As I waited in the janitorial closet to meet James the guard for some sexual favors as payment, I could feel my heart racing. This was the moment I had been waiting for all of these months; this was my final chance for freedom and I was damn sure going to make it work--- even at the risk of death.

James’ heavy footsteps approached our shadowed den of sin. I gripped the sharp pointed object in my right hand behind my back, seeing the doorknob turn and the burly James step inside.

“Hey,” he mumbled, standing in front of me as he unbuttoned his pants with great expectation. I waited until his pants were down to his ankles, his blank stare looking at me. “C’mon, what are you waiting for?”
He reached for me but I wasn’t about to allow him to touch me any longer.

With great strength I took my weapon, made out of a metal speculum, and swung it directly into his jaw, the sharp edge pointed down. The pain ricocheted through my hand and into my arm as James lost his balance; his feet caught in his pants as he fell to the ground like a giant tree. I punched him again and again until small cuts could be seen on his unconscious face, his neck bent against the wall as his body lay sprawled across the linoleum.

I was sweating and looked at my watch. I had now passed the point of no return and would have to maintain my appropriate schedule to the second if I was going to make my dream of escaping a reality.

I quickly began undressing James, leaving his naked body rolled across the cold floor as I donned his appropriate uniform that would, if I had planned it correctly, be my ticket to freedom. James began to stir so I punched him again, only this time a welt oozed blood beneath his left eye.

So far, my plan had worked. I was walking down the hallways and corridors to the main security checkpoint without garnering any attention. Guards meandered through the halls at all hours so I knew if I kept my head lowered and acted bored, I would be able to bring little or no suspicion.

I looked at my watch, realizing I was on schedule when I could see Lily on the other side of the security checkpoint hallway flirting through the intercom to the guard on current watch. It was Stanley, a notoriously nervous freak with a penchant for arriving late and leaving early since he was a self-proclaimed “Hollywood screenwriter.”

“Well,” said Lily to Stanley through the electric voicebox, “I just don’t understand why you don’t have a girlfriend.” She giggled her infectious laugh, teasing him with a finger in her mouth as she pretended to bite her nails.

He was trying his best to maintain his professional demeanor but was clearly excited by her sudden attraction.

“Are you sure you’re not up to something little lady?” asked Stanley, the smile widening across his face.

I stood at the guard entrance into the main security checkpoint, keeping my head lowered.

“The only thing I’m up to is YOU,” whispered Lily. Geez, she was putting it on thick when suddenly the door BUZZED me inside the security station. I stepped inside and approached the unsuspecting Stanley who was too into Lily’s floorshow to notice who was coming behind him.

I quickly shoved my object into Stanley’s back, leaning into him. He glanced over, his face turning white as he realized who I was.

“You do one wrong move and I’ll blow you away, got it?”

He froze, simply nodding yes.

“We’re going to go for a little walk and you’re going to lead. Now turn off the emergency doors in the right wing.” His hand reached over to a series of buttons and flicked them to NON-OPERATIONAL. A large yellow light on the security panel illuminated that a breech in security had occurred. I knew I had a 3-minute window until an alarm would sound automatically.

“Get up!”

I made him walk out of the guard station and lead me into the minimum-security corridor, passing Lily who reacted with sudden panic and ran back to her room, putting on a performance even Meryl Streep would applaud.

I looked at my watch and realized I had less than 40 seconds left before the alarm would automatically go off.

When we reached the side emergency exit, I pinned Stanley against the wall and he saw the gun was actually a speculum. He struggled when I sent a blow to his face and he fell to the ground, semi-unconscious. He began to yell so I quickly kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he gagged for air.

I ran and pushed myself against the door filled covered in warning signs of impending alarms if one opened it. But only beautiful silence greeted me on the OUTSIDE of the door as I sped across the lawn. I was free, running straight for the tree that had been my incentive for freedom.

As the horrific SIREN suddenly filled the complex behind me, I passed the tree and passed my hand across its rough bark in a thank you. I continued running, disappearing down a brush covered hillside and towards the Los Angeles River that I knew would give them warrant to search. But they would be wrong. In fact, everyone would be wrong because I wouldn’t be caught.

I would kill myself before ever becoming a caged animal again.