As I had predicted, not eating the food they had given me had allowed me to gain my full strength back, as backward as that sounds! Whatever they were doing to the food was designed to keep me submissive by ensuring I suffered! Numerous guards had walked past my cell, and every time I had to put an act on to look like I was in pain. This usually meant either lying there in a huddled shape, or looking like I was unconscious! The satisfied grunts that came from them seemed to indicate that they had been fooled, and it was simply a case of picking my moment! I had an idea how to escape, and it was a lot more passive than simple stabbing someone with an improvised wooden shiv! The source of the smell that had plagued my nostrils since I awoke in the cell had actually been the root of my escape! I spent an hour or so, monitoring the times that the guard would walk past my room, and up the corridor. I had it down that I would have plenty of time to slip away, as long as he was kept fooled. I wasn't expecting it to work, but in the hopes that it would serve as an adequate distraction, I arranged the sheets on the bed in a fashion which hinted someone lying beneath them. I then tested this by hiding in a corner and waiting for the guard to pass from ahead and turn right. That way he would look in, see the covers, assume I'm there and not see me hiding in the corner against the door! I couldn't believe it when once again, the guard huffed with a smug sense of satisfaction, and proceeded along the corridor. Still sweating from waiting anxiously, I chose the moment right, and dived, feet first, into the murky water that flowed through the hole in the corner. The next bit was going to get messy...
Not really knowing which way to go, I tried to fight back the wave of nauseousness, as I bobbed around in the filth! It wasn't as bad as I thought, due to the lack of other captives, however it wasn't entirely clean either! I eventually decided to go in the direction of the current, in the hopes it would lead to a vent, or a drain or something other than a tunnel full of sewage water! I swam with the current, trying to keep my head above water... The smell was almost unbearable, but I struggled on, knowing this was my one chance. If I lost consciousness, I drowned! If I cried out, I would be found out, and I wouldn't get a second chance! For what seemed like hours, but in reality was actually mere minutes, I continued along the tunnel, until I noticed the current begin to slow, and I saw a light up ahead. Not knowing where I would end up, I slowed myself down by putting my palms against the walls of the tunnel, and used the friction to slow myself down. I slowly bobbed about at the end of the tunnel where it ended rather abruptly with a drain! A large room built around it accommodated the water - and the smell - but it wasn't forgotten, as a solitary torch stood against a wall. Checking to make sure no-one was around, I released my grip from the walls and drifted onto the drain. I climbed out, trying to stifle a cough that was working its way up my throat. I sat in the corner of the room, away from the drain to catch my breath, some clean air and hope that I would dry enough to not leave huge puddles around for the guards to follow...
After a few minutes of sitting there, trying to get my head in gear for the next stage, I tried to think about what would happen if I escaped... Where would go? I don't have the map, and even if I did, how would I navigate? I'd need to locate my position before I could do anything! I got up and walked to the far side of the drainage room where a series of steps lead to a narrow doorway. I stood in the shadows, and listened, trying to hear if there were any footsteps, but there wasn't a sound except my laboured breathing and the running water splashing through the drain. As I peered out, I couldn't see anyone to the left or right corridors, however I saw two things that caught my attention. To the right was a set of metal gates which led to a stairway... A way out maybe? Ahead of me on the other side of the corridor, was a wooden door. Inside I could see burnished metal, and I thought back to yesterday, and where I had been... Could this be? Waiting a few more moments to ensure the coast was clear, I crept over to the door and peered in. Inside was a small room with a chest a table and a chair. It had a doorway which lead to a much bigger room. Opening the door silently, I went inside, and looked through the second doorway. Inside was a huge metal room with no items except a clock and a stool. This was the room I had been to yesterday, or should I say taken to!
There was no-one in the room, but I didn't to take the chance of someone being on the other side of the glass. I was about to leave when the chest caught my eye. I opened it, expecting to see strange devices and papers etc. But inside, surprisingly, I found my gear! There was the map, the compass, the small dagger and the stone! They had confiscated it, and left it in this chest! I quickly took them up, rolling the map up for convenience sake, and then I noticed something odd... A book with a stamp on it that I recognised from somewhere... I was about to take it when I heard the same whistling again, and I closed the lid of the chest. Oh well, it probably wouldn't matter too much anyway. This was brilliant, though! I had found my stuff! I though I would never be able to get back because of the lack of a map and the compass, but now I could! All I had to do was escape... Easier said than done. I peered out into the corridor again, noticing a sign above the doorway I had just come. It said "Sewage Outlet"... Well that made sense. Turning around and looking up, I noticed that the room I had exited also had a sign which said "Interrogation Room"... Well... I don't know what to say about that... Trying not to get too distracted, I turned to the left and ran quietly to the gates. They were cast iron, and they seemed to be locked from the other side. As I looked through them, I noticed that at the top of the stairs a light shone down... That was daylight! Looking at the wall, I noticed a small lever just on the other side of the gate. I outstretched my arm to try and reach it, but to no avail. I was about to try and get it open by holding the dagger and stretching out again, but I heard a whistling, and footsteps, so I backtracked a short while and hid behind the doorway of the sewage outlet room... The footsteps stopped, I heard a short chuckle, and they began again. I doubted that he would come down into the sewage outlet, so I thought it would be the best place to hide. I waited for what seemed like hours, for him to walk towards me and hopefully turn back around. I peered into the edge of the doorway, and quickly shot back in as a shadow passed by in the corridor...
