Escape

Entry #6

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Hey, whoever's reading this. I woke up today to find this leatherbound stack of parchment paper in my pocket.

And what do I find out after reading it? It's a diary!

What's a diary? I think I've heard this word somewhere...

Anyways, I think it was written by a man to his wife. He seems like an awful man to be honest.

No it's not me. It's NOT ME.

Sorry about that, I keep hearing these voices in my head.

In any case, I'm gonna be throwing this away, can't have the supervisor finding out.

I c a n t f o r g e t y ou

Huh? When did I write that?

Sorry about that , my hand moved on its own. I swear I didn't mean to write that.

I swear.

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The warden's corpse lay in a mutilated mess, less of a result of our desperate fight and more of a result of my savagery.

My own hands were stained with its blood, the taste of its flesh still lingering.

I hadn't wanted to resort to such feral measures, but I didn't exactly have a kitchen set on hand to cook my food.

We grabbed the keys from its remains, Sasha and Jacob steadying each other as we moved.

The weight of exhaustion and pain bore down on us, but we couldn't afford to stop.

We had to free the others.

I led the way out of our cell, the keys jangling in my grip.

Each step was a reminder of our narrow escape, but also of the resolve that had brought us this far.

We reached the first cell, and with a turn of the key, the door creaked open.

Inside, townsfolk stared at us with hollow eyes, their hope long extinguished.

"We're getting you out of here," I said, my voice firm but gentle.

"Stay close and stay quiet." I said, making sure they understood.

As we moved from cell to cell, the number of freed prisoners grew.

There were more townsfolk, their faces gaunt and haunted, and a few adventurers, their spirits worn but unbroken.

Among them, I saw familiar faces, comrades who had been lost to the Kraglins' cruelty.

With each release, we gained strength, our numbers bolstering our resolve.

The adventurers, though weakened, shared quick nods and handshakes, a silent acknowledgment of our shared ordeal.

We couldn't afford long introductions; our priority was to escape.

Finally, we reached the end of the dark tunnel, the dungeon door looming at the end of the passage.

The oppressive atmosphere of the cave weighed heavily, but the sight of the door brought a glimmer of hope.

I turned to the group, their faces a mix of fear and determination.

"This is our way out," I said, my voice steady. "Stick together, watch each

other's backs, and we'll make it."

We moved through the tunnel, our steps cautious but determined.

The darkness pressed in around us, but the knowledge that we were no longer alone gave us strength.

The freed prisoners, once lifeless and hollow, now followed with a flicker of hope in their eyes.

'These people don't deserve this.'

Reaching the dungeon door, I turned the key in the lock.

The door creaked open, revealing the path to our freedom. We stepped through, one by one, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

We had survived the depths of the Kraglins' lair, and now, together, we would find our way back to the light.

'Or die trying.', although I didn't remind the others, lest it break their newfound spirit.

We pushed through a small but wide hallway, emerging into a large, dark cavern. The oppressive air was thick with tension, and I led the way, my senses on high alert.

There was something eerie about this place. It was too quiet.

WHOOSH!

Faster than I could react, an arrow whizzed past my face, the whistle of its deadly flight too close for comfort.

I barely dodged, but the arrow struck someone behind me. A strangled cry pierced the darkness, and I turned to see a townsfolk collapse, lifeless.

A wave of loss washed over me, quickly turning to regret and then panic, coupled with anger.

I couldn't afford to lose anyone else.

The shadows concealed our attacker, but I spotted the faint glimmer of movement—a Kraglin archer, likely a sentry keeping watch.

Fueled by rage, I charged towards the hidden archer.

More arrows flew, but I dodged left and right, my movements driven by a mix of desperation and fury.

Each arrow that missed me felt like a small part crack inside of me, but the image of the fallen townsfolk spurred me on.

'You can't save everyone.'

I reached the archer, my fist gripping the dagger I had taken from the warden.

