He sequestered his heavy breathing with a heavy punch to the gut. It was like his lungs had collapsed in upon themselves. Someone he knew would have told him it was ill luck he would find himself in a situation such as this, but then again he never listened to the warning signs. He liked to live his life on the edge. Heart throbbing inside its chest cavity like a jack rabbit in the middle of sex. The sweat rolling from within the many pores on his face. Making his arm and neck hairs stick up. It was exciting! Occasionally he would tell himself it would all be okay. Someday he wouldn't have to hold his breath like this anymore. Instead he would be on the outside running free. No longer a prisoner of his own imaginations of life outside these walls that surrounded him. |
Footsteps tapered off in the distance. His heartbeat fluttered in the usual thumping motion. It wasn't easy to do. In fact it took him several years to grasp the importance of it all. They say three times is a charm... not for him. Seven times. That is how many failures it took to put him in his place. Seven lasting moments in which he felt like popping like a helium balloon reaching the edge of the atmosphere above.
“Just a few more minutes” he kept telling himself. If only it were as easy as that. He knew he would be waiting for another shift. Followed by another two shifts. It was going to be a long night.
He wriggled inside as hunger became a monster tearing at his ribs. Surprisingly there wasn't a single rumble from within his stomach. Thank god! The last thing he needed was his position given away. Especially after coming this far.
“Hey John, ready to switch?”
“Sure. I could use some sleep.”
Time for the second shift. It was finally the moment he had been waiting for. The moment where he would find out for sure what all his training led up to. In one of the swiftest moments of history everything he knew had changed indefinitely.
“Just a few more minutes” he kept telling himself. If only it were as easy as that. He knew he would be waiting for another shift. Followed by another two shifts. It was going to be a long night.
He wriggled inside as hunger became a monster tearing at his ribs. Surprisingly there wasn't a single rumble from within his stomach. Thank god! The last thing he needed was his position given away. Especially after coming this far.
“Hey John, ready to switch?”
“Sure. I could use some sleep.”
Time for the second shift. It was finally the moment he had been waiting for. The moment where he would find out for sure what all his training led up to. In one of the swiftest moments of history everything he knew had changed indefinitely.