AVA'S P.O.VNone of us believed in happy endings.It was a hands-down-no-way-around-this-for-sure kind of thing.We all couldn't have our Villian or Prince Charming —depending on preferences— or even enjoy something as undervalued as freedom.Until today.My happy ending was escaping here alive. And I was going to get it tonight.Andy had managed to coerce one of our clients, an old, daft chief manager of some prestigious company, to wait outside the wall.Sounded pretty sketchy and weird to me, but all or nothing, right?I exhaled shakily, stuffing a small torch into the side of my sports bra. It was a few minutes before our sleeping time, and fortunately, Andia was to be on surveillance duty while I was off the kitchen and cleaning duty. So, of course, I switched out with her duty partner.Talk about good graces."-And then I'll go back and find all of my stuff, which will-," Andia was saying, her hands emphasized whatever she was describing."Andy," I slipped my hands into the empty pockets of my black, stretchy booty shorts, my chest deflating under the weight of unease on my shoulders, "we should go."She beamed, then continued her one-sided conversation in a lower tone. I couldn't help but purse my lips. Her chatter spiked my nerves.But then, I realized what she was doing: creating a distraction.She was definitely scared, but she was trying to chase some part of the fear away by giving her brain work to do.So I kept silent and followed her out of the room, my heart racing faster than before.I'd been pretty calm about our escape plan, but now, fear of our getting made me sick.What was I going to do once we got out?Find mom first?Visit Daddy's grave?Look for the reason Daddy committed suicide?How would I cope?What was I supposed to do after we made it out?Did I have to be trained again from the start?Someone had to take over the company, and I was the only living heir, but could I do it?Would I even be found worthy?What if people despised me once they found out where I'd been?Would I become a social pariah?I shuddered.Positive thoughts, positive thoughts.We treaded lightly but quickly across the hallway and then down the stairs, our eyes adjusting to the dark when we heard the signal for lights out:"ROOMS! NOW!"Then, each door began to slam from Section A below. It was done each night to ensure each room had its occupants inside. Fortunately, we got Skitty to cover up for us.But she came with a price. A pretty lax one, too."The joker," she'd shrugged, rolling a lollipop in her mouth.I didn't ask what it meant and just agreed. Skitty could be vague like that.I just hoped what she had asked for was something I could deliver. She was putting her life on the line for us.We'd instructed her to slam her door without letting go of the knob so it wouldn't lock, then do it again to represent us. But it was tricky, considering the locks were automated at night, yet she had said to leave everything to her.Naturally, I was skeptical about how she would pull the plan off. We couldn't stand outside the rooms once the countdown started because as soon as the doors slammed on each floor, they automatically locked everyone inside.Throughout the night, guards were sent to patrol the premises to ensure everyone was in their rooms.They didn't care if we slept over in some of the rooms. Everyone just had to be inside, and every room had to be occupied.The tricky part was having the door slam again within the span of a second without having it whine. It was practically impossible; we'd tried, but we were running low on possibilities, and knowing how nimble her fingers were, she was a safe bet.I clasped my hands, praying she wouldn't get caught.When it got to our floor, we listened quietly till the last door slammed.One Mississippi....two Mississippi...Wham!Andy mirrored my giddy expression, hysterically swinging our clasped arms. She did it! My blood roared in my ear, louder and denser than the sounds of the door slamming shut.Oh, this night was getting better and better!The ground guard, Felix, stepped up to us and handed us tiny torches, indicating the start of our duty.My heart skipped a beat when he walked away. He didn't even realize I wasn't on tonight.Yes! Yes! Yes!We held our breath, waiting till his door slammed, and then we took off. We flew across each threshold, down a flight of stairs, and then got to the ground floor in record time. Two minutes.We had twenty-eight more until another supervisor inspected and took a report. Each second had to count."This way," Andy whispered as she flicked on her flashlight. I followed behind, changing our direction whenever she almost made us take a wrong turn. At one point, I took the lead, worried her nervousness was confusing her and leading us the wrong way.When we stopped, I laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the contact."Andy," I instructed, "breathe. Pull it all in, good, good, and let it out."She swiped a nervous tear away. "We'll be fine. We've got this.""Damn straight."A small chuckle slipped from her lips, and I was glad to see some part of her fear falling free. Straightening her shoulders, she turned to the stone wall and pushed a cracked stone in.I frowned, wondering what she was expecting to happen, but abruptly, the stone was sucked in, and slowly, the wall shifted, the grating sound almost too loud for my hyper-sensitive ears.How in the world did she happen to know this?I winced and glanced over my shoulder to inspect if anyone had heard anything and was coming for us.Without waiting for the wall to open fully, we slipped through the half-slot and out into the night. I shivered at the gush of the night air as we slinked behind a nearby wooden structure.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I know. I know. Tell me your thoughts with a side of critique, please. ;)