Free At Last

Your throat is dry, and you hastily swallow in a small attempt at relieving it. It doesn't do much good though, so you try not to think about it...And besides, it's not the worst of your problems

You’re running.

Your heart is pounding a constant thump, thump, thump in your chest. You can feel the adrenaline running through your veins and you can hear the pulse of blood in your ears.

Your palms are sweaty, and you wipe them on your thin, cotton shirt. It used to be white, or blue. You can’t remember exactly because it’s been so very long since it, or you, were clean.

Your throat is dry, and you hastily swallow in a small attempt at relieving it. It doesn’t do much good though, so you try not to think about it. If you don’t think about it, it won’t be so bad. That’s what your mother used to say anyway.

And besides, it’s not the worst of your problems.

Your breathing is ragged and shallow. You try to even it out, but it seems to only make it worse. You concentrate on staying upright.

You watch where your feet land, carefully avoiding the stones and broken glass that litter the dusty earth. Said dust rises in clouds with each step, before settling once again on the hard, dry earth.

Sweat is running down your forehead now. You can feel the beads on your skin. You raise a hand to wipe it off.

Then you trip.

You land on your stomach, hands out stretched in front of you, cheek to the hard earth. Your knee is stinging and your wrist throbbing, but you ignore it. You have learnt to ignore such minor injuries. They are nothing compared to what could happen.

You’re on your hands and knees now, trying furiously to calm your racing heart. You nurse your wrist, and note with disdain that it is broken. You take off your shirt and wrap it around your hand and wrist firmly. It’s not much, but it’ll help.

Then you resume running.

How long you’ve been running you have no idea, but you can guess. The sun is starting to appear in the horizon, so you’ve been running for a few hours now.

You hope you’re close because it’ll be harder to go un-noticed once the sun is fully up.

You can feel the sun’s heat burning the exposed skin of your back, and fatigue is starting to set in. You’re tired and hungry and so very, very thirsty.

Then you hear it.

Voices,

People shouting in words you don’t understand.

You look around frantically, searching for a place to hide; except there isn’t any because you’re near the boundary now, and the land is bare.
So you run faster.

You see them first, in their uniforms, with their large boots and guns.

They’re giants, compared to your small frame. Your heart fills with hate and anger as you watch them in the distance, parading around all high and mighty.

Who do they think they are, coming into your country, killing your family, destroying your home? You want to them feel the despair and loss that you have felt. You want them to know how it feels, to have everything you have ever known ripped out from underneath you. To be thrown into a war that you didn’t want in the first place. To be constantly afraid that today will be your last. You want them to feel it too.

You want to kill them.

But you know you can’t.

So you turn away.

Then you see it; the metal fence that signifies the boundary. The only thing that separates you from freedom, the one thing you have been told all your life you must never, ever cross.

You feel giddy, just looking at it. Nervous, like you’re a child once more and have been caught doing something you shouldn’t.

For the first time in so very long you smile.

And you run. With renewed energy you run.

You almost reach it when hear a shout and the soldiers get up. You run faster, trying desperately to reach the fence.

Something hits you in your side, and pain shoots through your entire body.

You fall to the ground, clutching your side. You feel the blood seeping through your fingers. You feel tears forming in your eyes and you look up at the fence that you were so close to reaching.

Then you feel strong hands securing themselves under your arms and pull you up.

You look around and see a man, soldier, carrying you carefully.

He smiles at you, and you feel some of your anxiety dissipate, not all, but some.

The soldier carries you towards the gate. You’re feeling light headed now, and you can barely tell what’s going on around you.

You hear metal clanging and the man slowing.

Then you feel yourself getting lowered to the ground.

You open your eyes. When you closed them you can’t remember, but you open them now, and they widen when you see you’re on the other side of the fence.

The man is standing above you, looking down at you with a small, sad smile. He says something, you don’t understand what but you can guess.

He was trying to tell you he was sorry.

You reply that it was okay. It was okay because you made it. You’re on the other side of the fence now. You’re free.

He nods once, letting you know he understands. Then he walks away.

How roll over, so you’re lying on your back. You squint, as you look up to the clear blue sky. A smile plays on your lips and you close your eyes, relishing the heat of the sun on your face.

You take a deep breath

“I made it mama,” you whisper, “I’m free!”

Then you let it out.

You don’t take another one.

~Fin~

Reviews

[V.J.C.]

Oh, i loved this a lot in many ways. Want to know the back ground of the main character, the soldier that helped....so that is how you know you made a very good and solid story. When a reader wishes you wrote more and finished craving more. i thank you for a good read!

[Marie]

This is very exciting and very well written. I can feel the pain, the thist and hunger, the exhaustion...and fally the release...

[KayD]

Interesting story and well written. I wondered what the soldier thought, he can't have been all bad to help her reach her dream although I guess he knew she wasn't going to make it. I wanted her to make it.