Trapped By Fate

"If these darn walls could talk, we would be in big trouble. Good thing they can't."

"I should say so."

"Hurry up and finish so we can get out of here; this place creeps me out."

"I'm going as fast as I can, Ella, geez."

"Corben Allen, I know you didn't just snap at me."

"But I did."

Ella's foot tapped quickly on the floor as she scowled at him. Creaks and groans filled the hallway of the old insane asylum as Corbin maneuvered his tools into the safe's lock. Ella anxiously drummed her fingers on her leg and looked around the room as Corbin quietly opened the door and took out the contents of the safe. Ella reached out the bag and tied it up after he dumped the contents inside. They rushed out of the room, down the hallway, and stopped when they heard an orderly coming up the stairs. Corbin waved Ella back as the orderly strolled their way but took a right at the end of the corridor. Ella and Corbin sighed and tiptoed down the long hall that held two flights of stairs. They were lucky getting in but getting out would be tricky. A loud thud struck in the parking lot as they rounded the first flight of steps, making them jump.

"I bet that was Alex setting off one of the distractions," Corbin whispered.

"I hope so. I want out of this place," Ella squeaked.

Alex had left a bag for Corbin at the foot of the stairs to get through the security doors at the back entrance. Ella followed closely behind as he weaved his way through the passageways so that they could avoid the main hallways.

"Ouch!" yelled Ella. Corbin stopped and grabbed her mouth, hoping that no one heard her. "I stubbed my toe on that stupid bolt sticking up back there," she whispered. " "I know, but you've got to be careful. If we get caught, we're toast."

Meanwhile, something strange began to happen in the room with the safe. The wall screamed to warn the staff that intruders were in the building. Nurse Gretta asked about the events that had just played out.

"Well, it was like this." said the wall. "These two perps came in and made their way to the safe. A young girl named Ella and a young man named Corbin. They broke into the safe, took everything inside out, placed it into a bag, and went down the hallway heading toward the stairwell. The other wall at the bottom of the stairs told me they took some of the hideaways and went toward the back doors. If you hurry, you can catch them. Oh, and there's another out in the parking lot."

Nurse Gretta called over the handheld radio on her belt to tell security where to find them. Security rushed to the backdoor and hid in the darkness waiting for them to reach the doors.

Corbin and Ella tiptoed around the last corner, and there were the doors to freedom in their sight. Corbin looked around for a while before proceeding, but Ella hung back about a foot as Corbin headed toward the doors. Something told her that something was wrong. She nervously stepped a little at a time with her eyes searching the room's darkness. Then, just as she turned back toward Corbin, she saw something shine in the corner next to the doors. She froze solid and focused her eyes on the shining thing. It moved a bit, like when someone breathes, and their shirt moves up and down. Fear struck her as she realized that the shiny thing belonged to a badge on the shirt of a security guard.

"Corbin," she whispered in a medium tone. Corbin stopped and slowly turned toward her, and as his eyes locked on hers, he saw the immense fear on her face. He froze right where he stood, knowing something terrible was about to happen. The silence in the room was louder than ever. Alex was still outside banging and beating to distract anyone from finding Corbin and Ella in the building, but little did he know the guards had already seen them.

The two guards emerged from the corner and grabbed them both up, covering their mouths as they dragged them into their security room. Ella shook with fear as the two guards towered over them. Corbin sat stone-faced as they taunted Ella. Alex told him that if he got caught stay silent no matter what because if they owned up to anything, the Doctor would torture them to no end.

Nurse Gretta burst through the door and let out a loud heartwrenching laugh. Ella and Corbin sat up straight as she slammed the door behind her.

"So, what brings you two in today?" she said with a smile.

Neither said a word.

"They not much for talking tonight?"

One of the guards laughed and winked at her.

"Let's get to it then," Nurse Gretta grimaced while cracking her knuckles. She and the guards took Ella, cuffed her wrists, and took her from the room. Corbin never flinched as Ella shot him a scared look over her shoulder. She knew then that she was alone. Tears streamed down her cheeks as they marched her down the hall and into a dark, cold room. They threw her in and slammed the door. Ella released an ear-pitching scream as she heard the door lock. She beat the door with her shoulder and cried as loud as she could, but no one heard her. The room she was in was soundproof.

Someone shushed her from the other side of the room as she cried.

