“Escape Attempt”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent Van Gogh

“What are you doing?”

I look up, my heart pounding. My arms wobble as I regain my balance.

“Hey, whoa there.” Sheldon walks up slowly, careful not to startle me. “What are you doing there?”

“Walking across the canyon on a tightrope.”

“Why?”

“To get across.”

“Why?”

“To get to the other side.”

Sheldon stares at me with exasperation. “Yes, but why? We’ve got everything we could ever want right here! Food, shelter, a friend… What more could you want?”

“My freedom,” I snap, a bit more harshly than I was expecting. I sigh and soften my voice. “Look, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. You’ve made life here bearable. But it’s become apparent to me that I’m never going to get out of here. They’re going to keep me trapped here for the rest of my life, and I can’t have that.”

“Are you saying that I’m not good enough for you?” he asks, crossing his arms. “We’ve been stuck on this rock together for ten years, and what, now you suddenly want to leave? Were you even going to tell me that you’d left?”

“I was going to come back for you,” I lie. “I swear.”

Unfortunately, Sheldon isn’t an idiot.

He grits his teeth, his expression darkening. “Sure you were. You know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I can take matters into my own hands. After all, I’ve been doing that since before I even met you here.”

Before I can even register what he’s about to do, he bends down and yanks on my makeshift tightrope.

As I fall to my death, a single thought crosses my mind:

Why on earth did I think that I could trust a psychopathic murderer?

Final Comments: I wish I’d thought of the prison idea closer to the beginning of the story; it probably would’ve made more sense!

Overall Rating: 😬