Escape from the Compound.

The light from the windows of the Compound illuminated the neatly trimmed grass in crisscross patterns. It was the night of the new moon, and the surrounding forest seemed to be pitch black in comparison.
Elduin grabbed his sister's hand and ran. She was still too afraid to do anything on her own, so he led her. The raucous laughter from inside the Compound sent shivers down his spine, but he continued to run. He dove into the brush, pulling Elleria with him. Sharp branches scratched at him, but he was too full of adrenaline to notice.
His mind ran through scenarios as he sat there, barely daring to breathe out of fear that he would be found. Nobody had ever gotten this close to escaping the Compound before. And he knew what would happen to both of them if they were caught. He felt his heart break at those still in the stone walls of the abominable building, at the torment they would likely go through as a result of his escape. If he could, he would have taken all of them with him.
His mind was sharp for his age. He could reason things through at a level nobody would have expected, which is why he had been able to escape. Planning and preparation had been meticulous, and he had suffered greatly for this opportunity. The past few weeks he had taken to hiding in the building each night, for as long as he could. The punishment for this had been severe but it meant that now they would look for him inside for longer before they looked for him outside.
He led Elleria through the woods as soon as they were both able to continue walking. They had gotten out of the Compound, but there was still the outer wall to get past. They stayed as close to the road as they dared, the black of night hindering their movement while at the same time providing them with desperately needed cover.
A carriage containing several 'guests' came through and they stopped until it passed. The horse let out a whinny as it trotted by and the swinging lantern at the front blinded their eyes. They took several minutes to recover themselves before continuing on.
The brush on the side of the road was very thick, and Elduin took a chance. After steadying himself for a few moments he grabbed Elleria and dashed to the other side of the road. The continued on for a while in silence. He tried to think about the upcoming gate and how to pass it, it was the only remaining unknown variable in their escape. One of the Keepers in the Compound had dropped a key months back, and he had held on to it for this moment.
At long last the wall loomed in front of him. The heavy gate stood imposing and seemingly impenetrable. But he knew Deegan was on the other side of it, waiting to take him and Elleria to freedom. The guardhouse was silent, a candle flickering in the window. He knew he would have only one chance at this.
The 'guests' had already come in. The guard would have nothing to do. Elduin prayed that the guard would be too busy relaxing to notice. He stepped forward inch by inch towards the gate. He felt his heart pounding and he could scarcely make himself breathe as he took the key in his trembling fingers. It fit inside the lock with a small clink! and he stopped to stare at the guardhouse.
There was nothing. Then a sound from the guard, he nearly fell over in surprise- A loud snore. He urged himself to calm down, squeezing Ellerias hand to reassure himself as much as her. The key turned and with a loud click! the gate was unlocked. Then they were outside, running as fast as they could.
From behind them they heard the loud clanging of bells as an alarm went up from the Compound. Their absence was noticed. Elduin looked around frantically for Deegan as they ran down the road. Suddenly a hand clamped over his mouth and he screamed-
Shhh! Deegan urged them to be quiet. He picked them both up and led them to a horse in the woods. He assured them that the horse would take them to freedom but they must hold on as best as they could. He would delay the Keepers as long as he could. After that he would come and meet them where it was safe. He slapped the horse on the rear and it took off through the woods.
Elduin held on to the horse as tightly as he could. His sister held on to him, and he felt comforted by her warmth on his back. They rode at a brisk pace, not fast enough to fall off but not slow enough that they would be caught. Light glimmered through the trees as dawn approached.
Then they were out of the woods. A house was waiting in a field ahead of them and the sunlight dazzled their eyes. People were waiting there, Deegans friends who were there to take them to safety. The horse came to a stop and Elduin felt his sister shaking with tears as she hugged him. He looked around, wondering why the outside world was so distorted and blurry. Then he felt the tears streaming down his cheeks. He reached down at the hands reaching up for him, and he knew everything would be all right.