the great escape ;; anders

It had been two weeks since Ali's last day of freedom. Two weeks since the last time she felt the breeze touch her skin, two weeks since she had any other clio contact besides her captor, two weeks, two weeks, two weeks. Ali learned a lot in two weeks. She learned what made Anders upset, what made him happy. She learned how he slept at night (pressed up against her back, arm slung possessively around her mid-section), what he liked to eat (mostly canned foods), but she also learned other things. She learned where he kept all of his jars of dirt and stones, his other weapons. Ali studied every nook and cranny, every lock, every window, every door, closet, she knew her small apartment prison like the back of her hand.

Recently, Ali had played Anders' game well enough for him to finally trust her enough to remove her shackles. When she felt them melt away she couldn't help herself and actually thrown her arms around Anders' neck in gratitude. Afterwards, she felt so disgusted with herself that she had to take a shower, but at least this time she could take her clothes off herself.

Ali had been forming a plan on how to escape. She definitely couldn't break any windows, they were barred. Her only means of escape were literally through the front door, but first she needed to figure out his locks. Every time Anders left the apartment for more food or supplies or what-not, Ali took the time to study and attempt to pick the locks. Unfortunately, the main lock was a fusion of stone that she'd never be able to break on her own. Her only chance of escape was to take him by surprise.

It was mid afternoon when Anders announced that he was leaving for a little while, something about picking up a wig or something. Ali had been sitting on the couch reading a book, and she looked up as he left. Her heart started to pound, and she swallowed hard. This was it, this was going to be the day. She waited until she heard that last lock click before standing and making her way toward the door. She was going to wait until he returned home, and blast him with a gust of wind at the last second. Today she was either going to escape, or die.

Ali didn't move an inch the entire time he was gone. Time seemed to stand still, she was barely breathing, it felt like he had been gone for an eternity when she finally heard the familiar clicking of the locks unlocking. She sucked in a deep breath, pulled her hands back, and began to feel the air morph and bend around her. Strands of her hair began to fly around her face, everything seemed to move in slow motion. When the door was opened all the way, Ali pushed her hands forward, forcing the wind she created toward Anders, pushing him against the door, the force of his body and her power, breaking the door off of its hinges. Now it was time to fight.

Anders was incredibly pleased with how things were going with Alaska as of late. She really seemed to be coming around to him, especially since he'd removed the shackles. He had known the shackles would be a bit of a double-edged sword -- he either kept them on and protected himself while she remained in the mindset of a prisoner, or he removed them and put himself in danger but made her more comfortable. He had waited until she proved herself, and at that point had released her.

Things had gone fairly well since then. Though they hadn't progressed forward...sexually, he was confident that they soon might. They were sleeping together every night in bed, eating together, enjoying their time in the apartment. He'd actually left to get her a wig because he was growing confident enough that maybe he could take her outside sometime soon (soon likely being months, but that was nothing compared to spending the rest of their lives together, right?).

He wasn't able to figure out which wig she'd like best, so he'd picked out a few for her to choose from. He thought she'd look amazing in all of them...but knowing she was a beautiful, natural blonde underneath made him feel almighty. Knowing how gorgeous she could be was a special power of his, he felt. He had truly seen her that first day and would never be able to let that go. Sometimes when he looked at her, it was like he was seeing her that first day all over again, for the first time...

He zoned out a little as he unlocked the door with his eilemaiden, briefly spotting Alaska in the doorway as he opened the door before suddenly being thrown into the door, which broke from the force that had been thrust on him. He fell to the floor, the door breaking off its hinges and even in half with parts flying throughout the area.

As he had been pushed against the door from a sudden gust of wind, there was eye contact between him and Alaska that seemed somewhat life-changing for him. He saw a desperation, an intensity in her eyes that he didn't recognize. He was distraught, betrayed, disoriented. He didn't understand what was happening as he fell to the ground and parts of the door fell over him.

"Alaska," he whimpered from the ground, trying to get up. He had tried to fling the jars he'd stashed around the house to defend himself, but they seemed to have moved somehow. Nothing was reacting to him. If only for a minute, he seemed to be disarmed.

Ali was shocked by her own power. She never had to fight before, and never imagined that she could force a grown man to the floor. She couldn't think about that anymore. She needed to run. Anders was very skilled with his eilemaiden, she needed to knock him out before she could do anything. She remembered the first day they met, when they skipped class together. How he reacted quickly enough to help them escape the professor. He could trap her again in a snap, and the next time, she'd probably never have a chance for escape.

"I'm not your prisoner," Ali proclaimed, her voice strong yet wavering. "You can't keep me like a pet anymore."

