Charnessa's heart is racing. She resisted Daddy's diaper change. Dan and Jeff came in the room and escorted the naughty baby C out. Now they are about to walk the rocky hallways toward the jail cells. Weapons will be issued there. Charnessa prepares herself for the brutal walk on bare feet. This is the walk of freedom, she tells herself. She can do this. Many people have walked a rougher path before.

Daddy taps her on the shoulder before they began the journey.

"What is it, Daddy?" Charnessa asks, still in character.

"Call me Phillip, for now on. Look, I brought you shoes. I know the rocks scuffed you up bad last time."

Charnessa gladly grabs the beaten up pair of converse sneakers and slips them on.

"Oh wow, thanks Phillip. Aren't you scared about all these cameras on us? You're taking a big chance."

"I'm not worried, babe. In 15 minutes I'm about to be locked and loaded. I don't care whose watching. We're getting the fuck outta here. Promise me a chance at a date once we get back to Chicago, beautiful."

Charnessa smiles as they move swiftly through the underground terrain.

"I promise you a date only if you don't call me babe or beautiful anymore..., at least not until we get to the surface."

Phillip answers in a cocky voice.

"Okay, babe. That's a bet."

Dan speaks.

"Guys, do you realize they can hear us? Can we keep it quiet until we get our hands on those guns?"

"Danny boy. You worry too much." Phillip says, "I've been at the gun range all week. I've already got these scum bags in my sights. You be scared all you want. Or maybe you don't want to see an end to these fat paychecks you're getting."

Dan stops and turns around. The two men face off, mask to mask.

"You arrogant prick. Do you realize I did a two year hitch in the army? I seen action in Desert Storm. You ain't gotta worry about me. I have no problem smoking any of these alien demons."

Jeff steps in.

"Guys, please. Let's keep it together. Wait until we get to the fucking cell, already."

The four resume walking. As they get close to the opening they notice five figures dressed in white robes standing side by side, baring the way. The figures are humanoid with pale white skin. Their gender is hard to determine. They all have shoulder length hair. They have blank expressions on their faces. Their body language is clear, go no further.

"Who the fuck are these guys?" Charnessa asks.

"They ain't us..., must be Agarthans." Phillip says, stepping to the head of the line. "Step back dudes. I'm the senior authority here."

Phillip steps up and approaches the five Agarthans.

"You broke protocol, human."

"I did? What did I do?" Phillip asks, playing dumb.

"You were not authorized to provide footwear for the animal. You are now terminated from your Daddy duties. Hand over your mask immediately and leave the premises. Hand over your key card as you exit."

"Hold on now, let's talk this over." Phillip says. "I can explain everything if you just give me a chance."

Charnessa and the resistance stand tense and ready. The Agarthans don't seem like negotiating types. The middle Agarthan gives a quick reply.

"There is nothing to explain human. Unauthorized behavior will not be tolerated. We will escort you to the elevators."

The Agarthans close in around Phillip but seem reluctant to grab him. Phillip keeps up a steady babble of excuses. He keeps attention on himself and away from the other three.

Dan whispers to Charnessa and Jeff.

"These guys think Phillip is a lone wolf. They don't realize we're all together. It's time to put my theory into action. I don't think these beings have the stomach for violence. We've got to jump these guys now."

Charnessa sprints forward and jump kicks one of the Agarthans in the back. Dan and Jeff follow with lunging tackles of their own. Three Agarthans are on the ground. Phillip body slams a fourth Agarthan. The fifth one cowers away in fright.

The resistance races forward. In a minute they're in the opening and looking around frantically.

"Where's Dominic with the guns?" Dan yells out.

"Don't know, thought he'd be here already." Phillip answers.

The Agarthans were stunned by the physical attack. Slowly they get to their feet and follow the resistance. A shrill whistle sounds on the PA system. Several Agarthans appear from all sides. They form a circle around the resistance, pinning them in the middle.

"Shit, must be a hundred of them!" Jeff says.

"Don't care. I'm not going down without a fight." Charnessa says, gritting her teeth.

