Stolen: Part 1: Chapter 3 The First Attempt

It had been nearly three days since Courtney had worked up her plan. Matt was still in the holes and probably would not get out for at least another week and that was if he was lucky. Daron was none to happy that Matt had intruded on his disciplining a second time. Courtney had to get him out.

At lunch Courtney snuck past the guards and outside. Her legs pumped with adrenaline as she ran towards the wholes. When she got there she could not find Matt any where. He was not in the wholes! That meant he was in the dungeon and Courtney would have to wait.

Turning around sulkily Courtney ran straight into Matt. He was sweaty and covered in muck. His brown hair was a knotted mess. He was a disaster. Except, for his eyes. They sparkled as much as ever at the sight of Courtney. The gold in them seemed liquid.

"Courtney!" Matt sounded exhausted, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you!" Courtney was surprised, "How’d you get out?"

"I didn’t. They let me out. I was looking for you but you weren’t on the work dock."

"Oh. Well, I have a plan to get us out of here. We need to,"

Matt cut her off. He kissed her on the lips. It was all he could think to do to show how much he loved her. He loved her for who she was on nothing else. He did not even remember how he knew what love was. One of the older kids must have told him when he was younger.

Courtney felt like she could fly. It was just a brief second, but it felt like ages before she could breathe. She could hardly recall what she had been saying. When she could breathe again she finished, "climb the fence."

Matt looked into her eyes with love and compassion, "So what’s your plan?"

Courtney told Matt everything up to going to the police. He did not like the idea anymore than she did but he was going to have her back no matter what.

"Look Matt, I got 15 lashes three days ago. I can’t take it anymore. I have to get out of here," Courtney finished.

"So when are we going to follow through with this plan?" Matt asked business like.

"How about now." Mistake number one, "It’s the perfect time. They’d never expect it. Especially from me."

"Sounds good to me. Let’s go."

Courtney was so excited. She knew they could make it. They were alone and ready to make the dash of their lives. They knew the risks. If this did not go right they would be taken separately and forced to live a life of beating, starvation, and torture for the rest of their long drawn out lives.

They walked hand in hand onto the working dock. They stopped in front of the towering doors that led out front. Leaning into each other they kissed. With springy free legs and grins on their faces they dashed through the doors. A loud, terrible ringing sounded in their ears as alarms sounded.

Courtney looked over her shoulder to see Daron and his posse of guards running after them. Mistake number two. Her legs tangled together and she fell on her face. Matt pulled her to her feet and they shot off.

The fence towered over them like a skyscraper. Matt lounged at it and began to climb. Courtney followed close on his tail. When they neared the top Matt put his hand on the fourth to last wire. Mistake number three. The electric volts shot through his body.

Courtney stopped climbing as the fence began to shake rapidly. Suddenly, Matt fell to the ground. Courtney jumped down not caring how she landed. She looked into his eyes. They were smoky, but he could still see her blurry figure. Tears began to stream don her cheeks as she saw his head ooze.

"No!" Courtney breathed, "I’m so sorry Matt."

Her heart felt ripped. It was just a bloody organ, but she felt it was disappearing as she looked into Matt’s eyes. Some part of her that was vitally needed was gone. She felt as if she was nothing, as if she could not live. At least, not the way she had lived. Without him she was a lilac with no root, a book with no pages and a singer without a voice. She was nothing.

Courtney crouched beside him to check his pulse. Nothing. She shook him and hit him to try and wake him. Nothing. He was still warm, to warm. The electric volts that had passed through his body had fried him. Courtney wailed.

She had failed him. Matt was gone and there was nothing she could do. He had died in this horrible place. He never had a chance. The freedom he had so longed for had not been found. At least not in life. It was her fault. She had made him came with her. Made him clime that stupid fence. He had trusted her.

Daron had made his way through the group of kids and guards towards Courtney. He looked at her then at Matt, to the fence and back to Courtney. "Look at what you’ve done Courtney. I know this was your idea, and because you’re too stupid to think Matt is dead! Oh well."

Courtney looked at him disbelief. Was Matt just another animal? Did Daron even care about any one? Were they all just worthless bugs?

"He wasn’t my hardest worker. I’m just glad it wasn’t you. I need you, were as Matt, Matt was worthless to me. He was dirt Courtney! I thought you were gold, but I guess you’re not. You’re lower than dirt! You killed him. Remember? Not me," Daron lectured as he pointed to her, Matt and himself, "It wasn’t my idea to climb that fence, now was it? No Courtney! It was yours!"

