Ralph could hear the noise of men roaring as gunfire erupted outside and what appeared to be thunder in response.

The screams were loud as the panic in the men’s voices pounded through the walls of the room he was in.  He wondered, what was going on? It sounded like a complete war outside.

There had been much commotion, and he was paid little attention. The men that were originally in the room had also left but he did not understand why.

He was no longer bounded, but he wasn’t permitted to leave, at least that’s what it seemed. Instead, he was now called best friend by Cassandra who had come now and then to feed him. He saw a difference in her motion’s, it was subtle, but he did not want to grasp at it. He was unsure of circumstances and he knew how she could be when she heard something she didn’t like. Still he truly wondered, what really was going on out there.

He knew, however, that because of her, he was allowed to live. When the lady had mentioned before, if that’s all the information that Ralph had, she wanted to be done with him. Cassandra claimed she was his friend. he didn’t know how to mentally take that, or what it meant to her in her mind. However, he knew he was still alive.

As the door slowly squeaked opened, Cassandra came for the first time alone, she had his food and water.
What should he do? He thought was this an opportunity to escape. But escape to what; from one hell to another?

He looked at her long, as she approached, for any signs, he could use but saw none.

He sat on one of the chairs in the room. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she responded. “Thanks for asking my friend.”

“What’s going on outside?”

“Oh, that slight commotion, nothing major, we’re just swatting flies, annoying pests they are, truly.”
“I see.”

‘I have to go now okay, will come back later so don’t worry too much.”
The door was closed as Ralph was left alone. He wondered to himself what Natalya, and the others were doing.

***

It didn’t take long before they found themselves under fire. The men, who were firing they couldn’t make out which gang they were affiliated with. They had stopped trying to cross to get near them. The mines had scared them too much, as one after another, their men had been blown to pieces.
John-Tom had worked quickly in ensuring that all the kids were armed as he took out a long rifle with a scope from out of his briefcase. He then left them with simple instructions, guard the door. He got himself high up on some old but taller machinery. He laid flat and had a clear view of the outside.

Sheldon sighed, his training had been very mediocre as he looked around at the others. He realized they felt the same. They had placed themselves behind some equipment. It still gave them a view of the door. He highly doubted that anyone would even make it this far. To even get here for them was a big pain.

Natalya gave him a reassuring smile, as she held a gun in her hand bigger than his. How did that even happen? she didn’t even do the training. Even Cindy too, he was sure now that it was personal.

The men outside opened fire in any direction purely out of fear, as if it would help to calm their nerves. As they watch what seemed like fireworks of death. In between every explosion, John-Tom took his shoots. Slowly withering them down; they were many, they were the Marshmellow Society. It seemed they were being drawn to them by gunfire luring them in like a fish caught on a hook.

They wouldn’t be able to hold this position for ever and they would soon need to leave.

***

The door opened again. He expected to see Cassandra but instead he saw another woman with a box of cigarettes in her hand, Blackrell, an expensive brand as Ralph recalled. Her faced looked extremely familiar to him, like he had seen this person before. No way he thought, it couldn’t be.

“So you’re that guy that has my brother all up in a fuss?” She asked, “My name is Elizabeth, it’s a pleasure to meet the great Ralph.”

“Mr. Delano’s sister…” Ralph began but stopped in shock.

“Yup that’s me,” she said.

“What are you doing here?” he said
“Why do you think? This is my home, anyway, I am here to get you out before my brother does something stupid. You aren’t big on the radar so no one will miss you being gone except for this girl. You can come in now.”

Cassandra entered, and as she looked at Mr. Ralph. “Do you really want to leave? I thought we were friends?”
“I have to leave but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“Great, you want to be friends with your torturer. Anyway, sorry to break up this lovely moment but we need to go. If you’re going to kiss, do it now and let’s leave.”

Ralph nodded his head.

“There is a passage in the school that was built to get outside in the case of an emergency. Few people know of it and I was only lucky enough to be told about it due to a former member’s actions. We will take that to leave. There is someone that will be waiting for you after we arrive so let’s go.

***

It had taken a long while before the first person was able to come through the door. A shot was fired on sight, dropping the man to the floor, he was dead as Natalya’s gun smoked. Her hands trembled as she tried to come to grips with what she had just done. Before long, two more men filled the gap and more shots ran off to catch them.

The gunfire caught the attention of John Tom who changed his position to give them support fire. Natalya held her gun with one hand and the other hand held her head.

“Are you okay?” Sheldon asked as he looked over to her but not able to move because of the constant danger at the entrance.

She seemed to be lost within her own world and didn’t hear when he called her.

Cindy was too far away to notice Natalya’s odd behavior, she was fixated on the door.

It was the first time Natalya had killed someone, and he wondered if it was mentally affecting her. It had to be the worst possible time to get a breakdown.

John-Tom shouted, “Don’t be afraid, we have to leave!? On my signal fall back to my position!”

He counted, “3….2…1 now.” Cindy and Sheldon began to run but Sheldon realized Natalya wasn’t moving so he went back to grab her as another man came through the door. A clip from John- Tom dropped him as the man’s body casually dropped to the floor.

As Sheldon carried her, “What’s wrong Natalya? Are you okay?”
“Sheldon…my head hurts so bad so many flashes… why am I seeing all of these things?”

“What things are you seeing?” Sheldon asked as he stumbled with her, trying to catch up to Cindy.

“I remember being in Ralph’s house before and I remember being kidnapped. I could see him holding me in his arms and my mother, Sheldon I think Ralph is my father.”
Sheldon was shocked by this news, but he didn’t know what to make of it for now so he just tried to pick up the pace.

John-Tom fired another shot, “Come on kids, what’s taking so long?”
They reached their destination, the final safety area of the warehouse and the area that would lead them outside. It was a very tight fit. John-Tom told them to go as he stood back. Explosions could still be heard from the mines outside as they were set off.

Cindy entered first and then Sheldon pushed through Natalya as he gave one final glance back to John-Tom.
“Don’t worry kid; I will catch up with you soon,” he said to him as Sheldon nodded his head and entered.

The panel stretch wasn’t long and within ten minutes they were on the outside of the warehouse on the opposite end. To reach them, they would have to pass through another layer of mines.

Sheldon was the last to get out, and he looked back at the warehouse, as it was swarmed. An explosion consumed it, destroying all on the inside.

Sheldon looked at Natalya, but she was consumed by her thoughts. He wasn’t sure what to do now.

“Cindy, any suggestions?” he asked her.

“Yes, come follow me. Let’s keep moving,”