TAKEN

[23]

Still kneeling on the rough grass, I felt my energy being sucked out of me. For some reason, I didn't feel rage like I should, all that flowed inside of me was pain and a crippling weakness.

My body just couldn't move from where it rooted me. On my face were lines of rushing tears, that you'd think a stream suddenly flowed through it.

Only when I felt a quick movement around me that I painstakingly pull my head up to see my companion, Nurse Dima halfway towards the camp.

"Dima?....com..e...back! I stuttered as though I'd just had a full tank of alcohol. I guess grief and helplessness could do that to you.

"Get up!" My brain prompted.

Struggling, I pushed myself up, staggering on my feet.

Nurse Dima was blazing through the grass bush like the wind. I squinted to see her through my blurry vision, the tears just couldn't stop and my heart tightened each time the images of my sisters flashed in my mind.

"Wait for me!" I called weakly, stumbling through the path she'd taken.

She didn't stop, neither did she slow down. My brain kept prompting me to quicken my pace because the Nurse had no idea how to navigate the camp.

And if I wasted more time, then she would also be a prisoner. As if a fog lifted off my mind and vision, I saw her clearly and willed my legs to carry me.

Not minding that we could be attracting unnecessary attention to ourselves, I ran after her, jumping rocks and widening my gait. "Nurse Di..." I stopped mid-sentence when my brain prompted me again not to scream out her name to the ever-alert guards.

Luckily, she stopped by a dwarf mango tree, squinting at me from the lower level of the hill. She was panting as lines of sweat ran down her face.

With the hem of her shirt, she pulled it over her face and wiped. By the time I got to her stop, she was leaning on the tree right under its conspicuous shade, panting.

"You finally decided to receive sense?" She smirked mockingly.

Wiping the sweat off my face with my right palm, I joined her by the tree. "Why do you insist on walking into a trap?"

She shrugged and gazed at the camp that was closer now. "What trap? Do you see anyone watching out for us?"

My gaze went around the camp and I nodded. "I see you have a death wish."

"Because some men have guns?" She questioned, chest puffed out fearlessly.

My head snapped her way, "Because, we don't have a plan!" I almost shouted. "Because, if we are not careful, my sisters," my palm slapped my chest forcefully. "Because of my sisters," I choked as the image of their terrified gazes filled my head.

Nurse Dima was already rubbing my shoulders, but that didn't stop the stormy tears from washing my face. "Because...they...could... die!" Warm air whooshed out of my mouth as I finally finished the sentence that was taking ages to complete.

Somehow, there was some sort of expectation that she would just say more words and maybe reason with me, but she sat there hugging my shoulders while her eyes danced around the camp.

Later, we sat down and stilled our emotions. The sun was slowly going down and a cool breeze filled the atmosphere. We took the most plied path, making note of all the exits. Nurse Dima, with her phone, took lots of pictures while we hobbled together to analyze it.

Back in the camp, activities slowed down as well as the traffic of cars and suspicious trucks. Still, on the lookout, we were vigilant enough to catch them and move all the new girls to a tent closer to where we hid.