✔ WHEN FISH FLY (OpenNovellaContest2021)

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟

"Go, go, go, go!" I shout, running past all the pale-faced people who look at me wearily as they step out of their cell. Some of them I recognize, others are complete strangers, but I continue shouting at them as I hastily run through the mass of bodies searching for Amber. Based on what Gold has learned so far, Amber should be in a cell right ahead. I know she is probably right, but the fear of her not being here, of police officers arriving on the scene before we can complete our plan, is making me push myself to the limit.

Once we had reached the golden framed picture of the flowers in the small corridor, I opened up the wall using the same method chief had used earlier in the morning. Then we went in, Gold running off towards the computers while Vulcan fought off the few officers standing guard at the entrance. I helped Can up until Gold figured out where Amber was being held, so once I was sure Vulcan could handle the men and women before us, I took a run for it, the phone Lilac Royalty had given me months ago pressed against my ear as I moved as Gold instructed. Every now and then I would ask her to open a door, but mostly, I stayed silent, my uneven breathing crackling through the microphone.

Stopping in front of the cell Gold had told me our friend was being kept in, I strap the phone onto my waist and peer inside, "Amber? Are you okay?".

She is slumped against the wall, her head against her chest. Her breathing is shallow, the way someone breathes after receiving a hard hit on the chest. Standing in front of her, I realise chief must have done a number on her, beating her up in order to get the information about Black Demon out of her. Her pale arms are now covered in bruises and bandages, and when she lifts her head and stares at me through one eye I get a glimpse of the horrors she must have endured during the past few hours, her hair hiding her bruised right eye from sight.

This is my fault.

"I knew you'd come," She whispers, lifting her head.

Pressing my lips together, I decide not to reply. Instead, I help her up, wrapping my arm behind her back and letting her put most of her weight on me as we move into the now almost empty corridor, everyone making a slow ascent towards the surface.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, the sadness I have been hiding from the rest of the girls breaking my façade of numbness, the mask instantly crumbling as tears roll down my cheeks. But I don't stop walking.

I need to control myself, keep myself calm and collected. These girls have seen me cry, they have seen me angry and in pain, fearful and even happy. But they all think - except Hemlock who has been in my mind - that it was all fake, part of the job. It will take time for them to realise the true reason I am helping them get Amber out. I don't want to admit it, but if I had known about this prison before knowing who is in it I don't think I would have stormed in, putting both my job and my life on the line.

But I'm doing the right thing. I am sure of it.

Vigilantes might not be good because of the law, but the people behind the masks can be good - and in this case, they are.

"I know," Amber wheezes, her breathing even worse than before. I want to ask her to stop talking, but she continues, "I knew you were conflicted yesterday. I never knew... Never thought you would work for the police, though. You... You are too good for them,".

I hold my breath, not wanting to give away how much her words mean to me. She should be blaming me, making me feel worse than I already am for the actions I have taken, but instead, she is trying to make me feel better.

I try to push her words to the back of my head, her voice echoing into the darkness as I divert the subject, trying to ignore what she is saying, "We need to hurry up. Gold is watching us through the cameras, she should be reaching out to us in a bit," Unless things have gone wrong, I want to add but decide not to for both our sakes.

Bearing left, I keep up the fast pace, Amber hanging off me as she pants to keep up. I feel bad for her, but if something happens we have no place to go - our priority has to be to get out of here.

"Fish... What's your real name?" Amber whispers out of nowhere.

The question takes me by surprise. Why would she want to know my name? At this point though there is nothing to hide, especially after what has happened to her because of the lies I have already said.

"Aithne Pan,".

My parents named me Aithne after my father's grandmother, one of the first people who gained powers. She could manipulate fire, which ironically is the meaning for her - our - name. She was smart, confident, but most importantly, she was selfless. She would fight for the wellbeing of the helpless, work against the people who tried to manipulate the poor and do everything in her power to make this world a better place. That is the reason my family has always worked so closely with law, why my dad has always told me to stick to the rules and work with them. But my great grandmother didn't do that, in fact, she broke the law almost constantly, always for the better good. She was a rebel, and even decades later she is famous in some places in Ireland for her actions.

I've always thought that the only way of being good, of helping people, is by abiding by the law. How have I never seen what history teaches, how have I been blind enough to not notice the similarities in all the stories from the past?

As long as there is good intent behind it, laws sometimes need to be broken.

Gold's voice sounds from the phone strapped to my waist, snapping me out of my train of thoughts, "We need to get out, now. Di and Eagle can't keep the officers at bay and Hemlock can't protect the prisoners who have escaped for much longer,".

Panic, that's what I feel as her words sink in.

What if we don't make it out? What if we all stay down here for the rest of our lives? What will happen to us, to all the people who have escaped, if we don't succeed?

"Snap out of it," Amber wheezes, her voice stronger than before, "we are going to make it, but we need to hurry up,".

"Yes," I say, nodding. I am tired, the ache in my legs intensifying as I push myself into a jog, pulling Amber with me. If I hadn't hurt my legs so badly from the fall, I could probably carry her and run, but I can't, so I just need to push myself harder and make sure at least the rest of the team gets out of here.

I have a sudden idea, and with my free hand I scramble to get the phone from my waist for me to explain the plan to Gold, who will communicate it to the rest of the team.

I need to make sure they all get out of here, they deserve that.

Even if the cost may be my future.

CHAPTER NINETEEN WORD COUNT: 1295

Finally, I have had time to finish this chapter! As some of you may know, I have started the second semester at University so my free time as been stolen from me ( especially since I tend to do extra work as the representative of my year, helping out my classmates... I have a tendency of spreading myself thin, but I promise I am working on it!) Anyway, I am starting to think this story might be 21 chapters long, but again, no promises! Thank you for reading the story, I hope you are enjoying it so far. If so, make sure to leave a star!

Question: If you could travel anywhere right now (imagine covid doesn't exist), where would you go?

I wish I could travel to Venice, honestly. Writing about this fantastic city is making me want to visit it more and more! Hopefully, I can go there in 2023 (yes, that's my bet of when things will go back to 'normal') and walk around the canals, visit the museums and the ports... Oh, how I wish I could go!