• Chapter 12

    I sat up quickly when I heard the cell door knob turn. I shook Rian awake as the lights turned on. “What’s going on?”, Rian asked grumpily.

    “I’ve got news from your parents.”, Erick said solemnly from the doorway.

    “The execution date?”, Rian asked, suddenly alert.

    “Yes.”

    “When is it?”

    Erick looked at me with depression weighing heavily in his eyes. “Tomorrow. They’re writing a letter to your parents telling them that you’re being executed Angel.”

    Rian and I knew we were escaping today, but the thought of my parents’ despair at the letter they were going to receive made me worry. “Do you think we could send them a letter too?”, I asked Erick.

    “I guess I could sneak it into the mail pile.”

    “Great, could you get me paper, a pen, and an envelope?”

    “Sure.” Erick walked out, shutting the door behind him.

    “What are you planning on putting in the letter?”, Rian asked.

    “I’m going to tell them that we’re going to escape, so they shouldn’t come here to my execution.”

    “I don’t think you should put in there that we’re escaping. We never know if a currier here would open it.”

    “Alright I won’t put that in there, I just don’t want them to come here.”

    Erick came back into the cell, paper, pen, and envelope in hand. He walked over and handed them to me. “Here you go, but make it quick so I can get it in the pile before the mail gets sent out.”

    “Okay.”, I said to him and quickly wrote my letter:

    Dear Mom and Dad,

    Please do not come to my execution on Friday. I am afraid that if you go then you both will get hurt, so please stay away. I love you both and I will be home soon, alive.

    Your daughter,
    Angel

    I quickly folded the paper and tucked it into the envelope, then sealed and addressed it. Erick grabbed the letter and put it into a more official envelope that held my execution notice for my parents. “Thank you for doing this Erick.”, I smiled.

    “It’s no problem Angel, I don’t mind helping you.”, Erick smiled back, then left hurriedly after sealing the envelope.

    “Let’s get the rest of the bars off the window so we can get out of here.”, Rian said, walking as he talked.

    “Alright.”, I said while pulling hairpins out of my dress. “Here you go.”, I said handing one to him.

    It seemed like we had only just begun to work on the last of the bars as Rian pushed the last one out. “Wow, we’re done already.”, he said in amazement as he watched the bar fall to the ground. “Now I’ll help you out, then I’ll jump out after you, okay?”, he asked, grabbing my hand.

    I laughed, “I don’t need help to jump out of a window Rian.” I dropped his hand and gripped the window frame to pull myself up. Once I hoisted myself up into the window, I looked back at Rian and smiled. “See you at the bottom.” I jumped, knees bent to lessen the possibility of a broken bone.

    I landed at least ten feet from where I jumped and moved quickly to avoid Rian’s landing. When he didn’t land I looked up to the window and saw Rian waving his hands around like he was arguing with someone. Then I saw hands on his chest, shoving him hard, and then disappearing as Rian fell out of the window.