Eloise snapped as the men retreated. She could see that Kinsley was moving slowly and combined with her bright attitude, it had Eloise on edge.
Kinsley was humming in excitement. She didn’t want to actually bathe but she needed to appear normal for as long as possible. She sauntered over to the bucket, staring down at it. Kinsley usually rushed to get undressed and scrub herself clean so she knew that moving slowly was sure to alarm Eloise. She slyly glanced up at Julian but he still wasn’t moving. She tried to see the rise and fall of his chest but it was so dim that she couldn’t find it. Maybe he actually was dead.
Eloise glowered at Kinsley’s hesitance. She noticed Kinsley’s attention shift onto the guy in the next cell and she banged the cell bars behind her, the sound echoing throughout the stone hallway. “Focus, inmate.” She growled.
Kinsley was focused, just not on what Eloise wanted her to focus on. She stepped around the bucket and up to their shared mesh, finally brazenly staring at Julian. Suddenly, she started to giggle and it soon developed into a full-blown laugh. When she caught the horrified look on Eloise’s face, who seemed indecisive as to whether to intervene or not, she only laughed harder.
“He’s dead. He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!” Kinsley chanted in between her fits of laughter.
“What the fuck?” Eloise swore, finally springing into motion. Julian had been the model prisoner up until this point and she had no reason to suspect anything nefarious. She ran over to the cell and saw his body slumped over in the shadows and like Kinsley, couldn’t find the subtle rise and fall of his chest.
“Son of a bitch,” She growled, slamming her keys into the lock and swinging the door open. She had no reservations about going in with other prisoners so she boldly stepped into the cell, trying to block out Kinsley’s maniacal laughter.
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Post by Val on May 29, 2020 3:23:36 GMT
There was a certain beauty in floating in a precarious state of near unconsciousness. Julian was blissfully unaware of how much time was passing and, for once, his racing mind was set at ease. The anxiety that propelled his day to day life was suddenly forgotten and replaced by an unsettling absence of thought. All he could focus on was the need for air, but he denied his lungs of their right to breathe, reveling in the absolute autonomy he had over his body.
Julian might've actually suffocated himself to death if not for the intrusive sound of laughter that was abruptly ringing in his ears. The noise was enough to annoy him even in his comatose state, and it dragged him back to reality just enough to give his brain the kick start it needed to recall the plan. Oh yes, escape was eminent. Before he had much more time to gather himself, the creak of the cell door sounded, followed by approaching footsteps. He opened his eyes, which were helpfully shielded by the pillowcase, and could make out a shadow standing over him.
Forcing his body into motion, he swung his legs out and hooked them around Eloise's, dragging her down to the floor with a thud. He twisted to the side and gasped for air, wriggling his head out of the makeshift noose. As Eloise started to call out, he tore the pillowcase from his head and clambered toward her, shoving the fabric into her mouth to silence her. Julian's entire body was heaving as he gasped for air, but he didn't seem to notice or bother to waste a second. Rather, he was already on top of the prison guard and his fingers were closing around her neck.
Julian couldn't exactly recall the last time he'd touched another person's skin, or looked so closely into someone's eyes. He usually avoided it at all costs, unless it was on his terms, of course, which this definitely was. He squeezed, building tortuously slow pressure until he felt her windpipe begin to cave in beneath his thumbs. The grotesque look of panic in her eyes only served to bother him, along with the desperate clawing of her hands. He wished he had covered her face and tied her arms down to complete the job, but there simply had not been time for such things.
When the fight officially left Eloise, he stumbled to his feet, not bothering to give the woman a second glance, or to find out if she was actually dead. His breathing had almost slowed to normal and the color had returned to his face, but his thoughts still seemed to be trying to catch up to the series of events. His eyes landed on the open cell door and everything rushed into focus, along with memory of his audience.
