My heart pounded in my chest as I darted between the forests trees, my legs moving with all their might, floating in the air towards my freedom. Twigs and branches hit the exposed flesh of my body and drew blood with a sharp sting of pain as sweat entered the open skin. Trees came into my view as fast as they went, making my eyes blur with the strain of focus. Panting breath awoke me from the mindless running. Moving behind a tree I bent on my knees and took in deep breaths, savouring the spring scented air of the forest. Still slightly squatting I listened to the sounds of the night; listening out for the heavy treading foot that was the military. But all that could be heard was the songs of the forest playing in full swing as the moon walked across the star frosted sky. Adrenalin still pumping through my body as I looked up at the tree I had stopped at, and saw the crisscrossing of branches that lead up into the unseen canopy of Evergreen trees. Feeling nervous I jumped up to the first couple of branches and made my way slowly up. As I broke the peaks of the trees I felt the chilling wind of the night blast across my face – cooling the sweat on my skin. The lights of the town could be made out with a swarm of traffic, a blood like flow of cars bustling to get home or to enjoy the night while it was still warm.
Wind picked up above my head as a fleet of buzzing helicopters flew over me, lights flickering on as they moved towards the town. I ducked back partially into the bushy covering of the trees and saw more helicopters turn on their lights as they made their way to the town. Bellow I could hear the heavy footed soldiers search for him in the dark night. It was only a matter of time before they bring dogs I thought. When that happened he would be found and there was nothing he could do but try to prolong capture. Hearing no more helicopters he stretched out his neck into the darkness, only to see the town being plunged into darkness as power was cut off. Cars were grinded to a halt as roads were barricaded from escape by the drives, a web of light spanning the entire town. Gun fire brought his attention to the centre of the town, followed by a piercing scream as more gun fire was let off. A firework display of bullets and light lit the air as guns fired off into the town. More screaming followed, doubtless amounts of innocent people lying on the floor – dead. As more guns joined in on the holocaust a building collapsed in the outskirts of the town, followed by a deafening blast.
The sight before me was inhuman, a single tear falling down my check as I felt the lives of the people that I knew go with the hit of a bullet. I turned away from the town and looked out into the darkness above the trees – the sea of green swaying in the wind. My mouth quivered as hate, anger and sadness filled my body. I placed my hand above my mouth to stop sound from escaping but only to fell a wave of emotion take my body. Tears swelled my eyes, blurring my vision as they rolled down my face and into the tree bellow. I wept to the sound of people dying behind me, my eyes producing a steady flow of water. In the distance I could hear the barking of dogs as they hunted down my scent.
A feeling of hopelessness developed me as the past advents of my life filled my head – the death of my parents, the spreading of the disease and my sister’s execution. Hopelessness could not last long as fear pushed it aside – the sound of dogs and feet coming ever closer. My hands started to shake with fear, an uncontrollable and horrifying fear. I don’t want to die – I want to live. Hatred for the men that stalked him came boiling in his stomach. His hand stopped shaking as he looked back over to the town. If I am to die, I will die by my hand alone. If I am so precious to these people that they seek me out from the four corners of the earth, then I will deify their want.
There was no sound – not even the wind made a sound as he looked over the destroyed town. Flood lights lit the devastated buildings which overlooked a long line of military trucks, taking what must be the remaining people into slavery. I stood on a branch, frozen in time over the scene of death that lay before me. But as I listened there was a sound, the sound of shouting and barking bellow my feet.

Reaching into his pocket he found what must be his only salvation to this life. Lifting it into the night’s air he unsheathed the knife’s blade and saw it flash in the light of the moon. Breathing heavily as he placed the blade close to the slender skin of his neck, staring out into the town. Weeping silent tears he took in a deep breath. His very last meaningful breath.
The barking of dogs had covered the cry that had come from the boy’s mouth, and the rush of air as his body lay motionless on the cushioning branches of the Evergreen trees. Blood, unnoticed by the military foot soldiers dripped onto the earthly floor of the forest. The face of the boy looked onto the forest floor, oblivious to life and its entire fellow people. A glazed and unfocused look – the look that he had once had life, that his heart once lived – but no more. Now he was no better than the trees around – dead to the world, silent to the whispers of the living.