Chapter 2 New Beginnings

"1 Week...1 week since my life spiralled down into a shit hole." Alex grabbed a small hand full of mud, dipped his finger in it and smeared another tally mark on the wall he was now leaning on to complete a set of five tallies indicating his time in the cell he was currently in. He looked down at his shirtless body revealing his ribs showing through his skin along with scars all up and down his sides and back, some were fresh and some were days old, his now bloody knuckles clenched on both of his sides with the only thing holding him up now is the wall.

Alex starts to reminisce what has happened for the past week, he starts remembering how when he first got there they only started questioning him and then it got worse each they starved, beat, and whipped him but he still refused and now tomorrow they are going to start breaking his fingers but he didnt care, the only reason he was putting up with the torture was to protect everyone he loved. To make sure Hitler never got his hands on the knowledge to the time machine. Then a blurry picture of Lucas came to his mind, before his cancer symptoms started showing, his smile, his laugh, his clever jokes. Everything about him, Alex was trying to remember because if he ever forgot what his little brother looked like he will have lost his hope and sanity, he already forgot what his parents faces looked like, but he promises to never forgot Lucas as long as he lived.

Alex quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard light footsteps coming closer to his cell, he wasn't expecting it to be for anyone else since he's the only prisoner in here. Alex once heard one of the guards saying that when Hitler personally prisoners they never last more than a day so its always empty.

With all of his might Alex used the reminding strength he had to stand up still leaning on the wall, he won't give this guard the satisfaction of seeing him weak and vulnerable. As Alex was waiting to face this man to face whatever he has for him today, Alex's eyes widened when what he thought to have been a german guard was actually a young girl with black hair and big brown eyes, It was Judy.

When she got to Alex's cell, her lips formed into a thin line she was in complete horror when her eyes landed on him, his skin had become pale and his shaven head had a faint scare peaking from the back of his head from when they first met, but there were a few fresh ones under that. He had big dark circles under his eyes and scars up and down his torso she couldn't recognize who was infront of her. She was shocked he could still stand after what she heard had happen to him.

"Alex.. Im so sorry." she said in a cracking voice as tears threatened to leave her eyes. " Oh save me the crocodile tears and your fake apology, I know your "uncle" probably sent you down here to try and manipulate me into telling you about the time machine, but it wont work. Im never letting you manipulate me again, Im not as stupid as you think I am." Alex said spitefully as he turned away to avoid looking her in the eye. "Alex I do not think you are stupid, and my apology isnt fake, everything I said to you in that closet and at the camp was real, and I came down here on my own. I wasnt trying to get you caught, well at first I was, but after getting to know you I realized I was wrong and I was trying to save you bu-" " Oh wow, someone give this girl a prize! You are such a hero, I guess this means I can just forget that you helped imprisoned me and had all of those other kids killed and tortured back at the camp." Alex interrupted in a sarcastic and more irritated voice. "I know what I did was wrong dont you think I know that! I-I was close with them...I tried to help them escape, and you dont get to judge me, I have my reasons to work for him! He has my..." Judy stopped mid sentence as Alex charged toward her and both of his hands grabbed onto the metal bars so tight his bloody knuckles were now white and said "Judy... I dont want to hear your excuses..Why. Did. You. Come. Here." Alex said through his teeth in a deep voice. "Alex I am going to get you out of here I can't bare to see you get tortured here, during this week I have devised a plan, I found out they moved the time machine to this location" she pulls out a map with a red dot on it in another state that Alex couldn't pronounce in his head ,"and I found out each of the guards schedule so no one will see you leave." Alex looks at her with skepticism. "Why should I trust you, and why would you go to these lengths to get me out?" Judy looks back at him with nothing, but sincerity in her eyes and says. " Because I believe in what you stand for. I want to help protect the future from having to face the same fate as all of those innocent people. I want to right my wrongs... and also because...because I love you Alex." Judy says in the most tender voice, she reaches to touch Alex's hand but he pulls away. "Don't.. I will go along with your plan, but I swear if you double cross me I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand.. The Alex you knew that had feelings for you is dead and my one purpose in life right now is to make sure your uncle does not get his hands on the future, and if I have the slightest of good luck then I will be able to go back to my time, am I clear?" Judy nods in response nervous to say anything. "I will come get you when tonight when the time is right." Alex turns around and slowly starts to wobble back to his wall and coldly responds saying "...fine." Judy starts to quickly walk away while biting her bottom lip trying to not make a sound as a single tear starts to roll down her face and one thought in her mind "I will make this up to you Alex, we will get out of here." As Judy makes her way out of the cell without anyone noticing, she then goes to her room to contemplate a strategy to get to where her and Alex need to go. Judy then starts to have a flash back with her and her parents when she was younger a little over 3 years ago when things were simpler when she was always laughing and smiling, until they were taken from her. She snaps out of her thoughts and pulls out a giant map she pulls from under her small wooden framed bed when she opens it, it reveals red Xs all over the map, she whispers under her breathe "Don't worry Adam I will find you."