The air around them began to stir again as Ali bended it to her whim. She lifted her hands above her shoulders, then threw them down, using the wind to toss Anders to the side like a feather. She wanted to run out of the apartment right then and there, but she had to make sure he wasn't going to be able to run after her.

"I'm not your prisoner. You can't keep me like a pet anymore."

Anders shook his head, never releasing his concerned and oblivious eye contact from Alaska's. "No, Alaska, of course not...we...we're soul mates--"

In the midst of his delusional word-vomit, a force of air that personified Ali's own resilience, strength, fear, and desperation threw Anders to the side. His body slammed hard into kitchen cabinets, his head knocking against the oven door.

He had trained for years to craft the perfect escape for them. He had honed his skills, perfected his techniques, even practiced on real women. He had worked shit jobs to secure this apartment for them, built the underground bunker with his bare hands.

Anders! Roanoke snapped. What the hell are you doing? Defend yourself! Get her! Roanoke had been flung alongside Anders, but still managed to growl at Alaska and her daemon.

Anders stumbled onto his knees. He reached his hand around to the back of his head, which was wet with blood from the cracked oven door. He felt anger rise within him again, a deep-rooted disdain for the pathetic life on this planet.

He turned to Alaska, rage in his eyes. If she was act this way for the rest of their lives together, maybe it would be better just to keep her in his memory as she was. Young, beautiful, full of life and happiness.

It's time to end this, Roanoke said, slowly getting up as well. It's better this way.

A new wave of fear washed over Ali like a tsunami. There was a look in Anders’ eyes that she didn’t recognize. Raw, pure, rage. She already started manipulating the wind to defend herself. Only it was too late, Anders was already upon her. He was much too fast, much too powerful.

Ali realized that this was probably the end...

Anders had found the strength to lunge suddenly from the floor right to Alaska. His hand found its way to her neck, his fingers shaking with rage and lust at the touch of her naked, vulnerable skin in his palm.

He was inches away from her as his grip on her neck tightened. Their noses almost touched. He was silent -- no more blubbering, no more acting, no more anything. He was going to kill her, here and now, with his bare hands. And then he was going to kill himself.

He lifted her up off the ground as he suffocated her, her face and shoulders rising higher than his own. Though Anders was skinny, he was strong. And he was crazed, determined, and unmoving in his final decision to end it all.

You were the love of my life, he thought to himself as she gasped for air. And even you betrayed me. There is nothing good in this world...but I cannot let you be further poisoned by this sick society.

His lip quivered, his eyebrows furrowed, a vein extruded from his forehead. Fitting that his final kill would be the woman who started him down this path to begin with.

Searing hot pain shot through Ali’s neck and shoulders as his hands wrapped around her throat. Her vision started to blur as she struggled for air. She reached up and dug her fingernails into his arms as she felt her feet leave the ground. A dribble of spit dripped from the corner of her mouth, while bright stars flashed across her eyes.

This was it, she was going to die. Faces of her loved ones crossed her mind, her brother, her parents, Sage, friends from school. Tears spilled from her eyes, then she shut them tight, accepting her fate.

Fight Alaska, she heard Abraham, his voice faint. You have to fight!

Ali’s eyes shot open, her own anger coursing through her veins. Her whole life she was just thought of as a dumb, little overloridians daughter. Easy to manipulate, easy to control or trick. She was more than a pretty face and a nice body, she was strong, she wasn’t going to lose.

Before she even realized what she was doing, the air around them because to stir, both of their clothing and hair flying around wildly. With little amount of strength she had left in her lungs and throat, she began to suck out Anders’ air, re-filling her own lungs, and before she knew it, his hands began to weaken, and her feet were touching the floor.

Anders didn't have an inkling of belief that Alaska could defeat him. He was bigger, stronger, smarter, more experienced. He had killed before and was prepared to do it again -- had she even hurt another clio physically before? Her attempts were laughable.

Maybe his over-confidence was his weakness. Even Roanoke, who found pleasure in watching Alaska start to die, began to feel concern as the wind moved around them.

Anders, be careful, Roanoke warned. Maybe she's stronger than you think.

Instead Anders stayed where he was, gripping harder. None of the other women were able to stop him, why would she be able to? If anything, he'd worn her down more over the past few weeks.

Nonetheless, he found himself short of breath, as if the air was being pulled from his lungs. He tried to shake it off, but his grip loosened. His strength started to fade from him.

"Bitch," he said, spitting in her face. "You can't stop me."

He coughed, trying to gain control over his air flow again. He was so wrapped up in himself that he didn't realize how much weaker he was getting by the second.

Ali flinched as his spit hit her face, but it only made her angrier. Blood began to leak from Anders’ arms where her fingernails dug deep. She was not going to die here, not by the hands of this lunatic.

