Escape like a cicada sloughing its skin chapter 3

The Moment of Fright

Old Budi wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, “I still don’t understand what you mean.”

“As long as I can get out of here, your medical expenses will be taken care of. But the premise is that you have to help me escape.”

Old Budi asked in surprise, “You mean you want me to help you break out of prison?”

“Listen, it’s quite easy for you. If someone dies, I’ll hide in the coffin with the body and be buried with it. Then you’ll dig me out of the grave. Then…” Gina looked at old Budi slyly and smiled. “Then we’ll both be free.”

Old Budi was reluctant to accept Gina’s idea. Gina said a lot to persuade him: What had the government done to him? It had abandoned him when he needed help the most! Why not think about himself? Eyes were so important to a person. What would happen if he didn’t get treatment?

Old Budi lowered his head and fell into a long – term meditation. The air seemed to freeze, and it was so quiet all around. Finally, old Budi raised his head, and his lips moved slightly. “I agree…” Gina excitedly grabbed old Budi’s arm and sweet – talked him with promises. “We’re good friends. As soon as I’m out, I’ll give you a large sum of money to cure your eyes!” After saying that, she secretly stuffed the letter into her pocket.

In the following days, Gina and old Budi worked out a detailed plan together. She asked old Budi to get her a master key and to make a small hole in the coffin for her to breathe. She especially reminded old Budi: The key was to dig her out of the grave in time so that she could make her escape!

After everything was ready, Gina was eager for the 12 – o’clock bell to ring and for someone to die. But waiting for someone to die was not something one could control. Two months passed slowly. After the last blow, old Budi’s eyes seemed to be getting worse, and he became more and more depressed. Meanwhile, Gina became even more restless…

Finally, one night, Gina heard the 12 – o’clock bell ring. She jumped up like a little deer that had found its way home, but she still remained calm. Two hours later, when everything around was quiet, Gina used the master key to open the prison door and quietly slipped into the morgue. There, she saw a coffin with a body in it. At that moment, Gina began to hesitate. It took a lot of courage to lie with a dead body, but for the sake of freedom, Gina closed her eyes and lay down in the coffin. It was pitch – black all around, and the only companion she had was the dead body in the coffin. The cold air from below was gradually surrounding her…

When it was getting dawn, someone opened the door. Gina immediately became alert. By feeling, she knew that the coffin she was in was being lifted up, then slowly raised, and then put down. Then she heard the sound of a car engine. Before long, the hearse arrived at the cemetery, where a grave had already been dug. After a while, the coffin carrying two people was slowly lowered into the grave. At this moment, Gina finally relaxed completely. She could clearly hear the “rustling” sound of the shovels hitting the sand and the coffin, as well as the mournful cries of the crows on the branches. She also heard the people above talking: “Why did this person suddenly die? He didn’t even have a single relative. How pitiful!” “Yes, there are too many pitiful people in the world!”

Hearing the word “pitiful people”, Gina in the coffin thought to herself, “Budi is one of the pitiful people. His eyes may go blind later. I don’t have any property at all. Everything was a lie to him. After I make my escape, who cares about his life or death! He’s just a tool for me to use. I’m about to be free!”

Gina was happy that she had come up with such a good plan. As she was thinking, slowly, Gina fell asleep while waiting for old Budi to rescue her…

It seemed like a long time had passed when Gina was suddenly awakened. The oxygen in the coffin was running out, and it was getting difficult for her to breathe. “Damn it! Why hasn’t the old guy come yet?” Gina began to curse. She gathered her strength and tried to listen for footsteps outside, but it was so quiet. Time passed slowly, and there was still no sign of old Budi. Gina gasped for the little air left. Her consciousness was gradually fading, and the cold air was seeping into her body. She took out a lighter from her pocket to warm herself. At the moment when she lit the fire, the weak light illuminated the small space. Gina clearly saw the face below her. It was none other than old Budi, the man who needed money to treat his eyes…