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Eight heard movement inside the cave and cautiously he opened his eyes to see who or what it was moving around. He sat up when he realized it was just his neighbor shifting his position sitting against the cave wall.

“Did you sleep?” he asked his companion though by the look of the other man it was apparent he hadn’t.

The other man shook his head and looked towards the opening. “I kept hearing sounds all night that sounded like footsteps. I can’t go back Eight.” The man hugged his knees to his chest as he stared out the opening of the cave. After several minutes of silence between the two men the other turned to ask him, “How were you able to sleep?”

Eight shook his head; he didn’t want to discuss his past with this man who was still so much a stranger to him. There were too many nights with explosions and riots that, as a child, he had learned to sleep through. Screams that could be heard down the road or right next door. He didn’t want to tell the other man that it was the silence he had to get used to sleeping in. He hadn’t slept that well anyway, his dreams always plagued him.

When he noticed Eight was not going to answer his question he asked another. “What now?”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be, someone to go to?” Eight asked. The sooner his companion left him in peace the sooner he could determine his next step. He never thought he’d be free again, he would have to think about what he would do with his freedom, plot revenge or find …her.

“…but I doubt I’d be welcome,” Eight caught the end of what the other man had been saying.

“Who wouldn’t welcome you?” Really he just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts. He had a lot to think about and he actually agreed with the Sniper about them needing to be separate in order to not get caught.
The other man stared at him dumbfounded. “You have heard nothing I’ve told you all these months on the inside or just now have you? I bet you don’t even know my name.”
Eight sat staring at the entrance to the cave. Of course he hadn’t listened to the other man who insisted on talking to him when he had wanted to be alone to brood in his own misfortune at being in prison, eventually being sent to the mines to die and what he had done to be in that situation in the first place.

“Howard,” The other man spoke sticking out his hand, “but like I said before you can call me Howie.” He was actually smiling at Eight as he gave him his name. Eight stared at the hand in front of him and reluctantly shook it realizing that was the only way to get Howie to back off. Howie continued to stand looking at Eight looking at him expectantly. Eight looked towards the ground; he wasn’t going to provide this man with his name. As far as Eight was concerned his prior life was over, he had no right to his name any more; he was and forever would be Eight.

Howie, realizing Eight wasn’t going to say anything more, moved back to his place in the cave and sat down. His eyes found the opening of the cave and he continued to watch for anyone approaching outside.

Eight looked outside and watched for the sky to darken more. He knew it would be better to move about in utter darkness. It would be hard for them to see, yes, but it would also make it hard for those searching for them to see them as well. Sitting was becoming difficult for Eight to continue so he stood and began to pace the small cave. He noted he was biting his fingernails, he could use a nicotine fix. He looked towards Howie and wondered if the other man had any cigarettes on him but he didn’t want to ask. He didn’t want to appear that he needed the other man for anything. The situation had forced them together but he wanted to be on his own.

“Can you stop pacing, you are making me more nervous,” Howie spoke softly though he kept his eyes on the opening of the cave.

Eight mumbled a response before moving further back into the cave. His eyes adjusted to the darkness at the back of the cave as he leaned against the back wall taking in the coolness of the stone. His fingers found some lines in the stone and started to trace the lines. It wasn’t until he reached a curve in the line he started to wonder if these were natural formations. He stood back and let his eyes adjust to the darkness.

“Hey,” he called out to his companion, “Do you have a light?”

He heard Howie stand and move towards the back of the cave with him. “Now is not the time to smoke what if guards are out there and smell it?” He spoke in quiet tones.

Eight grumbled, he could really use a cigarette and now he knew even if Howie had some he wouldn’t share now. “Not that smoking doesn’t sound like something to do as we wait; I think I found something strange.”

“Is it an animal?” The other man asked backing back towards the cave again.

“No, it’s on the wall.” Eight held out his hand waiting for the lighter or matches to be placed in his hand. He hoped the other man smuggled a lighter out as it would prove more usual and easier to keep dry as they traveled. He felt the coolness of the metal before and he saw the lighter placed in his hand. He mumbled his thanks before turning back to the wall.

The glow from the lighter was small but it was enough to aide his eyes viewing the image on the back of the wall. Eight’s eyes grew wide as he took in the image on the wall. He was right that the lines were not natural formations on the rock. He gasped as he saw a large disc that looked layered over another disc. The second disc had rays coming from it; Eight assumed it was the sun behind something. Three men stood below the disc looking up, a hooded figure stood further back from the men looking up. At the feet of the three men lay a body, Eight could not tell if the body was a man or a woman but there was a design on the arm of the body; a circle with a star inside on the left arm.

“What is that?” Howie asked him. The other man was staring at the wall over Eight’s shoulder.

Eight shook his head unable to provide an answer to a question that he was asking himself. What did the picture mean, did it mean anything at all, and who carved it and left it in a cave in a seemingly unpopulated area? Eight closed the lighter and doused the men in darkness again. Unlike his counterpart, Eight stood still until his eyes could adjust to the dark again. He pocketed the lighter then moved back towards the front of the cave where Howie was sitting and staring out into growing darkness at the mouth of the cave.

“When should we…”

“Now is as good a time as any,” Eight interrupted him before he could ask when they should leave. Eight moved to the front of the cave and cast a glance around to see if he could see anything. He listened for the sounds of footsteps or dogs. Hearing nothing he moves from the inside of the cave and takes a few steps around glancing around. He could see no footprints around the cave; it didn’t even appear that the guards had discovered the direction they had moved in.

Eight motioned for Howie to exit the cave and follow him. He heard the other man’s hesitant steps behind him as they started to move away from the cave. Eight kept his eyes to the ground, looking for any signs that anybody else had been that way. He didn’t see anything for the next several feet so he looked up towards the sky. The moon was glowing, dimly, as it floated high above them. He looked back to make sure Howie was keeping up. His companion was coming along slowly so Eight decided to wait for the man. As he waited he spotted a branch lying at his feet. He picked it up and noticed it was a good length for a walking stick and could be useful to fight off any animals they may encounter, or guards.

“Do you have any idea where you are going?” Howie asked when he finally caught up.

Eight answered by spinning his newfound walking stick around getting a feel for it. He shrugged, he knew of a place but it would be tricky to get there and once he did, well he didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t verbally answer the other man but nodded and turned in the direction to a safe house he’d known about before he’d been imprisoned. It was the last place he wanted to be, but at least he could ditch his old neighbor, Howie, once he got there and finally head off on his own.