"Who's there?"

No one answered.

"Hello," she whispered.

Still, no one answered.

Ella stood still for a while, listening for movement.

"You know you will never leave here now, don't you?" a voice asked.

Ella stiffened up and looked in the direction of the voice.

"When you came through the door, you never realized that the sign on the outside states that inside this prison, the walls tell all. You can't run, you can't hide, because the walls talk."

Ella whimpered and slid down the door in a kneeling position. She covered her head with her hands and closed her eyes tightly.

"What will happen to me?" she sobbed.

"It's hard to say. Nurse Gretta takes intruders very seriously, and depending on what you two stole, the punishment for stealing is usually severe. Your friend will stay in the first room they threw you two in, and you may always remain in this room. It depends on the nurse's mood.

Ella breathed loudly and stood up. "Who are you?" she asked again.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," said the voice.

"At this point, nothing would surprise me."

"I am a wall. All of the walls in this building can talk. Some call it a prison, insane asylum, or building, but I call it home. I have seen many troubled souls come through this place, and I have also seen a lot go. Not alive, mind you. No one finds freedom after seeing the inside of this place. I am sorry you are here, Ella. As much as I want someone to talk to, I would rather talk to no one than see you be another prisoner of this terrible place."

"I wish that I had never stepped foot in this place."

Silence fell over the room, and after many hours, Ella fell asleep on the floor. Then, nurse Gretta finally woke her by opening the door and flipping on the light. But, unfortunately, the room was so bright that Ella couldn't see.

"Please let me out of here. I don't belong here," Ella pleaded.

"Oh, well, that's what everyone here had told me when they first arrived, but after a while, they realized they would always be a part of this place until they die. Charming, isn't it?"

Ella rubbed her eyes, and as they began to focus, she could see that one of the guards had Corbin by the shirt color behind Nurse Gretta.

"Corbin, help me," Ella called, But Corbin's face was still like stone. Ella couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He never blinked or moved. Did they give him something, or was he that cool under pressure?

Ella stood to her feet momentarily, and a plan crossed her mind. She thought that if she pushed past Nurse Gretta, Gretta would bang into the security guard, which would release his grip on Corbin, allowing them to make a break for the back door. So Ella pivoted her right foot and shoved her shoulder into Gretta's stomach, knocking her off balance enough to fall into the guard and, to Ella's surprise, releasing Corbin from his grip. She yelled for Corbin to follow her, but he still never moved. Too afraid to stop, Ella left Corbin behind and charged toward the back doors. Once she reached the door, she pushed the handle, but the doors wouldn't open. She thought about the bag Alex had left behind and searched the room to see where Corbin had dropped it. She could see the handle sticking out from under the radiator in the corner. Ella dove onto the floor and yanked on the strap to free the bag, but it didn't budge. She could hear footsteps running down the hall in her direction as she tugged at the bag.

"Please, bag, please." she pleaded. She tugged and tugged, but it would not come free, and as she was about to free it, a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back to the floor. Her eyes locked onto a pair of eyes, and she realized it was Alex. He grabbed the bag and ripped it from under the radiator and then took out the tool that opened the door.

"Use this to get the door open. I am going for Corbin." Ella took the tool, and as soon as she grabbed it from his hand, he was off into the darkness. Ella rushed for the door and used the took to open the door. She bolted for the car in the parking lot, slammed the door, and locked it behind her. Ella hurried down in the passenger seat and waited for Alex and Corbin. It felt like hours had passed as she waited without a sign of them exiting the building.

Corbin stood like a statue in the hallway as the security guard gripped his shirt. Gretta sat in a chair rubbing her leg that got twisted when Ella knocked her over. Alex slinked up the stairs and peeped around the corner. He was a master at getting in and out of any building, no matter the security, but this time would prove tricky for him to rescue Corbin.

Alex needed a diversion and quick. He felt inside the deep pockets of his cargo pants and found one last M-80. Alex lit it and threw it down the hallway. He stepped back into a dark crevice in the wall and waited. The bang from the M-80 startled the guard and Gretta, but Corbin never flinched. Alex waited for the guard to inspect the boom, and when he did, Alex grabbed him from behind and passed him out with a sleeper hold. He dragged the guard down the hallway into the darkness and left him lying. Alex boldly walked toward Corbin and Gretta without care. Gretta put her shoe back on and stood from the chair.

