Long gone
I stared around me- silence. Dead silence. Something was wrong, New Troilus is a loud place, even when I escape to the forest, I cant at least hear the buzz of the talkative voices of Wendlecarthes villagers. Cracks of twigs, loud footsteps approach. I know I shouldn’t be here, nobody should be here, this is where Freedom dies, and fearless spirits become worried. I hide- First place I can find would be better than anything. I see a hollow log- I hide the catch there, my family’s food. Its long enough for me to be covered, but small enough that I slither down so I can move. Familys of bugs will infest my hair- I might not of thought this through, but that wasn’t my main problem. Camouflage is key- Hot Pink jogger bottoms are not suitable for ‘Blending in’, and with more and more footsteps approaching, I keep still and watch. “FOUND HER!” Screams one, I recognise his voice, He’s one of Muriel’s sons- Everyone in Wendlecarthes is talkative, but not as loud as Muriel’s lot. The young woman had something in her arms wrapped in a blanket, possibly something she poached- That could be me up there. My parents were slaughtered two years ago, leaving me and my brothers, Alron and Keith to our grandparents. But our grandparents were quite poor- and as a result soon we began to poach to keep our family alive. My grandpa would come out with me- I’ve been here alone, and I already know the area, yet today It doesn’t feel right, like I have forgotten the route back home. By now I can hear the voices of the villagers back home- all oblivious to what I can see here now. “Poaching is illegal. Put down the goods, and put your arms behind you back. NOW!” Anougher demanded. Tears fell from her eyes, she placed the blanket on the ground. At first, all you’d think it was was a goat, or anougher small, tight skinned animal. Looking closer at it, One of them yelled, tears dwelling from his eyes, “Sarge!” he said, holding them back, “Its a baby and its dead.”. The mother broke down. One of the men gave a blanket to her, and she explained how she had no money, the father and his family had been killed, and how they were starving to death. I, now was also in tears, but partly because it would be hours before they’d leave now, and if I didn’t leave now, my grandfather would come down to the forest, and without a doubt, killed.
Luck was on my side, as they all gathered around the corpse in a darkened van. Secretly sliding out, I quietly made a run for it. I ran- faster than I had the last time I was also caught, with two beavers and a couple of fishes slipping through my hands and banging against my leg. One creak- thats all it would take, a single crak and I would be killed. The fence,left wide open when the guards left- Usually I’d have to use the tunnel network. I slipped the meats into my bag, and made my trip back home. “Laulyn!” Screamed Elijah, my best friend, “Laulyn!” he said a little quieter. “What? You looked like you were running a marathon!” I joked, but I silenced my laughing when I gazed his serious face, that only came out when someone he loved was in danger. “Did they find you!” He said, infuriated-yet-quietly, “Did they even hear you?!”. He knew- I took his hand, and took him to the roof – our private sanctuary. I told him of the woman and the child, how I ascaped, and how I was lucky my grandpa hadn’t gone there. “Oh!” a voice shouted, a familiar comedic voice- Grandpa. I felt like I should of recorded myself- I, again, told grandpa about everything. His care-worn face dropped at the bombshell of the dead baby. Silence filled the next few minutes, then bashing followed, screams, it was the darkened van, and the men i’d seen before were now slaughtering the townsfolk. “DUCK!” I screeched to them both. I got my guns and my bow. I was prepared for anything, I was well trained, yet I doubt that a gun could stop these mad men. “Stay safe” I tell them, “I will meet you with grandma and the boy in the forest with our stuff”, and I’m gone.
Tammyx3