Let me out

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room.

She was told that the world was filled with danger and the unknown. The world described in the books that she reread a thousand times no longer existed.

Yet, whenever she asked what dangers threatened their existence, no one could give her an answer.

She longed to see what was beyond the prison that everyone referred to as the sanctuary. She desired to experience the breeze that whispered secrets to the trees.

Oh, to hear the birds sing their mournful songs and to feel the frost on her cheeks.

"What did the grass look like?" She asked. They were described as blades that obeyed the commands of the wind. "Are they as sharp as the knives that they used to cut objects?"

Her parents tried their best to answer her questions. They had old photographs that they shared with her, but even then, it was not enough to suffice her craving to know more.

She knew nothing of the outside world.

She only knew of cold concrete walls, fluorescent lights that flickered, moisture that pooled on the ground, and the little window in her brother's room.

She was never allowed to look out but when everyone else was distracted by their designated tasks, she would sneak into his room just so she could get a glimpse of what was beyond her world.

She could not make out the images she often saw since the window was small and covered with dirt. However, she often saw shadows of what she would assume belonged to giants.

If she could only speak about what she saw to someone, but if she did, they would discover that she had been looking outside when she was not supposed to.

The other children like her accepted their fates. They never objected to the commands of the adults, they accepted that life in this cold prison was the only thing that awaited them. Their names were serialized numbers tattooed on the back of their necks.

They barely read and they functioned properly in the small society they were born in. Adults often grew tired of her questions and their glazed eyes discouraged her from asking them any further.

The vault that led to the outside world was heavily guarded and although no one ever dared to break free, the gate was never unmanned.

She once made the mistake of asking the guard if he could let her see what was beyond the vault. She was met with punishment that isolated her from the rest for a week.

However, that did not dampen her curiosity. She only learned that her society did not look too kindly at individuals who sought knowledge and adventure.

She was alone.

So, she bided her time. She stopped asking questions for years and obeyed the orders she was given.

She copied the others, no matter how difficult it was. She kept her emotions in check even when her birth parents expired from the disease that broke out in their sanctuary.

Not many of them survived but the self-appointed Council told them that their numbers were enough to repopulate once more.

Her brother ceased to speak and even when he had been one of the survivors, his body and mind had grown too weak to fulfill the tasks necessary to keep the sanctuary running.

Therefore, he often found solace in his room while he stared at the muddy little window.

When she asked him what was beyond their walls, he only answered with "pain."

Even when she encouraged him to elaborate more, he kept his mouth shut as he decided there was no value in pursuing the matter.

After so many years, her desire to leave burned brighter. So that same day, she gripped the knife behind her back as she approached the appointed guard at the vault.

Sweat beaded down her neck as she approached him as calmly as she could. The guard immediately stiffened as he watched her like a cornered prey. She briefly thought about what could have caused the reaction.

Was it the grin that exposed her missing teeth from the lack of dental care?

Was it how her eyes finally lit up after so many years of pretending?

Either way, it did not matter to her.

She would get out.

She would finally know about the world that was kept from her. She would have her questions answered and no matter how much the guard begged her to help him tend to the wound on his throat, it would not stop her from leaving.

With much excitement, she opened the vault and sprinted toward the end of the tunnel.

She felt the cold wind on her skin as her lungs burned from the sudden change of temperature. Her eyes watered as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she panted from the lack of oxygen.

When she finally reached the end of the tunnel, she gazed at the cold white fluff that fell from the grey skies. Different sizes of wood shot up to the sky and they too were covered by the frozen ivory fluff.

She wanted to know more and with all her courage, she finally stepped out of the tunnel - only to be stopped by the excruciating pain that spread from her right abdomen.

Her knees gave out as she fell on the cold pavement. Crimson liquid pooled around her as it stained the white fluff on the ground. In between her ragged breaths and hazy vision, she saw her brother staggering toward her shivering body with a pistol in his hand.

He was right. Only pain awaited her outside of their prison, but at least, she finally knew what frost felt like on her cheeks.

Hi, thank you for checking out: Let me out. I truly appreciate it!

This short was created on a spur of the moment and there was no planning involved. LOL. Talk about channeling my "pantser" side (I had fun. That's what matters, right?).

I usually create darker content whether it is art, video shorts, or stories. If this is something that you also enjoy, let's be friends :)

You can connect with me on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok @cyrls_corner and read my Lux et Obscurum issues at https://cyrlscorner.com/short-stories/lux-et-obscurum-grimoire/.

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-CyCy xoxo