Ahmar

“I have spent fifteen years in this darkened room, living amongst the blind mice and insects, feasting upon their flesh whenever they came on or close to me,” Ahmar said into the room. “I have spent an additional ten years at this prison, trying to break out and start prison riots against the guards, but all they have done was beat me to the ground, whipped me, starved me, and even burned my face beyond recognition. I can still feel that scorching fire upon me, cooking my flesh to a crisp.”

Ahmar went quiet, thinking he heard something move. “No one has visited me, albeit the guards thinking that I was beaten to death and died down here. Heh, maybe they’re afraid to come down here.’

“Maybe…” replied an old and hushed voice.

Ahmar’s head lifted, looking straight ahead into the darkness, trying to figure out where the voice came from. “Who are you?”

Ahmar heard the shaky, intake of breath before the voice spoke again: “I am nobody.” There was another intake of breath. “Just another prisoner who tried to escape, and I’m at the end of my life.”

“So why have you spoken up now?” Ahmar inquired.

There was chuckling and then coughing before the voice finally spoke again: “I thought you ended up dying from your wounds. Nevertheless, I’m not going to get out of here.” There was a clatter of an object sliding across the ground and it hit Ahmar’s feet. “You can use that to break the chains. The clasps are unbreakable though and have trackers in them.”

“How do you know this?”

“I escaped once and tied to break the clasps. I was found on another planet, living a normal life as a construction worker. But I feel the power in you now. I feel as though you are ready.” Without waiting, Ahmar grabbed the tool and broke the chains that held him to the floor. The demon stood up and stretched, working his muscles and cracking his joints.

“Where are you?” Ahmar asked. “I want to give you a proper thanking. A way out of this prison.”

“No need for that,” the voice said. Ahmar followed the voice to where it was. “I will only slow you down and we will be right back in here.” Ahmar crouched down in front of the being and grabbed its face.

“That is not what I’m meaning.” Ahmar quickly snapped the creature’s neck and began to eat its flesh. The demon gorged himself, not having this type of meat in such a long time. He cracked the bones and sucked the marrow out, he savored the vital organs, especially the heart, and he gulped down the meat, picking the bones clean. The demon, having finished his meal, got up and found his way to the cell door. He fumbled with it, trying to break it down, but was unsuccessful. The demon heard foot steps approach the door and he stepped back and to the side.

“I thought I heard someone trying to open this door,” said a voice.

“Better to check it out,” said a second. The door opened, and the feet stepped inside. Ahmar heard the two turn on their goggles and continue to enter the room. Ahmar took this chance to walk out the room and close the door behind him, locking the people inside. The demon heard them panic and yell and freak out, but he ignored them, continuing his way down a narrow corridor. He got to the end and opened the door, immediately shielding his eyes from the lights that shone down from the ceiling. The demon walked out into another corridor and looked for a button, one that he knew would open all the cells for the prisoners to run and escape. He had played this in his mind that if this would work, he would be free and would leave for another planet. He walked aimlessly along the corridor, not seeing any guards in site.

Finally, he found the button, on a wall, big and silvery. The demon quickened his pace and slapped it, right as two guards came around a far-off corner, holding their coffee. Oh, how the cheers of joy filled the halls as the guards within the buildings rushed to fight back the prisoners. They were without weapons, but the guards off duty would come, and they would be armed. Ahmar had to act quickly. He ran, down the corridor, knocking over guards and pushing prisoners out of his way as he was heading up to the roof, the main place where the space pods were held for intergalactic travel to fetch prisoners.

The demon found where the stairwell was and heard a rush of footsteps coming down. He hid within the doorway of a vacant and unused cell, watching the guards run by, marching with their weapons at the ready. Once they passed, the demon quickly slipped through the closing door and ran up the stairs, going three flights up. He saw the door to the roof and kicked it open, being greeted with warm air and the sunlight. Ahmar hopped into a Spacepod, and old and battered looking one. The demon opened the hatch and sat inside, watching the hatch close as special forces guards ran out onto the roof.

“They know,” the demon said as he did a random selection of planets to go to. “Planet Brench it shall be,” he said as the Spacepod lifted up and shot up into the sky. The demon punched in a command and the pod stopped it’s trajectory. The demon got out of the pod and looked down upon the prison. He could see some of the prisoners running out of the building, some guards being pulled out of the other end. “Guess the prisoners are running the place now,” Ahmar said. He cupped his hands at his side and stood in a ready position. “Ka-me-ha-me-HAAAAAAAAAA!!!” The demon shot forth a dark version of the attack, one that he learned many years ago, and watched as the building blew up into a ball of fire. He smiled and then sat back into the Spacepod, continuing on his course to Planet Brench.

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