A few days passed, but I didn't see the mute boy again. Nor did I see Leroy. He also disappeared from the Earth. But there's nothing wrong with that because now that I'm sure he's not in the house, I can run away. I've got it all figured out.

I spent five nights watching the security do their job and remembered that they change shifts every six hours.

Because then, the four men guarding the front yard go behind the house for ten minutes to turn on the electronic fence in the backyard. 

And in those ten minutes, I will leave tonight. 

Every evening, Yang comes to my room exactly at eight o'clock and brings me a bowl of soup. As soon as this is also done, she goes to take a shower. She spends exactly twenty-seven minutes there.

At the sixteenth minute, the security men go into the garden and that would be my moment. I don't plan to take any food with me, nor will I take any clothes. I will leave the way I came.

My parents will be home in four days and until then I will sleep in a hotel. However, I must remember to call Tara somehow, because I need money for these few days that she has to borrow me. 

Taking a deep breath, I lean back. 

After that, I have to go to the police immediately. My foot is feeling better too, which means I'll be able to run. And then I'll grab my parents and disappear. I'll leave the continent completely if I have to. Leroy will surely kill me when he finds out that I've left and betrayed him to the police. 

However, there is still a problem with everything. Leroy's dogs. They are also released late in the evening and unfortunately, they still don't like me. At least the shepherds. I have three minutes and forty-six seconds before the dogs are released. By then I have to be behind the fence. Then everything will be easier. 

It starts in seven minutes. 

It will not go wrong. It can't go wrong at all! 

"Everything will be fine, Rina. You can do it," I say encouragingly to myself. 

"Hello, sweetheart," I already hear Yang. 

Here we go. 

Step one. 

A slight smile flashes over my lips. I'm actually going to miss Yang a little bit. She had been so kind-hearted and lovely to me, even though I'm actually a prisoner. I would love to thank her for everything, but the risk that she will become suspicious is too high. 

"Hello," I reply. 

"Enjoy it, my heart. I'm going to take a quick shower now. Good night!" She shouts before she leaves the room again. Actually, it's often like this between us. We can rarely really talk because Yang is always busy and has to leave as soon as she is with me. But it's good for today. I'm glad she didn't ask me about my day as well, because then I'd have to ask her about hers as well, and I would already be sitting here for far too long. 

Step two. 

As soon as the splashing of water from the shower sounds, I jump out of bed and creep towards the window. My light is off, which means the guards will think I'm already asleep.

They stand like soldiers in front of the entrance and do nothing. I often wondered how this job could be bearable because I couldn't do such a thing. Standing and trying not to get tired. After all, it's so important to be attentive, which I find so hard. Not once have I seen a man with slumped shoulders. No. Their movements seem tense, just as their entire bodies exude an exaggerated military tautness. Highly concentrated, they look straight ahead, probably even blinking very rarely.

They also barely speak. They don't speak a word to me anyway, but even among themselves I rarely hear them speak. But they look. They analyze everything and know everything. Leroy did not hire just any people. These people have been trained for this. It will definitely be hard. 

But not impossible. They won't expect such an action from me and that's exactly what works well for me. 

Only five minutes left.

As soon as the sixteen minutes are over, the men look up at my window one more time, at which I turn quickly away. God, that was close! I hope the curtains haven't moved... When I look again, they are already walking in the other direction. 

Step three. 

Walking on tiptoe and with soft knees, I dare to leave the room. My heart is pounding all the way to my throat, which is suddenly dry. No matter how many times I swallow, it doesn't get any better, but I decide to ignore it. I have to make it out of here.

God, the thought that someone might catch me almost makes me sick. What does Leroy think about that? Escape? Would he let me go back in without a word or punish me for it? Or even just... kill me? I shudder at the thought. 

I absolutely can't get caught! 

My heart skips a beat when I think I see a shadow as soon as I reach the bottom of the corridor, but my eyes are just playing tricks with me because there is no one down here. 

If I don't make it, it will surely only be because of a heart attack that my panic will cause. 

So far so good, I think to myself as I stand in front of the back door. Now I have three minutes before his dogs are free. I look around hastily, but the men are in the front of the villa by now. There's no one back here. 

Step four. 

I swallow empty and bite my lower lip as I cross the garden very slowly at first. Panicked, my eyes dart around, looking for an obstacle, but everything seems fine so far. Everything is fine. 

And then I run. 

I don't think I've ever run so fast. Within a few seconds, I'm standing in front of the wall. My pulse is racing, I'm unable to think clearly, while nasty scenarios are forming in my head of how the wires will be switched on at the exact moment I reach the top and I'll be so screwed. Beads of sweat form on my forehead and I gasp softly in fear before hastily claw my way up - but nothing happens. The wires have not been turned on yet. I slowly calm down and climb over the fence. 

I had three minutes... 

And now I'm standing behind the fence three minutes later. I made it. 

This is not possible. 

This is not possible.

That was way too easy! What about step five?! 

Cautiously, I look around once I hide behind the bushes. No one there. A few seconds later, however, loud barking sounds. I don't want to know what would have happened if I had been too slow. The dogs are free and I am away from the manor. But it can't be that easy. 

Pull yourself together, Rina! Run before you get caught for real because you were thinking why you haven't been caught yet! 

A mocking smile crosses my lips. It wasn't too easy, I'm just brilliant. 

With the same smile, I look one last time at the security who are just coming back. I feel a little sorry for them because they're going to have to pay for this. Leroy will surely spitfire with rage, but I don't care about that now. The important thing is that I really did it and am now free. Relieved and so incredibly happy, I turn around and want to march off, but stop in shock. 

Oh, no...

I look straight into ice-cold eyes. 

"Leroy?", I breathe. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, I can't control my limbs, and I start to shake. So much that even my teeth are chattering with excitement, even though I'm clenching them hard. 

He stands in front of me with his arms crossed, looking at me expressionlessly. Feverishly, I search for words, for a way out, but the only thing my body can do is shut off my brain in despair, anger, and fear, and just shiver instead. 

I'm dead now. He's going to kill me.

Slowly, he moves closer to me, at which point I immediately flinch. Half a meter in front of me he stops. I hold my breath. 

"Do you think I'm a complete idiot? Did you seriously think I'd leave you unguarded?" He asks. Now he's the one with a mocking smile on his lips. Slightly fascinated that he can smile, after all, I pause for a moment, forgetting why I'm standing here.

But then I realize it. While he rather casually tilts his head and thinks he has all the time in the world, I instead dig my heart out of my pants and place it where it belongs before reacting very quickly, because I know I have to leave immediately. I lunge and headbutt him, then punch him in the ribs and ram the tip of my elbow into his right shoulder. Everything happens so fast that I don't even know where left and right are anymore. Finally, I push him away from me with all my strength and run.

It's quiet for a moment before I actually hear him laugh loudly. It sends a shiver down my spine, but I don't stop and keep running. 

"I'm impressed, chica! Let's see if you can at least run fast because you can't hit at all," he shouts at me.  

"We'll go and get her," a guard's voice rings out.

"No, I'll get her," I hear Leroy say before I gasp, run faster, and disappear into the forest.

☼ ❅

Run Rina, run...

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