The footsteps and the whistling stopped again... A short silence... And then a confused "humph" noise... What was going on...? I waited an for what seemed like eternity, hoping that the guard wouldn't know I was here, or hear my thumping heart! Eventually, he let out a sound of dismissal and then the sound of a door closing... The whistling began again, and the guard turned around to go back up the corridor... When he was out of range, I let out a breath I had been holding for a very long time... I had nearly been found out... A simple mistake... I had left the door open to the investigation room... Luckily it seemed this guard was as stupid as the ones from the films... Either that, or has the least observant person ever! I waited for a few moments, and then exited the room, turning left this time... I was going to have to follow the guard, and hopefully find places to find along the way. I continued down the corridor until I came to a right bend. Looking to my left, I immediately identified my cell... Looking in, I noticed how convincing the sheets were... Rather proud of myself, I pushed on along the corridor to the right. Then again I heard the sounds of whistling and footsteps... Thankfully almost every cell along the way was open, and I ducked into one at the last moment... I sat in the corner on the left side of the door, so there was no way he would see me unless he entered the cell... I just hope he didn't close the door... I held my breath and closed my eyes, willing my heart to stop beating so loud!
The whistling passed me... Then there was the usual huff of satisfaction, and the continuation of the whistling. I took this chance, and went around to the corridor to the left. The cell I had hidden in appeared to be one of the first here, because to corridor continued for only a few metres after that, and then turned left. I edged round the corner, expecting to see guards or other people, but there was nothing... What place is so badly patrolled? Then again, how often was this place used for it's intended purpose? Taking the opportunity, I continued down the corridor until I came to another iron bar door. This time however, the lever was on my side. Flicking it up, the door swung open. As I passed through, I thought about the guard, and realised that he wouldn't be stupid enough to ignore this open door. Before continuing, I leaned through the doorway, and pulled the lever down, causing the door to swing back. Satisfied, I went up the corridor where another iron door stood, with the same layout. Opening it, I did the same thing to close it. As I got to the other side, I noticed a series of steps going up. Ascending them, the thin passageway ended abruptly with a ladder leading to a hatch. I climbed to the top of the ladder and peered through the slits in the hatch. Confident no-one was there, I forced the hatch open and climbed through. I then put it back into position and stood up to survey my surroundings. I was near the surface; I could hear running water, and there was natural light streaming from either end of a passageway I had entered. My attention was broken however when I noticed another ladder leading up! There were two ladders, one on either side of the passageway, set into a notch in the wall. Looking up into the notch, I noticed no-one coming down... With me being the inquisitive type, I ascended the ladder to the top. Once again, the ladder ended with a hatch, which I opened once I was sure the coast was clear. When I emerged from the ladder, the wind hit my face, and I inhaled deeply. Ah, fresh air! I was outside, and from the looks of things, in a small tower... I looked up and saw another staircase that continued up, but I couldn't see what it went up to. Instead, I look outwards, to the East according to the compass, and surveyed the area. I didn't have a clue where I was...
As I was trying to get my bearings from the surrounding area, I heard voices coming from above, and realised that someone was descending the ladder from above. I quickly got back onto the ladder to descend back into the passageway, accidentally slamming the hatch as I went. I heard a voice shout out to see if anyone was there, and I made haste down the ladder before anyone found out I was there! As I got to the bottom, I became aware of a voice coming from below... It was the guard who kept walking past the cell... He had heard noises from above and had begun to climb the ladder to the hatch to the passageway. Without thinking, I bolted to the left where an iron door stood. A small button set into the wall was the only thing that caught my interest, and I pushed it! To my relief, the door swung open! I bolted out of the place, however I was careful to take a photo of the place I had just emerged from...
The tower that I had ascended extended way above where I had been. So much so that some parts were obscured by the cloud layer! What was that place? Who was there, and who did the guards work for? Was the figure really this organised to have people working for them? Knowing that these questions would never be answered by standing there, I decided to run now as fast as I could. Taking the compass out, I had a good feeling about running East, so I found it and ran! I kept running until I ran out of breath, and the tower was shrinking away into the distance... But what stopped me running was something I found... It was of no significance, but simply another way I could have exited that place... Before me stood a cobblestone entrance with cast iron gates blocking the path... Looking down, I saw another set of gates... The ones I had tried to get through... It's a good job I went the way I came otherwise I might have got trapped by this set and been caught!
I ignored this and continued to the East, hoping I would stumble across something... If not, I would lie low somewhere until it was safe to get a good idea where I was... Continuing East, I saw nothing that looked familiar, and nothing that correlated with the map... I may have gone the wrong way...It didn't matter at the moment. I was away from that place... I had escaped... It began to get dark, and the I didn't want to be wandering around at night without any form of protection. I quickly found a small cave, which, with a bit of work, I managed to block up one end of to prevent them from seeing me... I sat at the Eastern end of the cave, keeping an eye out until the sun went down... If they knew I had escaped by now, they would be looking for me... After all, if they wanted the stone, they would have to find me!
That was an eventful day... Escaped my cell without being noticed, found my gear and escaped the entire complex without raising an alarm. Sam Fisher, eat your heart out! I've moved to the back of the cave as I heard noises a for minutes ago. Turned out to be a cow... Still, it's not worth taking the risk, so I'm lying low. I might try and get some sleep, and tomorrow, I'll head out early and try to survey the surroundings from a higher vantage point. They say that the first night is the most dangerous for an escapee because they are most likely to make the most mistakes because of nerves and whatnot. So far, I think I'm doing pretty well...
Syeonyx signing off
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