When I thought of the title my brain immediately started singing "Smoke on the Water", and now it's stuck in my head. Let me know what you think. :)

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The steady rhythm of water drops is what woke her from her sleep. She turned over on the small cot, knowing that he's going to walk by soon. Waiting, she looks at the stone blocks in the wall. They are like her in many ways, unable to be moved from the spot they were placed in. The only difference is today, today is the day where she finally earns her freedom. It was then that she heard it, the steady banging of a baton hitting the cell bars. As he gets closer to her cell, she can hear him telling the inmates to get up. "It's breakfast time you filth," he would say. When he got to her cell, she didn't move. "Wake up Carla," he said while banging on the bars some more, yet she lay still as statue. A jingle was heard as he put a key into the lock on the door.

Creeeeeeeeek

Carla knew to keep track of where he was by the sound of his boots, from her previous attempts at escape. When he was right beside the cot she quickly flipped over to face him and brought her leg up to kick his side. Her calf hit perfectly in the middle of his side and sent him to the floor. Carla grabbed his keys and bolted out the door then down the hallway. The pounding of boots on the concrete was heard as several guards ran after her. 'Almost there. I'm almost there' she thought, pushing herself to run faster.

Left

Right

Left again

The door is now in sight. Carla pushes her legs to go faster. Reaching out she grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open. Running outside she had to close her eyes briefly to adjust to the bright sunlight. Opening her eyes, she sees that she's almost to the fence gate. She looks to the towers to find no guards. 'Strange,' she thinks, 'there are always at least two guards in each tower.' The fence passes by in a slight blur as her feet hit the paved road on the outside of the prison yard. The grumbling of an engine is heard in the distance as the guards start their four-wheelers. Without looking back, Carla knows that she's in trouble. If they catch her this time, she'll be put in the chair. Reaching the beginning of the bridge to the mainland, she runs along the side, watching the water pass below her. 'I only have a minute at most before their in range to shoot. I have to, there's no other way!' She starts to focus on the color of the water, darker is deeper. Seeing a very dark spot a few feet in front of her she thinks, 'It's now or never.'

Free

All she could feel while falling through the air is, free. The water is rapidly approaching as she tries to maneuver her body to a diving position. Her hands hit the water, then her face, then her feet are covered. Slowly breathing out through her nose, Carla propels herself forward. She needs to get as far away from the bridge, and as close to the mainland as possible. Her lungs start to burn as she tries to swim as fast as she can. Breaking the surface, Carla takes a deep breath and looks around. 'I need to keep going,' she thinks, 'I'm almost there.' From the bridge she can hear, "Hey, there she is! I can see the prisoner!" Carla quickly spun around in the water and saw a man pointing at her and talking rapidly to another man. She turns back around and starts to swim towards the shore. Her foot brushes the bottom and she swims some more before she can stand and walk through the water. Moving as fast as she can, Carla makes it the the beach. Putting her hands on her knees, she takes a few seconds to catch her breath. Looking over her shoulder, she sees the bridge a few meters away.

"I need to keep going," she huffs, "to, to, somewhere." She sighs and takes a deep breath and starts to jog away from the bridge. If she can get out of range from the bridge, she can get back in the water. She needs to get to the back of the prison island. Some people will think she's suicidal to go back, but they don't know what's back there. They don't know that there have been others to escape this way. Carla knows, and she knows that she will get away, and never be caught again. Just a little farther, when the bridge is out of sight, and she can get away from this horrid place. The place where her nightmares were born, and cultivated by the guards into a nasty reoccurring night terror. The images of her night terrors flash beneath her eyelids whenever she blinks. Shaking her head, Carla looks over her shoulder as she runs farther away.

Suspicion starts to set in as she realizes something, she hasn't heard the four-wheelers yet. Her feet dig into the sand and rocks as she comes to an abrupt stop. Looking around, she doesn't see anyone, but these guards are known to be sneaky. The bridge is no longer in sight, so she turns and runs into the water. Diving in, she quickly moves here arms and legs to propel herself through the water. Carla's heart furiously pounds in her chest as she starts to think of all the worse case scenarios. What if they have snipers? What if they have a submarine? What if they have an underwater net. What if they have the island quarantined? Her brain goes into overdrive as she thinks of all the possibilities.

What if?

What if?

What if?

What if?

Halfway to the back of the island, Carla slows down and starts to tread in the water. Slowly looking around, she tries convince herself that the islands back wasn't being watched. After a few minutes, she reaches the island and lays down on the beach. 'My arms and legs are burning, I think they might fall off,' she jokes with herself as she heavily breathes in and out of her mouth. Finally catching her breath, Carla sits up and takes in her surroundings. The back of the island is actually pretty nice. Greenery is seen stretching all the way up the cliff and the white sand reaches out to the plants. A black hole in the rock catches her eye. 'There, that's my chance at freedom!' Carla jumps to her feet and sprints to the caves opening, unaware of the eyes that watch her.

At the mouth of the cave, a shiver runs down her spine. Carla brushes it off as chills from the water. Rushing into the dark cave, she stops and listens for water. An underground river is supposed to be deep within this cave. Slowly walking further into the cave, Carla periodically stops and listens for the sound of rushing water. After a few more minutes, she starts to hear the water. Stopping to make sure she heard the correct sound, before breaking out into a run towards the sound of the underground river. The quiet tapping of feet falls onto deaf ears as the sound of Carla's own heart pounds in her ears. Now able to see the water, Carla stops and looks into the crystal clear blue water. 'But now what do I do, he never told me what to do when i find the river?' Carla stares into the water as a look of concentration takes over her face.

The man following Carla stands a couple yards behind her. Hiding in the shadows of the cave, he watches as she sits down at the edge of the river. A look of concentration still on her face as she swings her feet through the cool water. Slowly, he stalks forward, silently placing one foot in front of the other. Stopping right behind her, he bends down so he is at her height. Taking a quick moment to reminisce on their past, he readies himself for the struggling to come. Before Carla is able to notice him, he shoots his arms out and grabs her. One arm wrapped around her arms and waist, while the other one covered her mouth. He has to tighten his grip on her as she tries to wiggle out of his grasp. Putting his mouth next to her ear, she freezes as he slowly whispers, "I finally found you Carla."

The End