The Agarthans stand at distance, not anxious to engage in a physical fight. The four humans are grossly outnumbered. They have virtually no chance to overpower so many of them. There is no quit in the resistance. Four warriors assume fighting stances against the timid horde.

The Agarthan leader raises his hand and speaks.

"You three human employees are terminated. We are only interested in retaining the animal. We will allow the three of you to leave and hand over your key cards in exchange for the human animal. Simply stand away from her and the exchange will be completed."

Phillip is quick to answer.

"We are ALL animals to you inhuman maggots. We're standing together as one. We ain't leaving unless the four of us walk out together. We ain't making no exchange."

The Agarthan leader turns his head, bewildered.

"That is quite an illogical and emotional decision. It would be far easier to hand the animal to us and leave."

"I guess we're just emotional like that!" Dan barks. "Us human animals are standing as one. Come and get us if you want. I don't think you guys actually have the guts to drop those white robes and fight."

From the distance comes a shout.

"Better make that six humans, not one us is an animal! You got that?"

Dominic and Martha enter the room from a side door. They are both holding assault rifles.

"Alright!" Charnessa hoots, "You guys are right on time!"

Dominic and Martha walk toward the surrounded resistance in the middle of the open area. The Agarthans part like the red sea, giving them plenty of space. Dominic and Martha had out rifles until all six members are armed and dangerous.

Dominic walks up to the Agarthan leader, staring him down.

"The six of us are leaving. We have friends on other floors. I've been in conversation with them. They're leaving too. We know you're running this human zoo for kicks and nothing else. You don't need our emotions. We don't need your money. This zoo is shutting down permanently. You got it?"

The Agarthans turn their heads, looking at each other and murmuring. They seem to be speaking a language that the resistance can't understand.

The Agarthan leader raises his hands to the other Agarthans. The chatter dies down. He speaks.

"As you wish, humans. We have come to the conclusion it's not worth exposing and soiling our bodies to your filthy human contamination. We will let the five humans and one animal leave without any further acts of violence."

"Six humans." Charnessa corrects him. "Six, you mutherfucker!"

The resistance piles into the elevator and leaves. Not a single shot is fired.

The elevator speeds to the surface. The six occupants of the tiny resistance find themselves back in Domnic's recovery meeting room in his apartment complex.

Charnessa is overwhelmed with emotion. She breaks down in tears.

"Is that really it? Could it really have been as easy as saying we're leaving?" She sniffles.

Dominic puts his arms around the trembling Charnessa.

"All it took was for us to stop fighting each other and put our foot down."

Martha joins in the hug.

"And for us to realize we are all on the same team."

Dan and Jeff wrap their arms around the group hug.

"We showed those Agarthans we were willing to fight, I knew all along those beings were soft. Why else would they need to hire on humans as security?"

Dominic turns to Dan and Jeff. "You guys were 100 percent right. I can't believe I didn't catch on to the whole thing faster. We wasted all that time brutalizing each other."

Phillip speaks standing apart from the group.

"That means we need to spend some time making sweet love now."

Phillip points to Charnessa and smiles.

"I think you owe me a date, beautiful."

Charnessa calls out from the middle of the circle.

"Yes I do, Phillip. But first I need a diaper change, daddy."

Everyone laughs.

=============================

All around the globe hundreds of missing people suddenly show up again. Many tell stories of being a captive in a strange, underground human zoo and nursery. Few so called experts believe any of these stories. No one can explain the phenomena of so many missing people turning up all at once.

The resistance six, as they call themselves, stay close after their improbable escape. They all chose to take residence in Dominic's apartments. They hold their own recovery meeting twice a week, simply called the secret. Only the six people who lived the experience are allowed to attend. They give each other comfort that only they understand.

Charnessa has lost 30 pounds and taken up dance again. She dances with the enthusiasm that she had when she was a kid in footsie pajamas, jiggling on top of her bed to Destiny's Child.

As of late Ocotober 2025, Charnessa and Phillip are engaged to be married.