Courtney looked at Daron with disbelief. Was Matt just another work animal? Did Daron even care about any one? Were they all just worthless bugs?

"He wasn’t my hardest worker. I’m just glad it wasn’t you. I need you, were as Matt, Matt was worthless to me. He was dirt Courtney! I thought you were gold, but I guess I was wrong. You’re lower than dirt! You killed him, remember? Not me," Daron screamed as he pointed to her, Matt, and himself Matt, "It wasn’t my idea to climb that fence, now was it? No Courtney, it was yours!"

Daron put everyone back to work and left Courtney to there to weep. Her heart no longer wanted freedom, but Matt. She tried CPR, but it was too late.

"If a doctor can do it after an hour why can't I after only a few minutes?" Courtney screamed to the sky, "one, two, three," kiss, "one, two, three," kiss.

She tried a dozen times before she realized it was no use. She gave up. She wasn’t a professional. She couldn‘t get a professional and no one would help her. They called her trader and said, we told you so.

Courtney threw her head back and cried to the sky. Her long, black, matted hair clung to the sides of her face. Her eyes sodden red, she bled internally, "Why’d you take him away? Why? He doesn’t deserve to die! Please? Please bring him back! Why didn’t you take me instead? You should have taken me! It was my stupid plan!"

She fell over him crying. She knew he could never come back. She lay there, hoping, that he would understand. She whispered over and over, I’m so sorry, until a guard came and took her to her room.

Courtney no longer thought of it as a room, but a jail cell. A place were she should stay for the rest of her life. Stay there as a punishment for Matt’s death. It was a life sentence, for murder.

That hole day and night Courtney grieved. She did not go to the factory or to any meals. When she was supposed to be at dinner Daron came and too her to the wholes. She did not fight, for she did not care weather she lived or died. There where not only old bones, but Matt’s body as well. Right away she became sick of the stench and vomited.

Daron laughed and launched a shovel at her, "You killed him, you bury him."

Courtney knew she had to burry him or he would end up like the others, rotted and stomach churning. She dug and dug, each shovel full with pain and anger. She lay him face up, straight, and closed his eyes. She crossed his arms over his chest and threw the first handful of dirt in as she said a prayer. She wanted him to have the most proper funeral as possible. Then she used the shovel to finish her painful job. About three hours later Daron came and put her on a double shift.

"Basically, a hole day of work has been lost, Courtney," Daron scowled.

Courtney went out onto the work floor and began. Kids were shaking their heads. They hated her. They thought she had done it purposely.

WACK!

Suddenly a water jug hit her in the head. Several more followed along with snide comments such as, "How dare you, what’s wrong with you, all you wanted was a day off," and, "You’re heartless!"

Courtney was waiting for Matt to come and save her, and then suddenly she remembered he could not. She ran to her station. Her eyes widened as for what she saw was unbelievable. Matt was there working. He turned and smiled. Courtney ran to him and hugged him, but he did not hug back.

This is impossible! You’re dead! You died yesterday, on the fence!" Courtney was amazed.

"Uh, we decided we weren’t doing the escape until tonight," Matt whispered confused, "and you shouldn’t fall asleep on the job. You’re lucky it’s just us two around."

Courtney stopped hugging Matt. It had all been a dream. He was never dead. Did this mean he was going to die if they tried to run. She couldn’t be sure, but she wasn’t going to take any chances. Having her heart ripped out again would be unbearable.

"You’re not dead," Courtney sighed, "Oh Matt, we can’t climb that fence,"

Matt interrupted her, "Not so loud. Do you want us to get caught?"

"Sorry," Courtney whispered, "but the fence is electric. We’ll die."

"What?"

"You have to listen to me Matt. I had this dream and, and," Courtney stopped and looked down at her feet.

"What? Courtney, tell me?" Matt pleaded.

"You died. If it would really have happened, I don’t know what I would have done."

They talked and argued over plans. One would come up with a plan but it would quickly be excluded by the other.

"We could use rubber or wood on our hand and feet. Electric volts don’t go through those kinds of things," Matt tried to be convincing.

"No!" Courtney quickly objected, "We are not going to clime that fence unless the electric volts are gone!"

"What, so you want to blow the power or something!" Matt said angrily.

"Yes, that’s it! We’ll blow the power! Matt you’re a genius!"