the walls of the prison looked out over the raging seas, spotlights cast their beams like the roving eyes of angry giants, rusted spikes looped with razor wire like tinsel hung with malicious intent

a small boat rocks haphazardly on the waves, a shadow on the obsidian waves, the huddled form in a long black cape braves the storm and watches the uneven walls looking before him

how long has he been battered, searching for an entrance into the fortress before him, uncaring if danger, driven by need and desire to scale the walls, to make good his promise to hatch the perfect daring break in and subsequent escape

this is what he was born to do, the amateur cat burglar, the self sabotaging escape artist, armed with a cocky smile and the drive to prove them all wrong, to do what they said cannot be done

high above him, behind stone and steel, locked deep in the heart of this solitary hell lies the heart of the one whom he burns to release, to capture for his own, the maiden fair that haunts his mind

he has a plan, not as well thought out as could be expected, armed with tools of the trade, though rusted from lack of use, an iron spine and inability to acknowledge the foolish act he pursues

one day, soon, he tells himself, he will scale the walls, defeat the prison guards within, make good on his word to place a kiss upon her lovely cheek, with her heart in tow he will launch himself from the parapets to freedom

one day