His eyes flashed toward Kinsley and he bent over the limp body to retrieve the guard's keys. He dangled them on the tip of his finger for a moment, his ego soaring as he held her fate in the palm of his hand. He stepped out of his cell and glanced down the empty hallway before standing in front of his neighbors door, "Enjoy the show?" he mused. With one last pointed look, as though to say she owed him, he tossed the keys into her cell so that she could free herself.
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Post by starrea on May 31, 2020 18:13:00 GMT
Kinsley’s laughter abruptly cut off as Eloise entered the cell and she pressed her entire body up against the mesh, not wanting to miss a single second. Her heart hammered against her chest as Eloise approached Julian and Kinsley’s body hummed with excitement. It was positively thrilling to know what was to become of Eloise. She felt like a wielder of fate, a divine power. Eloise was merely a pawn in their game and she was falling right into the role they had carved out for her.
When Kinsley heard Julian gasp for air, a shiver went up her spine. It was almost erotic to know that Julian had actually been choking himself and Kinsley started to feel anxious. When she walked Julian’s hands wrap around Eloise’s throat, she finally moved, banging her hands against the mesh.
“Stop! Save some fun for me!” She hissed, jealousy burning through her. It took an annoyingly long time for Eloise to fall unconscious and by the time Julian stumbled to his feet, Kinsley was practically shaking with need.
Kinsley lurched for the keys like she were starved and Julian had just tossed her a bit of food. She snatched the keys so quickly she almost dropped them. She stuck her hands through the bars, fumbling to insert them into the lock. She was so excited that her hands were shaking and the first time she tried to insert the keys, she pushed too hard and it didn’t go in right. It took a second but the lock finally turned and she pushed the cell door open and sprung out like a crazed animal.
Kinsley didn’t hesitate to immediate euphoria of being free. She pushed her way into her neighbor’s cell and stalked up to the still-unconscious Eloise. It was disappointing she didn’t have enough time to truly appreciate what she was about to do, but they were unfortunately on a time crunch so she would have to make this quick. She lifted her foot and brought it down on Eloise’s head as hard as she could, a sickening crack resonating throughout the cell. It took three more stomps for her head to fully cave in and by the point, flecks of blood had splattered up Kinsley’s front.
Kinsley wished she could stay and appreciate the sight of Eloise’s demise, but she didn’t want to waste another second. She slipped out of the stall and back to Julian’s side, looking up to him. She was a crazed animal but her freedom was only due to Julian and now she looked to him for leadership.
“What’s next?” She asked, breathless. Her eyes traveled down to his lips and she felt the urge to reach over and kiss him but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew they didn’t have time.
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Post by Val on Jun 1, 2020 0:02:41 GMT
Even if Julian had noticed Kinsley's desperate demands as he strangled their victim, he wouldn't have cared. Her desire for vengeance was the last thing he was worried about. The guard was a mere obstacle to him and, now that she was incapacitated, he was prepared to continue the escape plan.
He watched calmly from the hall as she struggled with the keys, though his mind was racing with next steps. As he calculated how much time might have passed, he eyed Kinsley in disapproval as she descended upon the guard like a vulture, wasting precious time. He stared unflinchingly as she stomped the woman's skull in, his eyes following the spray of blood as it clung to her as a reminder of what she'd done.
His attention snapped back to Kinsley's face as she spoke and he immediately picked up on the subtle path her eyes took toward his mouth. His fingers twitched at his sides at the mere thought that she might actually dare to kiss him, but she appeared to resist that urge. A good choice on her part. Another good choice was looking at him so expectantly, effectively setting him in motion now that he could see for himself that she was following his lead.
"Follow me," he instructed simply. Instead of heading toward the exit where the guards would inevitably be waiting, he strode deeper into the cell block, his steps quick and purposeful. He remained intentionally silent as they passed several prisoners along the route, catching the attention of a few who cursed them or begged for release. Ignoring them all, he reached a fork in the hallway and turned into the men's bathing room, which was completely silent except for the eerie drip of the occasional droplet of water.
Making his way to the back of the room, Julian kneeled beside a metal grate in the floor that drained into the sewer systems below. The grating had been bolted firmly into the floor, but he had spent months loosening it bit by bit until he was able to pry it loose with solid jerk of his arm. Their gateway into the unknown was now open; a narrow fit leading into the dark, putrid tunnels below. The smell wafted upwards and it took everything he had not to vomit then and there. He'd worked himself up to this moment for so long, but now that he was faced with actually having to jump in, he hesitated.
Voices sounded from the prison block as some of the inmates began to yell for their capture, clearly not happy with the idea of someone other than themselves escaping. Despite the pressure mounting, Julian remained frozen, staring into the pit. He could strangle a woman to death without a second thought, but the mental block of this obstacle was nearly enough to make him give up, "Get in!" he snapped at her, breaking his composure for the first time since they'd met.
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Post by starrea on Jun 1, 2020 3:50:51 GMT
Kinsley was quick to fall in step behind Julian. Even though they were heading in the opposite direction of the outside world, Kinsley didn’t question Julian’s lead. He had proven worthy of her compliance and now that he had it, she was devoted to his guidance.
Kinsley hadn’t seen much of the prison, especially the wings that housed male inmates, so she was entirely lost as Julian led her deeper inside the prison walls. The catcalls of male inmates distracted her but the frenzied excitement had given way to unwavering focus and she didn’t entertain their attention. Hands tried to grab at her from behind bars and she defensively shielded herself behind Julian, skirting around the dirty fingers that yearned for the feel of a woman’s body. She barely looked at the trapped men, too busy flipping her gaze between where Julian was leading her and back over her shoulder to make sure they weren’t being pursued. Back in the cell, her heart had hammered so hard against her chest she thought it was just going to burst out but right now, it beat in a steady rhythm.
Kinsley watched the door as Julian crouched down and fiddled with a grate. Her muscles were tensed and coiled, ready to spring on anyone who dare try to stop them but no one came. The smell is what hit her first and it was so putrid that her gaze snapped from the doorway to the grate. She wrinkled her nose, a question at the tip of her tongue but the look on Julian’s face stopped her. She saw how disgusted he was, she saw him hesitate. When Julian froze, Kinsley froze too. Julian was her navigator and without him, she didn’t know what her next move was.
Thankfully, Julian snapped out of it and his command pushed Kinsley into action. Without hesitating, Kinsley dropped herself feet first into the nearly-pitch black grate. The drop wasn’t too far but she landed in ankle-deep sludge and the smell was so strong that she actually retched before she got control of herself. She placed a hand on the wall, cringing at how slimy it was, and then pushed forward so Julian would have enough room to drop down behind her.
The tunnel was just barely for Kinsley to stand at full height but it was narrow. The tunnel was just barely wider than her shoulders and Kinsley knew it would be even more uncomfortable for Julian, who was just slightly larger than her.
She stayed silent as she waited for Julian to drop down and lead the way. Above her, she heard the prisoners rally for their capture and she didn’t want to make any unnecessary noise to draw attention to where they were. For a second, Kinsley wondered what she would have thought of Julian if neither of them had been in prison but the thought was too preposterous for her to even imagine.
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Post by Val on Jun 1, 2020 21:03:54 GMT
Julian's fears came to light as he heard Kinsley gagging below, along with the splash of her feet in whatever foul substance filled the tunnel below. He nearly came to the conclusion that he couldn't do it when the voices from the prison block suddenly became an uproar. The guards had to be approaching. The idea of getting beaten to death was enough to spur him forward, and he dropped feet first into the pit, pulling the grate closed behind him.
The moment his feet sunk into the sludge, he felt as he'd descended into his own worst nightmare. He'd always had major issues with cleanliness; his parents claimed it was the first warning sign that something was wrong with him, which he considered to be nothing but an insult. He kept a hand over his nose, refusing to inhale the stench, but it still invaded his senses. He dry heaved, but resisted his body's urge to vomit, knowing the action would only make it all worse. No matter which way he turned his body he seemed to be touching the slimy walls, and his head practically brushed the ceiling. Everything was closing in on him and he felt the familiar sensation of a panic attack creeping up on him.
As his breathing neared hyperventilation, he charged forward into the darkness, bumping into Kinsley as if he'd entirely forgotten she was there. He flinched away from her and stumbled further down the narrow corridor, feeling a sense of dread when he realized he had no idea where the tunnel would take them. Even he would admit that it was impossible to plan for the unknown, "I have to get out," he breathed out harshly, continuing down the path of his own personal hell.
Eventually the sound of rushing water could be heard echoing off the walls. He followed it blindly without pause, but when they actually reached the source of the roaring waters, he halted abruptly. He simply could not submerge himself. He'd rather actually strangle himself to death. He began backing up, blocking Kinsley's passage, "Fuck this," he muttered, planting himself in the corridor as if he were better off just standing there for eternity. He couldn't even take solace in the fact that no one appeared to be on their trail yet.
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Post by starrea on Jun 2, 2020 0:48:49 GMT
It was so dark that even with the light from the open grate, the only way Kinsley could tell that Julian had jumped in behind her was the sickening splash as he landed in the sludge. Some of the sludge splashed up onto her lower calves and she had to force herself not to think about it. It wasn’t hard - the smell was so overpowering that it was hard to focus on anything else. Every few seconds, her stomach lurched and she needed to diligently repress the urge to vomit each time.
Kinsley jumped when something collided with her - Julian, she realized a second later - and her head cracked against the wall. Pain exploded like fireworks across the front of her head but it served as enough of a distraction that for a moment, the smell was insignificant. She used that moment to push forward after Julian, one hand gently pressed against the slimy walls, the other held defensively out in front of her. Together, they moved at a speed that was impressive considering the pitch blackness and ankle-deep sludge. She never reached out and touched Julian, but she was never more than two or three feet behind him. The last thing she needed was to get separated and die down in these sewers.
Never once during their trek did Kinsley wonder if Julian had a plan. She just assumed that he knew where he was going. The squelching of the sludge echoed off of the walls so loudly that Kinsley wondered if it could be heard above ground, but there was no one pursuing them. If someone decided to chase them through the tunnels, the echos would take away their element of surprise.
Kinsley wasn’t paying close enough attention to notice that the sound of Julian’s footsteps stopped and she ran right into his back. She jumped back a step, scrambling to reorient herself. She had heard the sound of rushing water as they walked but now the sound was overpowering, as if the water were just a mere few feet from them. She concentrated as she listened, trying to pinpoint exactly where the source of the sound was coming from - slightly below them. It all fell into place - Kinsley knew where they were. She had no idea where they would end up once they eventually resurfaced, but this wasn’t Kinsley’s first (or second) excursion through a pitch-black sewer tunnel. Smaller tunnels, like the ones they were in, cane from specific facilities and eventually drained into larger ones, which would carry them out. Kinsley realized when hadn’t even thought about the fact that if the water level was too high, they would drown, but the fact that the water level was low enough that it hadn’t even splashed up into their tunnel was a promising sign. For the first time, she was immensely grateful for the overbearing, still, dry heat of summer.
It was too dark for Kinsley to see Julian’s panic. She didn’t know him well enough to predict his meltdown and her confusion skyrocketed as he just stood there. Finally, she realized that he was stuck - metaphorically, of course. Her face twisted into a scowl, even though he couldn’t see, and she realized that she was going to have to take matters into her own hands. The thought of leaving him there was tempting, but Kinsley didn’t like owing anyone anything, and he was the one who had set her free.
“Get the fuck over it. Hold your breath.” Was the only warning she gave before she pushed him over the ledge of their small tunnel and down into the current below. Based on the splash from Julian hitting the water, they were only a couple of feet above the water line - exactly what she predicted. Before she had the chance to get nervous, she took a large breath and jumped in.
The first thing that hit her was the cold - it shocked her to the bones and immobilized her. The only thing that got her moving was when her lungs started to burn for air but she quickly realized that with no light, it was impossible to tell which way was up. Still, her body wouldn’t give up and as the current somersaulted her around, her head broke through and she choked down air before it reclaimed her.
Kinsley had no idea how long it went on like that. The current was strong enough that it constantly threw her around, making it impossible for her to get her bearings, and sometimes she went so long without air she was worried that she would pass out. Eventually, the pipe spit them out. Kinsley hit the ground hard, tingles of pain shooting up her arms. The pipe had spat them out into a shallow creek and Kinsley started violently coughing, her lungs trying to expel the water she had inhaled while also trying to suck down air. It took a couple of minutes before her hacking quieted into labored breathing and she finally pushed herself onto all four and dragged herself towards the shore. Once she was there, she collapsed again. She was once again grateful for the hot temperatures - even though it was nighttime, it was warm enough that she was only slightly chilly.
“Julian?” Kinsley croaked, trying to listen for any sign that he made it.
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Post by Val on Jun 2, 2020 20:43:39 GMT
Julian was staring intently into the dark, rushing stream when the unexpected shove sent him teetering forward. He tried to resist the plunge, but Kinsley ultimately succeeded and he plummeted haphazardly into the water. Unfortunately, he had not followed her advice to hold his breath, and he ended up choking down an unhealthy amount of the water in his escalated panic. His head broke the surface long enough for a gasp of air before it dragged him back under, causing his forehead to connect with concrete. The collision momentarily stunned him, which might've been a blessing considering how it stilled his body long enough for the water to spit him out into the creek at the end of the tunnel.
He remained floating in the shallow water, lingering on the verge of unconsciousness when Kinsley's voice launched him upright. He immediately began coughing and choking up water as he dragged his body out of the filthy pool they'd been deposited in, desperate to remove himself from it. He crawled up onto the bank and clawed his shirt off, throwing it to the side in disgust. He would have peeled his own skin off if that was an option, but settled on kicking his shoes off next and sprawling out onto dry land. His bare chest heaved as he caught his breath; his lungs were rightfully angry with what he'd put them through in the past hour or so.
Kinsley was lucky that he was too preoccupied with his incredible discomfort to confront her about the shove, but he definitely did not forget. He eventually sat up to glare at her, but his vision was suddenly clouded by red. He reached up to touch his throbbing forehead, coming to the conclusion that a gash had appeared above his eye and was streaming with blood. He imagined infection setting in and destroying his eye, and the thought was enough to spur him back to his feet.
"You're welcome," he told her, abruptly turning away. He trudged a few steps toward the treeline, but turned back after a moment, pointing a finger at her with accusation, "And for the record; fuck you," he added. Perhaps it should have been a celebratory moment, but the idea of freedom hadn't yet truly set in after being imprisoned for so long. As far as he was concerned, he wasn't free until he was clean and calm and back in control of his life. He wanted to go home, but he wasn't even sure his home would still be there.
Turning in a circle, he scanned their surroundings, trying to gain some sort of bearing in the unfamiliar environment. But the more he moved, the more lightheaded he felt, until he was forced to kneel back into the dirt. He had escaped one hellhole and entered another. "It's going to be dark soon. Any idea where the hell we are?" he called to her, suppressing his grudge for the time being.
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Post by starrea on Jun 3, 2020 1:38:11 GMT
For a long second, the only thing Kinsley could hear was her labored breathing. She hadn’t quite decided on how she felt about Julian possibly being dead when his coughing cut through the air and she closed her eyes in relief. Despite the incredible burning in her lungs and the waning adrenaline that was starting to give way to pain, she started to laugh. They had not only escaped prison, but they had pulled it off with the world’s least thought out plan.
Her laugh quickly evolved into a coughing fit, but after the coughing died down, the smile stayed on her lips. It took another couple of minutes before she gathered the energy to sit up. Kinsley prided herself on having a ridiculously high pain tolerance, and even enjoyed pain in some situations, but her entire body ached and not in the good way. She groaned and finally started to take inventory of the damage.
For the most part, Kinsley has fared the tunnel unscathed. Her head was pounding and she could feel a bump forming where it had bounced off of the wall a couple of times, but other than that, all of her cuts seemed superficial. Her clothes were drenched and her skin was dark with whatever nastiness was in that pipe water. Since she was still at the water’s edge, she leaned over and worked on scrubbing some of the sludge off.
Once Kinsley had washed her face off, she finally decided to look around for Julian. She had heard him stumbling around near her but she, too, had been too occupied by her own discomfort to pay him much attention. It was dark enough out that when her eyes found him, all she could make out was a black silhouette.
Kinsley’s smile only grew with his irritation. “Excuse me for being modern. Men don’t always have to make the first move, you know. Anyway, it was either me or the black slime back there in the tunnel and somehow I think you would choose me. So you’re welcome.” She shot back at him, her voice playful and taunting. She finally pushed herself to her feet, instantly dropping again when a sudden pain shot up her leg. With a hiss, she prodded her left foot and flinched from the hot pain that shot up her leg. Maybe she hadn’t gotten out of this as unscathed as she had originally thought.
With newfound determination, Kinsley clambered to her feet, clenching her teeth in pain. She always prided herself on having an extremely high pain tolerance, and usually enjoyed pain, but she was smart enough to realize that any pain right now would only serve as a weakness. She limped her way over to Julian and she looked around them but it was too dark for her to recognize anywhere.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll recognize it when the sun comes up.” She said with a shrug. A flicker of light caught her attention and she looked towards the warm glow of a fire off in the distance.
“That looks like a good place to start.” Kinsley said, nudging Julian and pointing in the direction of the light.
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Post by Val on Jun 3, 2020 21:17:53 GMT
She was right about one thing; Julian would chose pretty much anything over the black slime. Rolling his eyes at her smug response, Julian dragged himself back to the water's edge, begrudgingly using the water to wash away some of the grime. Once he found his way to a real bath, he would scrub his skin raw getting rid of the memory of this day. He splashed his face with water to wash away the blood and gathered some moss, pressing it to the wound to stop the bleeding. The whole process felt incredibly demeaning, like he was some sort of diseased sewer rat licking it's wounds.
Julian stood up as Kinsley approached, regarding her limp with annoyance. If she couldn't keep up, he would simply leave her behind. He impulsively brushed her hand away when she nudged him and followed her line of sight, eyes narrowing in on the light in the distance.
"People aren't going to take kindly to our presence," he pointed out, fully aware of how suspicious they looked right now with their prison issued clothing covered in grime. "Are you capable of not drawing attention to yourself?" he questioned doubtfully, casting her an unapologetically judgmental look. He considered it a reasonable question since she'd proven herself to be rather attention starved in prison. He wasn't yet prepared to cause a scene and get thrown back in prison.
He gathered his discarded shirt from the ground, draping it over one shoulder, "They'll have a bounty on us by morning. Then come the mobs, the patrols, the wanted signs..." he sighed and smoothed his damp hair back, "Perhaps we need a change of identity," he pondered, already thinking far in advance. He wasn't an act in the moment kind of guy, which was probably why his plan had essentially fallen apart the second they dropped into the sewers.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked his slime ridden shoes back on and regarded Kinsley, "Since you're a- how'd you put it- modern lady...you can lead us this time," he told her, crossing his arms. A hint of amusement had begun glittering in his eyes, as if he was going to find enjoyment watching her hobble around on her injury.
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