Another Daring Escape

Ferry landing behind lunatic asylum at Blackwell's Island.

     As I moved away from the tables, the door at the opposite end suddenly opened. The red-haired man had apparently forgotten something. I scurried back toward the drapes. 

     “Who’s there!?” he shouted. He flung the drapes back, revealing my hiding place! He lunged at me, but with my small frame, I easily eluded his grasp. At that same moment, the wind outside suddenly picked up again, its terrific force overturning one of the candles on a nearby desk. In an instant, all the materials left on the table became engulfed in flames. 
  
      “You filthy little blackamoor!” the man hissed as he reached into his coat and drew out a long-bladed knife. I ducked under the nearest operating table as he advanced toward me. He found himself blocked by all the paraphernalia of the ghastly deeds he had had a hand in performing upon the wretches. As he pushed the other tables out of the way, I moved swiftly through the door and back into the dark maze of hallways. I could hear the attendant close on my heels, yelling for the others. Soon, the footfalls of at least a dozen men were heard as they gained on me. I attempted to escape through the main corridor, again finding myself bewildered by the murky labyrinth of entryways.

       Just then, I discovered the stone steps and descended as swiftly as I could. Once at the bottom, I found the heavy oak door which I had first encountered upon entering the building and escaped through it. Seeing a stand of trees at the shoreline ahead, I dashed toward it.
    

[TO BE CONTINUED.]