NIGEL

[smile]

“Where have you been!” Storms Icarus. Nigel had just walked in the front door when Icarus was all up on him. How am I going to explain being gone for as long as I was? I’ve never been out that long. I had to make sure the kids went somewhere safe! Handing them off to Kenneth was my only choice. They’ll be able to relate to him the most. He is like them.

“It was getting hot, and I decided to rest under a tree for a bit.” I come up with. Icarus looks me over, searching for a lie. He opens his mouth to say something. I brace for the worst punishment. He closes his mouth again, thinking better of it. I’m not sure if he believes me. He walks away, signaling for me to go back to my little room.

I don’t know what I’m going to do! I’m glad the kids are safe, but a selfish part of me wishes that I could be free too. I know it’s silly, and that It will never happen now. Before, there was hope that I could leave when everything was completed. Now, nope. The hope is gone. I go up to my door and stand in front of it. Once it scans my face and recognizes me, it swings open on rusty hinges. It slams shut behind me. Icarus has programmed the door to scan my face and let me in, but it locks itself and doesn’t let me out unless unlocked from the outside.

I crash onto my hard bed. It’s not the most comfortable bed in the world, but at least it’s a bed. I’m about to close my eyes to get some sleep when an idea strikes me. I sit up with my heart pounding. I have to escape. That’s the only way I will survive. Icarus has been slowly killing me.

Less and less food and water has been showing up at my door. It won’t take long for it to just stop coming altogether. I start to come up with a plan. There is no way to escape from my bedroom when everyone is sleeping. There aren’t any windows, there’s no way to unlock my door from here either. I sit in silence for a bit.

Wait! I could escape when I’m out running errands for Icarus. Yes! I need to do it when I’m the farthest away from here. And I will need to bring some stuff...hmmm. I could put it all in a trash bag and tell him I’m planning on taking my trash out on the way to the store. This could work! I ring the bell on the door that signals for Icarus. I hear heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs to my room. The door flies open.

“What do you want?” He storms angrily. I try not to let my voice shake.

“I wanted some trash bags for my trash. I wanted to take it out to the dump.” I come up with. Icarus looks startled. He clearly didn’t expect this.

“Of course.” He finally answers. The door locks itself behind him. I sit on my bed, congratulating myself for pulling that off. Icarus returns a few minutes later with the roll of trash bags. Apparently, he was too lazy to even unroll one of the bags. I take it from him, and he leaves.

I’m hoping he doesn’t ask me to take his trash too. I quickly unroll two bags and put one inside the other. I don’t want anything to break the bag and ruin the whole thing. I quickly shove all my belongings into the bag. It all fits because I don’t have much. I take another two, put one inside the other and put my laptop inside it. I’m ready. I ring Icarus up.

“Yes?” He asks, clearly annoyed.

“I want to leave with the trash now.” I say.

“Oh, yeah, go...go on.” He says with a wave of his hand. I pick up the trash bag and hoist it up onto my right shoulder. I make my way downstairs and then leave. I don’t relax until I’ve reached town. The town is about five minutes’ walk away from the base.

I switch the bag into my hands and take off running. I need to get as far away as possible. I don’t slow down to catch my breath until I’m in the trees again. I have no idea where to go from here, but I don’t care. All that matters is that I’m free.