"So, you're the third intruder. I'm glad you could make it easier for me to catch you just as your friends did. That little girl thinks she's safe, but little does she know, no one leaves here after they have seen the inside of this place."

Alex smiled, took out a small rope, and walked toward her. Gretta hummed as Alex grew closer. He didn't understand why she was humming, but he walked on. Gretta took out a large paddle from the inside of her coat and grinned. Alex slowed a bit but didn't cower.

Gretta swung the paddle at Alex's head, but he quickly ducked, and before she knew it, he had the rope around her neck from behind.

"Now what?" he laughed. Gretta tugged and choked, trying to loosen the rope from her neck, but Alex twisted it tighter. She struggled until her knees buckled, and she hit the floor. Once she was out, Alex pulled Corbin by the arm and rushed toward the doors that Ella escaped through. Unfortunately, Ella forgot to leave the tool for Alex, and as he reached the doors, he realized he needed a way to open them.

Ella cried as time ticked by, with no sign of Alex and Corbin. Finally, she climbed into the driver's seat and started the car.

"I'll give them a few more minutes, and then I'm out of here."

Time ticked by, but Ella couldn't bring herself to leave. She felt something touching her leg and realized she had forgotten to leave the tool for Alex. She was too afraid to get back out and open the door, so she sat still, hoping that Alex would be able to get out without it.

Alex looked out into the parking lot through the glass on the door. He knew that Ella couldn't see him, so it was pointless to motion for her to bring the tool. Corbin made a gurgling sound before moving his head toward Alex.

"Hey, Corbin, snap out of it. I need your help."

Corbin gurgled and twitched, trying to get his limbs to cooperate. Alex stood him against the wall while he searched for a way to open the doors. Gretta yelled from upstairs as she gained consciousness and called for backup. Alex, calm under pressure, searched along the walls and underneath the radiator for a stray bobby pin or anything to jam into the lock on the door. Underneath the radiator was a safety pin that Gretta had dropped. Alex quickly opened it and plugged it inside the lock on the door, twisting it until he heard a click. He pulled Corbin by the arm and made his way toward the car dragging Corbin at his side.

The guards yelled from the hallway before the door closed. Alex walked faster, but Corbin's limp legs held them back. Ella was waving from the car, but Alex thought she was waving excitedly. She rolled down the window and shouted, behind you!

Alex turned to see the outside of the walls moving and forming ripples in the grass. He gasped in horror as one of the ripples knocked him off his feet, dropping him and Corbin to the ground. The walls laughed and yelled out taunting words at Alex. Then, five guards broke through the doors and came after Alex and Corbin. Ella panicked and started up the car, but instead of putting it in reverse, she pulled it into drive and shot the fuel to it, hurdling her forward into the guards and somehow missing Ale and Corbin, who were still lying on the ground. Alex stood up and helped Corbin, and by that time, he had started to talk and move a little easier. Ella revved the car as Alex threw Corbin inside and jumped into the passenger seat.

"GO!"

Ella pulled the car into reverse and hit the fuel, but the car couldn't move it only spun the tires. The walls ordered the bushes to wrap their roots around the wheels and frame and hold them until the vehicle broke its axles. The car slammed into the ground, trapping them inside. Ella screamed and flung open the door to run. Alex sat still and watched in horror as the bush wrapped Ella up with its roots and pulled her toward the doors. Two guards pulled her inside, slamming the doors behind them. Alex and Corbin sat there thinking about their next moves.

Corbin rolled out of the car and allowed the bushes to take him, but Alex found a large knife under his seat, and as one of the roots felt its way inside the car, Alex chopped at it with the knife. He refused to get taken back inside. Instead, Alex chopped at every root that entered the car until he was too weak to fight.

He exited the car to run, but one of the roots grabbed his ankle and pulled him to the ground. Numerous roots wrapped over Alex and dragged him to the doors for the guards. Alex was taken inside and placed in the silent room with Ella and Corbin. Just as the wall had told Ella earlier, no one ever leaves this place once they have seen the inside. Ella, Alex, and Corbin were now prisoners of this place just as everyone else in it was, even the staff.

Their families and friends searched for them for years, but after coming up with nothing but dead ends, they ruled it out as a mystery.