This is my First fanfic so go a little easy on me xD. Anyway after I played the part where Ashley is alone in Resident Evil 4 I felt compelled to write this. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters! All rights go to their respected owners.

Escape

Ashley thought it was the end. Her thin frame was barred to the wall and she felt her legs slowly numbing. She choked back tears and let her head fall against her shoulder. It had been about an hour since she had ran away from Leon, and now glancing at the bars encasing her regretted the foolish act. With her heart pounding and hands sweating she listened to the distant moans of the cloaked zealots.

"Leon is going to save me. Everything is going to be fine," She muttered to herself. She had been whispering the same words over and over in hope that would make them happen. Many thoughts drifted through her fearful mind. They swirled in mad circles until they revealed fates Ashley would rather not face.

Thoughts of her parents also swam their way into her mind. She imagined her mothers soft smile that followed sweet words. She could almost feel her fathers strong embrace and hear his hearty chuckle. She desperately hoped she would see them again. Tears burned her eyes and this time she let them form silent rivers down her cheeks. The drops collected in the corner of her mouth and she tasted the salty substance seep onto her tongue.

Helplessly, she tried to squeeze out of the bars though she knew it was pointless. She choked on her sobs and listened to them echo around the large marble room. She heard a commotion from the broken balcony above her clenched her eyes shut tightly. She didn't want to see the face of her captor. She just hoped he wouldn't hurt her to badly.

When no decaying hands groped at her she let her eyes flutter open. Happiness flowed through every vein in her body when she saw the blonde agent.

"Leon!" She cried.

He glanced down smiling when he saw her. He ran to the edge of the broken balcony and surveyed the situation. "Ashley the door is locked I can't get down there."

Ashley bit her lip in worry. How was she going to get out of this bars? A scary thought passed through her head but she voiced it anyway. "Shoot the bars."

Leon's eyes widened at the thought. He slowly nodded though. Ashley gulped and tried to make herself the smallest target she could. If he missed... No Ashley had witnessed first hand Leon placing bullets cleanly through ganados heads from great distances. She trusted him.

Leon scrutinized the bars and then Ashley's face. "Just do it Leon I trust you," she told him.

Leon nodded taking a deep breath before raising his hand gun. Ashley closed her eyes tightly as he sized up his shot. She heard the bullet fire and let out a loud yelp. The bar that held her feet busted. Sweat beaded her pale forehead and she closed her eyes again. She stiffened preparing for the next shot.

Twice more Leon fired his gun and finally she was set free. She stumbled from the wall grasping her arms where the bars left red marks. She smirked upwards at Leon. "Talk about near death experience."

He smiled and she made her way to the door that led her to freedom. She wiggled the door knob and let out a sound of frustration. "Its locked!"

Suddenly steel doors slid open revealing pale monks cloaked in black and red. Her scream echoed off the walls and she crouched down covering her head with her hands.

"Hold on Ashley I'll get you," Leon yelled.

Ashley faintly heard bullets piercing flesh and bone over her own screams. She was harshly scooped up and flipped over a pallid shoulder clothed in a deep red robe. She kicked and thrashed against her kidnapper. She pounded her fist roughly against his back to no avail. Leon shot the monk and the small woman fell to the hard marble floor with a thud. Ashley pulled her self away from the moaning monk and cowered in a near by corner.

Soon the floor was littered with dead hosts to a vile parasite. She noticed a shiny key hanging around ones neck. She jogged over to the corpse and snatched the key from its neck. She dangled it proudly in the air for Leon to see. "See you in a bit," She said smiling.

"Be careful," He replied.

She nodded before sticking the key into the lock and entering through the door. The blonde stood in a large room decorated with burgundy furniture. She strode into the room adrenaline still flowing through her veins from her recent encounter. Walking further into the room she noticed thick silver bars preventing her from going any further. Peering through the bars she saw a similar room containing a door that may lead her to Leon. She pursed her lips and contemplated how to get past the bars.

A deep moan came from behind her and before she could run she was snatched into the air. Shrieks escaped her lips as she tried to push away from the monk with much trouble. Its soul deprived black eyes glared at her while its teeth chattered trying to bite into her. She grunted in disgust and kicked with all her might. She was successful in getting it to release her. She fell quite ungracefully to the ground.

Ashley managed to crawl under a desk to put more distance between the two. A burning oil lamp on the desk caught her eyes and she grasped it between her small hands. Raising her arms she hurled the lamp at the zealot. It burst against the side of its head and lit the skin into bright flames. With a yelp the monk fell to the shiny marble floor.

Ashley fought to gain her breath and placed her hands on her knees. Her whole body shook and her mind swam in disorganized circles. She had just killed someone. Sure it had tried to kill her and technically wasn't human anymore but it still bothered her. She had never really had the need to use violence before. She found she didn't like like the guilt that followed closely behind it. She regained her straight posture and shoved the thoughts away. She would consider her moral values later when she wasn't stuck inside this nightmare.

Ashley scanned the room before seeing a lever in the opposite corner. She approached the lever and began to turn it in slow circular motions. Eventually the once threatening bars were lifted and she was able to pass.

Ashley entered the room to be greeted by yet another zealot. It flung itself towards her but she ducked and it tripped over her folded figure. It knocked her off balance slightly but she quickly managed to scramble to her feet.