With a fierce yell, I plunged it into the Kraglin's chest. The creature gasped, eyes wide with surprise and pain.

Alas, in its death throes, it managed to strike a bell-like contraption next to it.

The sound of the alarm echoed through the cavern, a harsh, metallic clang that set my teeth on edge.

'They're coming.'

Behind me, the adventurers and freed prisoners were still in disarray, struggling to find their bearings in the darkness.

The first arrow had thrown them into chaos, and without the ability to see clearly, they were vulnerable.

"We need to move, now!" I shouted, hoping to cut through the confusion. The alarm would bring more Kraglins, and we had to be ready.

'We are so fucked.'

My heart pounded as I pulled my dagger free from the Kraglin's chest, my mind racing with the knowledge that we were far from safe.

The battle wasn't over yet, and we needed to be prepared for whatever came next.

As if on cue, hordes of Kraglins began to pour into the cavern from all sides, emerging from cleverly concealed entrances in the walls and floor.

In mere minutes, the cavern was filled with at least fifty Kraglins, their eyes glinting in the darkness.

There were Kraglins wielding spears, others with daggers, and those same pesky archers ready to rain death from above.

'We can't win this, not with our people blind.'

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I should have taken the torches from the dungeon. How could I have been so foolish?

My night vision allowed me to see clearly, but the others were nearly blind.

The Kraglins, however, were perfectly at home in the darkness, their eyes glimmering with cruel amusement.

The Kraglins didn't immediately attack. Instead, they watched us with mocking smiles, their jeers and laughter echoing off the cavern walls.

They enjoyed seeing us flounder, blind and desperate. They wanted to see us break down in despair.

'Motherfuckers.'

There was no hope. But I couldn't let myself or the others give in to that despair. We had to fight, even if it was a losing battle.

"Everyone, listen to me!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. "We have to fight! For our lives, for our freedom!"

"Don't you have families waiting for you? Don't tell me you're going to give up on your wives, your husbands, your parents, your kids?"

Ignoring the Kraglins' mocking laughter, I took a deep breath and continued.

"All these months, they've taken too much from us. We lost our families, we lost our kids to them. Don't let them take any more. Take it back!

Even if you die trying, TAKE IT ALL BACK!"

My words felt hollow to my ears even as I said them.

I knew the odds were against us, and that this rallying cry was more for show than anything.

But I needed to give the others something to hold onto, some spark of defiance.

To my surprise, the people believed in my words.

They clutched their makeshift weapons tighter, their expressions hardening with determination. Most were unarmed, but that didn't diminish their fighting spirit one bit.

One by one, they threw themselves at the Kraglins, a wave of human resolve against a sea of monstrous cruelty.

The cavern erupted into chaos. The Kraglins, taken aback by the sudden ferocity, momentarily faltered before resuming their attack.

Steel clashed against steel, and the air filled with the sounds of battle—grunts of effort, cries of pain, the clang of weapons.

I fought with everything I had, my vision and training giving me a slight edge. But the Kraglins were too many, too organized, and too comfortable in the dark.

I could hear Sasha and Jacob fighting nearby, their voices mingling with the others in a desperate cacophony.

The Kraglins' mocking laughter turned into snarls of anger as our resistance proved fiercer than they anticipated.

Yet, for every Kraglin we brought down, more seemed to take their place.

The darkness and the numbers were against us, but we fought on, driven by the faint hope that we might survive, or at least make the Kraglins pay dearly for their victory.

As I fought, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret for not being better prepared, for not thinking of the torches, for leading these people into what seemed like a hopeless fight.

Soon it came to the point at which I realized that even with a miracle, we could not win. And miracles weren't my strong suit.

So I did something that I would have never believed myself capable of doing.

I ran.

I turned my back on the people who trusted me, and ran.

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Thank you for reading, dear readers.

And thank you Hans Hoffman for your support. You motivate me to write, more than you know.

If you guys would drop a comment to let me know you are reading, that would be great!

Looking forward to your support!

Thank you!