WAR

chapter one [HIDE AND SEEK]

Little Tesha was excited. Like the feeling when you're going to bed the day before your birthday, not knowing what tomorrow will await you.

The excitement had a simple reason: school.

Tesha was already seven years old, and one of the oldest children in kindergarten. While she was kind of sad to leave her friends in kindergarten behind, she wouldn't want to wait any longer. After all Tesha was a big girl now. And big girls go to school.

But Tesha will need to be patient a little longer, Mommy told her. Tesha'll need to wait till the end of the vacation, because vacation was a important thing. Well, so at least Mommy told her. Mommy told her, that school was fun, but also exhausting and that's why students and teachers need breaks. Like really, really long breaks. And that's what they call vacation.

So Tesha waits. Because Tesha is a patient girl, Tesha will wait.

***

Lately Mommy and Daddy were acting weird. They often whispered each other things Tesha didn't understand. They would also look at each other with this concerned glance, they'd only use when Tesha was hurt. But Tesha wasn't hurt, neither were Mommy and Daddy. So why did they looked so worried?

One day Mommy asked if Tesha wanted to play a game with her, and of course Tesha said yes. Because Mommy never asks Tesha if she wants to play with her, it's always Tesha asking Mommy and Daddy to play with her.

The game was kinda boring. All you needed to do was, to hide in the basement and wait. They were hiding from some bad guys, Mommy said. So all day Mommy and Tesha hid from the bad guys, sometimes they would eat something of the food Mommy had brought downstairs.

Slowly this game was getting boring, it was like you're playing 'hide and seek' but you're never found, because the searcher just can't find you.

Ultimately something did happen. Daddy ran with that worried look downstairs and whispered: "They're coming."

But, who was coming? Tesha didn't understand, but it seemed like Mommy did, because suddenly she also had that worried look. She started to freak out. First she punched the walls, till her knuckles were bruised and bloody, then she hugged Tesha really, really tightly. Mommy embraced her really, really long. It seemed like hours.

When she finally let go Mommy started crying. She cried and sobbed and looked so angry and so sad, and Tesha didn't know why. She didn't even know grown-ups could cry. They always seemed so strong and invincible, like no one could ever harm them. Tesha has never seen Mommy crying before. This was the first time.

And while there were a lot of things Tesha didn't understand, she knew one thing:

Something really, really bad must have happened.

***

A couple of hours later Daddy came downstairs, cautiously trying to be quiet while walking down the stairs.

"Quiet now", he whispered. "They're at the neighbour's house now. We're next"

Tesha didn't quite understand, but she obeyed and didn't say a word. Comforting Daddy embraced both Mommy and her.

And once again they waited. They waited and they hoped.

Slowly Tesha understood what was happening. The bad guys must have found them, or at least they were near, so they must hide and be quiet and wait. And hope. Hope, that the bad guys don't find the basement.

Tesha couldn't quite process what happened next. The bad guys somehow managed to open the door. One of them screamed: "Hiding won't do you any good! Just come out already, we'll find you anyway!"

And the bad guy was in the right.

It took them no longer than five minutes to find them.

What happened next was something Tesha will never forget. Not when she was safe and sound in a new home. Not when she was a young woman going to high school. Not when she had a job and a wonderful family.

Unlike Daddy, when the bad guys came downstairs, they didn't even try to be quiet in any way. The clothes they wore, had different shades of green, their expressions were blank, and in their hands they held guns.

"Obey and we won't need to hurt anyone here. But if you don't obey, we'll need to shoot. I just need you three to come with us, okay? Lay your weapons down, if you have any. You won't be harmed, we'll take you to a place where it's safe, alright?"

"Liar", Mommy cried. Tesha has never seen her so furious. "We've seen what you've done to the people! Never! Never will we obey bastards like you!"

"Ma'am, I need you to calm down. We do not intend to hurt you, but you'll need to come with us."

Now Daddy seemed to be enraged. "Do you think we're fools? You're just here to take us somewhere, so that we'll be interrogated. We're supposed to tell you the secrets of our country, and after we're no use for you anymore, you'll just kill us anyway! I'd rather die, than obey!"

"Fine. If this is what you wish for, sir", one bad guy said, raising his gun.

"Wait!", another one said. "Maybe we could talk this out..."

But it was already to late. Just when the other one has started talking, the first guy had shot. And the bullet went straight through Daddy's chest.

Daddy fell to his knees. He seemed astonished. "Y...You...you...shot...me...", he said. Then his eyes went blank and he collapsed.

For a moment Mommy just stared at the bad guys. For a second she looked horrified, then she regained her composure.

"Tesha", she said. "I need you to be really, really strong. You're a big girl now, Tesha."

She grabbed Tesha's shirt and looked her in the eyes. "When I tell you to go, you run, okay? Run, as fast as you can, and never look back. Don't come back for me, I'll be fine. When you see people in blue uniforms, then ask them for help, but you need to look out for people in green shaded clothes."

She lowered her voice. "These are the bad guys, you mustn't talk to them or even look at them, just ignore them and run. Do you understand?"

Tesha didn't know what to say, so she just nodded.

(shewasscaredsoscaredwhathappenedtodaddyhelpthebadguyswhydidtheyshoothimshewasscaredscaredbiggirlsaren'tscaredshemustn'tcry)

"Fine", Mommy told the bad guys. "I'll come with you, but let the girl alone. Do not harm her, and I'll obey your orders. I repeat, you must leave the girl alone."

"Well, the girl's probably a clueless little thing, pretty much worthless. Fine by me. We'll leave the girl on its own. Ma'am, please follow us."

"But-", the guy who shot Daddy interfered.

He was interrupted by the other guy. "No buts, I give the orders. We're going."

"Go", Mommy whispered.

Then the bad guys were gone. And with them Mommy.

Tesha was left alone.