My heart pounded, sweat dripped from my fore head, my lungs were on fire from lack of oxygen. I pushed the pain to the back of my head and thought about my escape. I blew past the trees and jumped over fallen moss covered logs. I turned my head and scanned the brush behind me. I saw a faint outline of men running toward me. I looked forward and ran faster.

It was getting dark and my legs felt like rubber. My stomach turned. When was my last meal? I didn’t remember, actually I couldn’t remember anything. I didn’t know where I was or who I was really, I just knew that I had seen. I was slowing my pace to a walk. I was much farther and couldn’t see or hear the men from earlier. I crouched down low behind a big log keeping my body pressed against it. Exhaustion engulfed me and I fell into a deep sleep.

In my dreams I was in a warm house, my stomach full from supper. A beautiful lady tucked me into bed and kissed my forehead. I smiled at her and closed my eyes. I heard the lady walk away and down a hall. Her footsteps lightly padded down a flight of stairs. I pulled the blankets up to my chin and drifted into sleep. A few minutes later I awoke to a large bang. My eyes popped open and searched the dark room. I heard screaming, crashing and large heavy footsteps. I got out of bed slowly, crept to the door and looked at the far wall where angry shadows danced.

I woke up from my terrible dream. I small blue bird hopped by my foot. It was morning. Late morning that is. I knew I had to keep moving before those men came back. I stumbled to my feet. Sleeping on a hard ground isn’t the best choice. My stomach growled fiercely. I looked around for anything edible. I saw a bush with a few small berries on it. To someone else it would be no big deal, but to me it was another day of living. I picked the few berries that weren’t damaged or covered in bird poop. I popped a few into my mouth. They tasted horrible, they were sour and made my tongue tingle. I spit out the seeds and ate the rest of the sour berries. As I walked I saw many animals. Colourful birds were everywhere and I even saw a few deer.

I walked straight until I came to a deserted road. It wasn’t big and pretty secluded, but if I were to follow it should lead me to somewhere. As I walked I tried to remember what happened, but I was not successful. The hot sun beamed down on me. I looked up at the sky. The sun was directly overhead. Great, I thought. that means that its only noon. I walked along the road stopping occasionally to feast on sour berries and to go to the bathroom. Then the sun reached five o’clock and it started to darken. I looked farther ahead searching for a sign. Nothing. I sat by a tree on the side of the road watching the sun go down and the moon rise. My eyes slowly closed and sleep returned.

The noise was loud. Glass fell to the floor and the women screamed. I stepped up to the banister and looked down to the first floor. Men yelled at the lady asking where their money was. She cried out that she would pay them, but she needed more time. I saw big hands grab her and fling her across the floor. She slammed against the wall. Pain shot through her body, tears streamed down her face, her whimpering cry escaped her lips. I stood there watching everything. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t help. Her face lifted to the banister. Her eyes got wide when she saw me standing there. She screamed at me to run! I tried but I couldn’t move. A man walked up to her and picked her up restraining her against his body. Who you talking to! He demanded. The lady struggled against his grasp. He followed his gaze to me. “Say good-bye to mommy boy.” Another man walked up holding a large knife. The kind butchers use. He smiled as he slid the knife into my mothers stomach. Her blue eyes pierced mine. Her head slumped and her golden locks fell into her face. The men looked at me. I turned my body. I started to run to my room. I looked behind me to the men, my foot caught onto a banister bar and I slammed to the floor. My head crashed onto the hardwood and everything went black.

This time I woke up to the sound of a motor running. I stood and looked down the road and saw a shiny black car approaching. Dust flew up from behind it. I stood in the middle of the road waiting for the van to save me. Seconds later when the car was only a few feet away my smile faded when I realized that the man in the passenger seat was the man in my dreams. It was to late. The men rushed out of the car. I started to run away but something hard hit my head. I fell to the gravel. My hand felt the back of my head. I brought it back to see what warm and sticky thing it was covering my hand. Blood.

I heard faint voices talking. My head pounded and my wrists hurt. I opened one eye. It was to dark to see anything. I felt around the enclosed place. My hands were tied, my mouth was taped shut and I was in a trunk. I ripped of the tape and felt my head. It wasn’t bleeding and it was bandaged up. Why would they do this? I squeezed and chewed at the rope on my hands. Fibre by fibre my teeth gnawed through it. With my hands free I was able to feel around the trunk. I knew there was a latch on the inside but I didn’t know where. Minutes felt like hours but finally I found the latch. I slowly turned it trying not to make a sound. The trunk popped open easily. I sucked in air and looked out. The car was going extremely fast and it would be dangerous, but it could be dangerous to stay.

I took a deep breath and rolled out of the trunk. I hit the ground with a thud and quickly crawled to the road side. Once I was covered I bolted into a run. I didn’t hear the car stop but I didn’t want to look back either so I just kept running. I ran till the night came and the owls hunted for food. I was starving but I couldn’t see any berries. I searched for anything but all I found was a few birds nests. I scrunched up my face at what I had to do but once again it meant another day of survival. I reached up and grabbed the eggs. There were four in all, I squinted my eyes and threw them into my mouth. I chewed until there was more shell. I swallowed then drank the dew from the tree leaves. I sat down on a dry spot and closed my eyes

I dreamt of the men carrying me into a shack and throwing me into a tiny room with one light and no windows. In my dream I sat in the corner and cried for my mother. Hours later the door flung open I stood and rushed out it. The men yelled at me to come back but I kept running just like mother told me to.

When I woke up my stomach was flopping and twisting. I leaned over and threw up. Stupid eggs. I got up slowly and walked. It wasn’t until lunch that I came across a sheltered cabin. It wasn’t a pretty sight but I felt I had been here before. The windows and doors were boarded up and the place looked like it hadn’t been used in years. I crept closer to a wall watching everything around me. I walked alongside the house where I found a large hole in the wall. It was big enough for me to crawl in but not big enough for anyone bigger. That was a thought that eased my stomach. I crawled in and found my self in a large room with a couch and small TV. I walked toward the couch, but when I turned to the front I saw a man sleeping. I backed up a little too much and I tripped over a staircase. I large creak rose up followed with footsteps running to me. The man woke up and leapt to his feet his eyes wandered until he spotted me lying on the ground. The man at the top of the stairs came closer. “Well, well looks like we didn’t have to get you, you came to us!” He said. The once sleeping man blocked me way. I shrank smaller and smaller on the floor. One man grabbed my legs the other my arm. I didn’t struggle, I was to tired and had no fight left in me. I knew what was going to happen so I kept my eyes closed.

I kept them closed until my body was dropped. I looked around to see I was in a small room with one light and no windows. The larger man walked up to me while the other stood by the door. You saw something you shouldn’t have seen boy, your mother was no good we had to get rid of her and now we have to get rid of you. He said smiling. He held up a gun. I closed my eyes and waited for my world to fall from my feet. “Say hello to mommy” he said. Then two large bangs rang in my ears.

“No say hello to hell” another man said. I opened my eyes to see a man in police uniform standing in the doorway. I stood up and ran to him. I hugged him and said “Thanks dad”.




By: Ariel Hamblin