The eye of the lion

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Marina cast another glance at the suitcase she had just shut, at her side.

She stroked the blue check as though it were the most valuable treasure in the world and put it down the front of her dress. Then she got down from the bed and hid the suitcase beneath it, trying to obstruct the camera’s view with her body so that no-one could see what she was doing, and trying to act as naturally as possible.

She had made up her mind that morning. She was going to escape. Like ‘Papillon’ on the Island of the Devil. She still wasn’t really sure how she would do it, but the next day she would leave, and with the money from the check she would start a new life with her father and her baby.

Instinctively she brought her hand to her belly and as she caressed it, she felt a slight movement. She went to the window and looked outside while she went through her improvised plan in her mind.

Lindsey, the elevator guard on the evening shift, ruled by her stopwatch of a bladder, would go to the bathroom at 6:45 more or less, and would abandon her post for approximately four or five minutes. That’s when she would take advantage of her absence, cover the camera with a sheet and run to the elevator, activate it and go down to the next floor, the central kitchen, then she would hide and escape on one of the various vehicles which came to the factory each day with supplies and provisions.

It wasn’t a very good plan, she knew that, but she had to try it. And, in any case, she knew they wouldn’t hurt her if she was discovered. They needed her. Or, at least, they needed her baby safe and sound.

She looked out of the window as she pressed the hidden check next to her chest, and saw the big storm clouds which were forming in the grey sky. A lightning flash lit up the sky like a root of white fire in the clouds, and the muffled rumor of thunder made the window-panes rattle.

The storm was approaching.