We prisoners, now almost free men, raced through the canyon, intent to slip from the grasp of our captors. The red shirted man, a natural leader whom we all decided to follow, waved us forward into a gully to the right. Another canyon vein and still onward we tread.
We had been moving through these canyons since just before light, the terrain too treacherous to attempt an escape under full darkness. Now several hours in and no sign of our captors’ pursuit, we could taste the freedom waiting for us somewhere ahead.
Then came the noise, like a mountain smashed low behind us. The rumbling felt under our feet from the not so distant disturbance. Renewed by the sudden rush of adrenalin within us, we dashed ahead with surprising speed.
For a short distance that is. The canyon ended here, steep sides all around and us still at the bottom. We could only double back, losing any time gained over our captors. Only, nearing the gully entrance, the disturbance was revealed.
The canyon walls here were crumbled. The pile of rocks sealing our way, leaving us to our fate. Our captors were standing at the top, bemused expressions on their faces. None had known our escape route! How could this be? Unless, the red shirted man was a traitor to us all.
The end.
I hope you enjoyed this tale and it quickened your pulse a bit.
If you did enjoy this tale, you might also enjoy the tale of a rooster in cahoots with the fox.
Word of the Day Challenge: Traitor
Jim Sponseller – mindescapes.net – 2019
mindescapes.net - Art Works by Jim Sponseller 