She found another burning oil lamp and threw it at the monk. Again the monk went up in flame. Ashley watched and crinkled her nose at the odor of burnt flesh. When she had confirmed the death of the cloaked enemy she grabbed a pack of ammo for Leon. She searched the room for more supplies but found nothing else that posed useful. She did find more bars though and a nice little lever to match. She turned the lever and the bars lifted.

On the other side of the bars she met a long stone hallway. This was better than zealots or steel bars she supposed. She approached a blue door adorned with silver swirls and twists. She pushed it open slowly and scanned the rooms contents. The room had hard wood floors and pristine wood furniture with pretty red fixtures. She ran a light hand across the many volumes of books stacked on a large book shelf.

Out of curiosity she pulled a book from the shelf and cracked it open. It surprised her that the book was printed in English. She skimmed through a few pages before remembering she had things to accomplish. Like finding Leon and getting out of this place alive. She placed the book back on the shelf before continuing down four steps to another section of the room. She managed to pick up an herb and a couple of spinels Leon could sell to that mysterious merchant.

Glancing up from her findings her eyes paused on a large lever that was rose from the floor. In the middle there was a circular hole where a piece obviously fit inside. The wall behind the lever swept a draft into the room and she guessed it was a secret passage. She turned around intent on finding the piece that would fit into the lever.

She exited the room and advanced down yet another long hallway and through another door, entering a dimly lit room. Ashley scanned the room with much trouble due to the poor lighting. Luckily she found a flash light lying on a table near by. She grasped it and it flickered a second before turning on. Glancing around she found herself inside a dusty room with rows of steel bars blocking her passage. Just lovely.

Ashley groaned and ran a hand through her short blonde hair. She surveyed the room with her eyes looking for signs of levers or doorways. Finding nothing she leaned against an old book case. The book case slid beneath her weight. She shrieked with her arms flailing for something to catch herself with.

She landed roughly on her side and skid her elbow on the cold stone floor. She pulled her self to her feet wiping dirt off her skirt. When she was completely upright she found a indentation on the wall with a bright red button inside. She pressed it and in effect she heard bars sliding upwards. Ashley focused on another button across the room that she had to crawl under a table to reach.

When she pressed this button she was greeted with more bars sliding away. She immersed herself into a maze of bars and red buttons. She was only one set of bars away from exiting the room when she saw a fire place with a pretty square piece sticking out of it. The piece was made of stone and had part of a pattern etched onto it in gold. She plucked it from the wall and tucked into her belt. She felt it would be useful later.

Raising the last set of bars she felt herself become one more step to Leon. Pulling open an old wooden door she was presented with a pitch black stone hallway. Ashley thanked God for her flash light because it would be impossible to navigate with out it. Ashley untied her sweater from her shoulders and pulled it over her head. She wished she had something more to cover her legs from the growing chill.

Ignoring the cold and terrifying bugs crawling up and down the walls she walked down the twisting hall. She quickened her pace as if she could escape her fear if she went faster. She passed several silver suits of armor wielding weapons that would prove fatal to any opponent. She reached a large room that held a door with no knob and a slide puzzle in the middle.

She approached the puzzle and recognized the mixed up pieces to be a family crest she had seen earlier. Ashley began re arranging pieces and growing frustrated many times. She finally finished the puzzle and almost scream in frustration when she saw a missing piece. Then she remembered the square piece she had picked up earlier. She placed it in the puzzle and smiled to herself as the knob less door slid open.

Inside the room was still dark and contained eerily pretty suits of armor. Something more interesting caught her golden eyes though. A small circular pendant with the family crest stuck out of the chest of a knight. She almost sprinted over to take it knowing it was the key to the other room. Her delicate fingers pulled the pendant from its place.

The wall turned concealing the suit of armor and a chest replacing it. Opening it she found a piece to the puzzle Leon had been trying to solve in another room. She shoved the two puzzle pieces into her belt before heading for the door way. Loud sounds of clanking metal ricocheted off the walls and Ashley felt her heart stop at the sets of armor coming towards her.

Seeing no other means of escape she bolted towards the door past their axes and swords before they could collide with her soft skin. The heavy clanks followed her and she bit her tongue to keep away tears that would blur her vision. She was stopped by an sword wielding knight. He swung down the sword. Fast. Ashley did her best to escape the blow and she was so close to not being hit. But her leg wasn't quick enough and the sword cut a long slash along her thigh down to her knee.

She cried loudly, tears flowing freely down her face. Blood covered her leg and Ashley felt herself wanting to vomit. Loud clanks reminded her that she wasn't out of danger yet. Ashley ripped the sweater from her torso and quickly wrapped it tightly around her wound. Using the wall for leverage she got to her feet and stumbled along. Each step caused searing pain to rip through her leg but she ignored it and continued down the hall.

She escaped death with the knights a few more times before entering the room with the bar maze. She didn't feel safe again until she reached the room with the lever. She hastily stuck the pendant in the lever and began to turn it. The wall slid upwards like so many other doors had done. With the wall gone a latter was revealed before her. Ashley wiped her bloody hands on her skirt before beginning her treacherous climb.

Ashley was truly shocked with herself when she fought through the pain and made it to the top. She limped to the door that she was positive led to Leon. She pushed it open and there he stood.

Ashley limped as quickly as she could and flung her arms around him. Leon returned the hug and for the first time since this whole nightmare had begun she felt safe. Even though she was unknowing of what horrors were awaiting them and had a blood soaked leg she felt absolutely safe in Leon's arms. After everything the two had overcome she deeply trusted him to get them both out alive.

~End

Thanks for reading(: