"I need to get out of here," Priscilla said, her blue eyes burning.
"Why the urgency?" the gardener asked, leaning back against the picnic table.
"I'm not sure if you would believe me if I told you," Priscilla replied, starting to play with a piece of wood that was splintering.
"That just makes me more curious," the gardener smiled, swinging around to face her.
"Do you believe in the supernatural?" Priscilla asked, her eyes darting up at him ready to read his reaction.
"Of course," the gardener replied.
"Well, I help the angels that protect my high school," Priscilla replied.
"How so?" he asked.
"The angels show us how to do things they that they can't do on their own," she said.
"Interesting," the gardener replied.
"Yes, my brother and I are a critical part of the team this year," she said. "They are very much relying on me and every hour that I'm not back increases the likelihood that one of my friends will die."
"Die?" he questioned.
"Right, die," she reiterated. "If I can't play my role I leave the school vulnerable to the enemy."
"What school?" he asked.
"What school?" she replied confused.
"Yes, what is the name of your school?"
"The name? It’s Waterfall Academy,” she replied. “I don't have any idea how to escape though. I've only been here 2 days."
The gardener looked at his watch, rose suddenly, and started walking off.
Priscilla jumped up and chased him down calling, "Please, can you help me?"
He turned and looked down at her, "Help you?" he said. "I'll get you out myself."
"Really?" she responded her completion lighting up. "How?"
"I'll need your help," he said.
"You mean we're going to escape right now?" she replied.
"Keep your voice down!" he said whirling around. "We're going to start setting things up to escape tonight. What time is it?"
"7:29", she replied.
"Exactly at 7:30 I want you to give me a hug," he said.
"A hug?" she responded.
"We need to be as sly as possible," he said. "I'm not sure how aware the guards are of this vulnerability."
"Vulnerability?" she said.
"We must act natural," he said under his breath. "Hug me now."
Priscilla moved in and gave him an awkward hug.
"K, good," the gardener said and started walking away.
"What is this vulnerability?" Priscilla asked. "And what does hugging have to do with it?"
"You'll catch on if you pay attention," the gardener said.
Priscilla wanted to retort back but held her tongue realizing that trying to work with the gardener might be her fastest way out of the prison camp.
"Okay, I'll try to catch on," she agreed, just hoping that he wasn't toying with her.
"We'll do it again in 15 minutes," the gardener said presently. "So do kids date at your school?"
"Date?" she responded.
"Yeah, you know. Boy like girl. Girl like boy," he clarified.
"I guess," she replied.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.
"No," she responded uncomfortable by his oddly personal inquiry. There was a moment of silence and then she found herself divulging, "Well, I did my sophomore year."
"Aw well I'm sorry it didn't work," he said.
"It didn't not work out," she replied shortly. "He died."
"Wow, I'm sorry!" he replied.
"It's rather common at my school, sadly," she said. "That doesn't make it hurt any less though. One day we will push the battle lines far beyond our school and there will be peace. My boyfriend was one of the greatest we ever had."
"What was his name?" the gardener asked.
"Sadier," she said.
"What do you say we take a picture," the gardener said several minutes later.
"Of what?" she asked.
"Of us," he answered.
"Okay I guess," she replied.
He pulled out a camera and held it backwards at arm's length to get their faces in the frame.
"Closer," he said raising his arm for her to come underneath.
"Whatever," she said squeezing close to him.
"Smile," he instructed as they posed. "Cool, we're good," he said putting the camera back in his pocket.
"You don't want to see how it turned out?" she asked.
"Not really," he said.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because that camera is broken," he replied. "It doesn't even turn on."
"Then why did you try to take a picture with it?" she exclaimed.
"I guess I'm just weird, I don't know," he replied shrugging.
"Hey you missed it!" she said.
"Missed what?" he asked.
"You said we were going to do something at 7:45, right?”
“We didn’t miss it,” he insisted.
“The picture was it,” she guessed.
He shrugged. "See the pattern yet?"
"I don't think hugging every 15 minutes is going to get me out of here," she said.
"I disagree," he stated confidently.
"You're starting to creep me out," she retorted, but she didn't actually mean it. They sat down at the picnic table again. Some of the prisoners were outside today enjoying the sun, but most were inside. Over the prison fence she could see mountains thick with forest.
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