Blood Red Road

the gauntlet. I cain’t help hearin, though. The bayin of the chaal-crazy crowd, like a pack closin in on their kill.
    I close my mind off. Don’t let myself think about it. I gotta stay alive. Gotta git outta here an find Lugh. He’s still out there somewhere, waitin fer me to come. I know it. They could be keepin him right here in Hopetown.
    Hopetown. It’s a cesspit, jest like Mercy said. Every scurfy villain that ever crawled outta a dunghill seems to find their way here.
    An the Tonton. They’re everywhere, also like Mercy told me.
    They’re personal bodyguards to the Cage Master, who watches the fights from the comfort of his balcony. They control the Gate, checkin who comes into an outta Hopetown. They’re in the watchtowers, one at each corner of the palisade surroundin the city. They’re in charge of the armed guards who control the Colosseum crowds an patrol the streets. They’re in charge of the scum who guard us here in the cellblocks—one block fer the men fighters an one fer the women—an supervise us in the exercise yards.
    An the Tonton in charge over all of ’em is DeMalo. They say he answers to the Cage Master, but from what I seen that first day, DeMalo don’t answer to nobody but hisself. From time to time, he stands on the Cage Master’s balcony while a fight’s on. I ain’t never seen him close up agin. An I hope I never do.
    But all the guards an the watchtowers an the locked cells an the chains that bind me … none of that’s stopped me tryin to git away.
    The first time, I waited till it was night, then I picked the lock of my cell with a rusty nail I found in a corner of the exercise yard. I got caught tryin to lift the keys from the guard’s belt while he was forty winkin it.
    The second time, I was on the way back from the Colosseum when I punched my guard in the face an made a run fer it.
    Both times, they shoved me into the Cooler to try an break my spirit. That’s what they always do with troublemakers. But a few hours locked in a metal box unnerground ain’t gonna stop me tryin to git outta this place an they know it.
    That’s why they started chainin me to my cot all the time I’m in my cell. That’s why they keep me in a locked transport cage on my way to an from the Colosseum to fight. An that’s why they search me before they lock me back in my cell.
    But they don’t ever hurt me. Don’t ever lay even a finger on me. I don’t fight more’n twice a week. The Angel of Death’s a big draw fer the crowds. I’m the best thing that’s happened to Hopetown in a long time. They wanna make sure it lasts.
    I dunno what kinda deal the Pinches made with the Cage Master, but whatever it is, they must be doin fine by it. Sometimes I see her, Miz Pinch, on the Cage Master’s balcony, watchin me fight, but other’n that, I ain’t had no more to do with any of ’em.
    I also ain’t seen Emmi. I hate not knowin if she’s okay or not, but I ain’t got no way of sendin a message to her. All I can do is hope that she’ll find a way of sendin one to me. An that she’s somehow keepin outta the way of Miz Pinch’s fist.
    I’m well fed. I got my own cell an a cot with a blanket. Th’other girl fighters is all kept in one big cell together an have to bunk down on the cold ground at night. They don’t git no special treatment.
    Even the watch captain, Mad Dog, keeps his distance from me. He’s called Mad Dog on account of the times when he’s so hopped up on chaal there’s no tellin what he might do. An he does plenty. To the guards, to th’other fighters. But not to me. He don’t dare touch me.
    So I eat what they give me, fight when they make me, an look fer my chance to git away. I’ll take any chance at all. A guard lookin th’other way. A door left open at the right time. Anythin. They can slam me in the Cooler all they like. I only gotta git lucky once.
    In the still of night, I sit or pace my cell. I don’t sleep more’n a hour or two at a time. An that’s because the moment I shut my eyes, the darkness comes fer me. It slithers outta its hidin place to wrap me in its cold cold arms. It slides into my blood, my bones, my soul. It squeezes out all hope.
    If I let it in, I’ll never git outta here. I’ll stay an fight in the Cage till I start to lose. I’ll stay till I die in the gauntlet.
    I’m afeared that, in the end, the darkness will turn out to be stronger’n the red hot.
    The moment I shut my eyes, it comes.
    The darkness comes.
    The