James was just about to lay down and try to get some sleep after the most exciting day he’d had in who knew how long. He was just contemplating how sad it was that what had happened was the most exciting thing to happen him in a long time, even before he was kidnapped and locked up, when the lights suddenly flickered and then went out completely.
Panicked, he shot up from the cot and stumbled around in the darkness, hands out in front of his body trying to find the nearest solid object. He was blind! It had been so long since he’d experienced complete darkness that his eyes refused to adjust. But the more pressing issue was why had the lights gone out?
They had never gone out before, not once in the whole time he’d been there. So why now? Did it have something to do with the Prince? Had they outlived whatever purpose they were supposed to be serving for the purple women? Were they going to kill them all?
“What are you doing?”
To add to his shock and panic, the hallway beyond his cell was suddenly flooded with red emergency lighting, loud sirens began to sound and standing on the other side of the fence, looking thoroughly amused, was the green-skinned prince. Once again James couldn’t have stopped himself from gasping if he wanted to.
“Are you planning on blundering around in there all evening?” the Prince smirked.
James stared at him in shock. Earlier in the day he had been wearing some sort of formal uniform but now he was dressed in a knitted jumper and jeans, head-to-toe black, and somehow still managed to look just as powerful. His attitude was completely different than it had been earlier though, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying whatever it was he was doing and James couldn’t help but stare as he grinned, baring his sharp teeth.
“You realise that the power has gone out, yes?” Eamazyn continued, his voice strangely casual as he raised a gloved hand and tapped the fence. “Unfortunately that also means the fences have gone down. Sad really.”
Realisation suddenly dawned on James. “You did this,” he breathed.
“Maybe a little,” Eamazyn smirked again as he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a key, holding it up for James to see. “Or possibly a lot. It all depends on your perspective really.”
“Why?” James frowned at the key. He refused to believe that tiny thing was the key to his cell. It seemed to small a thing to be able to take his freedom away so completely.
“Does it matter?” Eamazyn quirked a brow at him. “Would you not rather run than discuss the whys and wherefores?”
“There’s no point,” James suddenly deflated. “They’re not human, they probably have superhuman speed, they’ll catch me before I can even make it out the door.”
“They do yes,” Eamazyn nodded and then grinned wickedly. “However Anjulesa and her people are currently … pre-occupied. Shall we?”
He watched in anticipation as the alien prince shoved the key into the lock on his cell and the door swung open.
Eamazyn didn’t give him time to ask more questions, as soon as he was through the door the prince started down the corridor, unlocking more cells as he went. He looked for all the world as though he were enjoying every second of the chaos he was creating for the purple ones.
James followed closely and urged the other prisoners to keep quiet and follow Eamazyn. Some of them didn’t trust the green alien and headed in the opposite direction but most of them chose the same option as James and followed the prince towards the exit and their freedom.
After hurrying down several corridors, freeing more prisoners along the way, they came bursting out a door into the night air. Night. It was night time. James could see the stars in the sky above and smell the plants surrounding the pathway they’d stepped out onto. He was so busy staring at the stars that he barely noticed the prince telling the others to run, scattering them in all different directions and telling them to run as far and fast as they could.
By the time he tore his eyes away from the sky Eamazyn was pulling a bag out from underneath a bush at the edge of the path and after rummaging through it for a moment he threw a black hoodie and a pair of shoes at James.
“Put those on and take your hair out,” he ordered as he swung the bag over his shoulder. “It will do nothing to hide the yellow of the legs but it will do.”
He stood and watched impatiently as James pulled on the hoodie and then slipped the shoes on before reaching up to pull the band out of his hair, stopping every so often to look at the sky again.
“By all means,” Eamazyn suddenly snapped. “Take all night, it’s not like we need to run or anything.”
“Now what?” James frowned at him as he shook his head, letting his hair fall down. It was dirty and greasy and he cringed inwardly at what it probably looked like the alien with perfect hair standing in front of him.
“We need somewhere to hide,” the prince looked thoughtful for a moment. “I cannot return to my home, they know where I live and Anjulesa will not be please with me after this evening.”
“My place?” James offered without even thinking about it, only realising when it was too late what that would imply.
“Where?” Eamazyn demanded.
“Um…” James looked around. Judging by the area they were in Oasis Springs, he wasn’t sure where exactly, but if they could make it to the road they could flag down a passing car or maybe find a bus or taxi and it wouldn’t take them long to get to his place in Parched Prospect. “We need to find a car or something, it’s not far.”
“Let’s go then,” the prince nodded.
“Wait,” James caught his arm as he moved to walk away. Eamazyn glanced down at where James was touching him and frowned. “What about the others?”
“They are not important,” he said absently as he continued to stare at James hand on his arm for moment before looking back up. “We need to move.”
Without another word he turned and began running down the path. James followed a few seconds later because what other choice did he have?
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