Chained

Chapter 06

I was sitting on the floor when the door knob turned. I was prepared to face whatever was going to happen.

"Noah?" He was standing outside the door.

"What are you doing here?" I asked "The colonel will be here any second"

"It's alright Lilly. He was called back to the armory by Max. I don't think he would be coming any time soon"

"What do I do then? I asked

"You have to wait for him here I guess" He said

He looked very clean unlike me and had on proper clothes unlike the rags that were given to us.

"Noah, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah. Anything"

"Why is it that you are allowed to wear clean clothes unlike the rest of us?"

He looked at me sadly "Oh, um.....they want the water boys to be clean as we change their bed linens, bring their food and drink to them and .... Are basically with them all the time"

He went on to tell me how he was born here and all the gruesome things that he had seen throughout his years in the camp. He left out the details of his parents and I didn't want to ask him as it was clearly a sensitive subject for him.

"Have you ever tried running away from here?" I asked him

He looked at me sadly and said "No but I've seen people who tried to. It's almost impossible. The gate is manned at all times and the port where the boats are parked at are heavily guarded as well. So even if you get out of the gate and run through the forest to the port it won't be possible to get through the port guard"

"How do you know this?" I asked him

"I have accompanied officers on their patrol to the port"

Then the bell for the curfew rang. I didn't even realize it was getting so late. I ran outside the door without even saying goodbye to Noah. I ran down the stairs and through the yard towards the tents.

I got inside and closed the flap. Em was inside seated on the floor. "You're late Lilly. You are going to get killed one of these days." She said as I hugged her. "Where were you?"

"Um...I was requested by the colonel today as well. So I stayed in his room for him. But he didn't show up so I came back when the bell rang." I left out the part where I was with Noah as Em would kill me for even talking to him.

"Wonder what this colonel fellow wants with you. Do you even know what he looks like?"

"No. I've never seen him before. I don't even know how he knows my name" I said.

"Let's go to sleep Lil." Em said as she lay down on her sack.

After a few minutes she was fast asleep. I lie down on my side closing my eyes trying to fall asleep. The camp was silent except for the chatter of the few soldiers on Night watch. I think about Noah and what he must be doing right now. He didn't look like he was starving or suffering a lot. He appeared to be quite healthy. I felt jealous of him. But on the other hand he was a prisoner here as much as I was. He had never even gone out of the camp. At least I had a life before I came here. His has been the same since day one. With these thought I fell asleep.