The Audacious Escape

The sun shone and the birds twittered as Jack walked towards the mall and pulled open the big and heavy doors. Suddenly, the color of the sky turned into a frightening dark gray.

All the birds stopped chirping at once, and the strong and freezing gust of wind blew, causing Jack to shiver. What had been a warm summer day a minute ago had turned into a cold and dark winter. Jack was confused but shrugged and stepped into the mall, wanting to get out of the cold. His thin T-Shirt wouldn’t do anything to keep him warm.

Jack walked into the mall, but he immediately knew something was wrong. It was so quiet; you could hear a pin drop. The mall was very dark; Jack could barely see. It was like the mall had closed, and everyone had gone home. But he could make out several tall and burly men waiting for him, dressed in all black and wearing dark masks. They had wicked, sharp knives in their hands. Jack sprinted for the door, as fast as he could. He knew that they were right behind him. He didn’t dare to look back. He outstretched his arm, and for a moment, his hand touched the door handle, pushing it open, and he thought he was saved. But just as he was about to escape, a huge hand grabbed him and pulled him back. Jack flailed his arms and screamed in horror, sure that the men wanted to harm him as he was dragged back into the darkness…

Jack was only briefly aware of being dragged many floors downwards. Jack woke up immediately when he landed on the cold, ground. His surroundings were dark and damp and it seemed as if he was in a dungeon. The air was foul and humid. Water dripped from the ceiling. Rats scurried away as he made a feeble attempt to stand. Tears streamed down his face, and he had trouble breathing.

“Hello, Jack,” said a breathless voice behind him. Jack gasped and turned around. An old man was behind him. He had silvery white hair, which was matted and untidy. When the old man opened his mouth to talk, Jack could see that he had only a few teeth that had turned yellow over time. Jack noticed immediately that he was breathing heavily. The man held out his arms like he was expecting a hug. Jack moved backward, not sure about what to do. The old man chuckled and wheezed. “Is that how you greet your grandfather, Jack?”

Jack frowned. Grandfather? His head immediately started spinning. His mother and father had never told him – or his sister, for that matter – much about his grandfather. They had just said that he had gone missing one day, after searching for a lost possession. Jack had always wondered about this, but he had never built up the courage to ask his parents for more details. Jack shoved these thoughts aside, meaning to think about them later. But if the old man was his grandfather, it may have explained how he knew Jack’s name. But… Jack’s grandfather had gone missing for several years… and now Jack had found him – in this miserable place?

Jack was confused about what he would say, but Jack was curious to find out more about that. But before he could ask, the doors banged open, and a gust of cool air entered the dungeon. Jack felt a pang of fear – a feeling that was getting much too familiar as he cowered behind the old man, trying not to imagine what would happen to them.

Four men in dark suits marched into the dungeon. The first one said nothing but, “Come with us.” And Jack was about to obey. What other choice did he have? But suddenly, he realized that the old man was tugging at his sleeve, pointing with his eyes at something. Jack looked and realized that the men in the dark suits had left the steel doors open – probably assuming that there wouldn’t be any problems getting Jack or the old man to obey. Jack wasn’t sure if he dared to make a run for it. But the old man quickly smacked one of the men in the face with the back of his hand, causing a distraction, and quickly took off – if he could run. He hobbled off. But luckily, the men were still in shock. Jack decided to copy the old man and smacked another man in the face. Jack didn’t wait to see their reactions. He ran as fast as he could towards the door. He leaped through the door and locked the doors before the men could run out.

The old man and Jack leaned against the door for a minute, panting. “You… smacked… a ninja in… the face…” Jack wheezed. He didn’t know if he was laughing or not. The old man chuckled, breathing heavily. “I am your grandfather,” he confirmed. Jack didn’t know why but he believed him. Jack looked around and saw that the rest of the mall was empty, but he still had a feeling that he would still see the ninjas again. He held the door open for the old man. “Let’s go home.”