“Watch me,” she croaked, the look on her face defiant and full of hate.

The wind around them was going wild now, blowing books and magazines around. Anything that was small enough was being flung around like they were inside of a mini tornado. Ali breathed in deeper, feeling a sick satisfaction as Anders’ face began to turn blue.

Anders' arms and legs trembled, though he would never admit that, even to himself. He could never admit that he was losing, especially not to her.

The muscles in his neck began to spasm as his body started grasping for life. His eyes twitched as they bulged slightly from his head. His fingers barely held on to Alaska anymore.

His adrenaline was pumping as he fought both for his own life and for the end of hers. He wanted to crush her neck under his grasp but his body was too focused on finding air to breathe. He was willing to fight her attack on him, but he wasn't able to any longer.

Anders' eyes rolled into the back of his head seconds before his entire body went limp. His arms gave out, dropping Alaska as he fell backwards and slammed into the ground. Blood from his head splattered across the kitchen floor, and blood crept from his gaping mouth. Roanoke had passed out beside him.

If Alaska were to feel for a pulse, she wouldn't find one. Whether she knew it or not, the force of air that she was pulling out of his lungs had created suction that caused his lungs to collapse in on themselves.

He was dead, and she was free.

As soon as his hands left her neck, Ali gasped for air then coughed violently. She didn’t wait to see if he was going to wake up, she didn’t bother to check for a pulse, she just turned and ran.

She stumbled out of the apartment building and squinted against the sunlight. She hadn’t seen real light in 2 weeks. As her eyes adjusted her head darted around wildly. There were other Clio out here, running errands, or just enjoying the fall weather. Clio started to eventually notice the frantic looking blonde girl with the bruised throat.

“Oh my gods,” she heard someone say. “It’s the overloridians daughter!”

Ali stumbled into the street, her paranoia high as every Clio turned into him. She tried to scream but her damaged throat wouldn’t let her. Instead, she bent her knees slightly then shot off into the air like a rocket, heading straight for home.

—-

It didn’t take long before the familiar estate was within sight. She started to cry, and the tears were flowing freely when she landed before the front door, scaring the guards in the process. She tried to speak but her tears were overflowing, and her throat barely let out a sigh. The guards, taking in the sight of her, gently pulled her inside and began to frantically call for Joel and Arizona.

Joel wouldn't have wished his and Arizona's last two weeks of hell on anyone. Their daughter had vanished, as if into thin air, and even with all of Adhbhar's resources at their disposal, they hadn't been able to find even a single hint as to where she was. The only lead they had was her friends' accounts of a strange boy she had been hanging around with. No one really seemed to know who he was or where he had come from, nor where he was now.

Joel clung to the hope that Alaska was alive somewhere, and would continue to cling to that hope until--until they found her--her body. He could barely stand the thought. In his memories she was so filled with life, it was unthinkable that she could be dead. He prayed day and night that Ali would be returned home unharmed.

One day, as Joel sat in his study pouring over files from the case as if he would be able to find some clue that the police had not, an estate staff member burst inside without knocking.

"Joel, it's your daughter," he said breathlessly. Joel stood up. He tried to speak, but there was no air in his lungs. "She's here."

Suddenly Joel was racing down the hallway towards the front foyer. He didn't even remember leaving his study. All that mattered was what was waiting ahead of him.

"Ali," he choked out, pulling her into his arms. She was here, this was real, she was here and she was alive. "Ali. Ali. Ali."

Though she didn’t want to believe it, Arizona had started to lose hope. She had lived through enough horrors to know that things like this usually didn’t have a happy ending. She had poured through all the police reports along with her husband. She even went out to lead search parties and interviewed Ali’s friends. The only lead they had was a boy named Nolan. But when Ari had searched through all of the citizen files, nothing turned up. It was like Ali had disappeared with a man who didn’t exist.

Today, Ari had been inside of her own study, taking notes and racking her brain for anything, anything at all, that she could use, when a guard burst through her door. “Overloridian Arizona!” she had gasped. “Your daughter is back!”

Ari had thought it was just some kind of sick joke as she practically floated to the foyer, and yet, there was her beautiful daughter, in Joel’s arms. “Alaska!” she cried, as she lunged toward her husband and daughter. “My baby!!”

Tears began to stream down Ari’s cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her husband and daughter. She thought she might faint.

—-

When Ali first saw her father, she let out a raspy sob and met him halfway in the foyer. She buried her head in his chest and breathed in his familiar sent. Safety and love.

Then she felt her mother’s arms wrap around them and couldn’t help but mouth the words “mommy” and “daddy” over and over again as she crumbled in her parents’ arms. She finally felt safe, and she never wanted to let go ever again.