Finally Free!

Sarcoline

I wake up in sweats as the memories of black-clothed men grabbing me by my arms as I kick and scream while pushing me into a van then they put me to sleep until I wake up on the other side, kicking and screaming.

I get out of my bed in the middle of the night as I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen to try to work on some ideas for the boat before the work starts tomorrow.

I spot Radley there as well and I sigh but I ignore him as I think hard about getting a boat across a river but I know we do not have all the details we need.

Radley looks at my pale expression, "Are they the ones that took you?" I look at him, turn my head back to my work and nod slightly.

He sighs deeply, "Are they not your people?" "No," I say curtly, "and that is what concerns me. Someone must have no loyalty to this country for some reason that we know nothing about so they let these people through, who think they have authority." "Should you not talk to your father?" He asks me seriously. I shake my head, "Not only do I have no evidence but I do not have the strength to explain my life story to the whole country."

He nods and smiles at me, "You...have to tell him about the men you saw atleast." I nod, knowing he is right but I, also, know that he wanted to say something else and I am glad he didn't.

I get up and walk with determination to my father's room at that time of night and, surprisingly, Radley follows me.

The guards notice me and I tell them, "I need to talk to my father, urgently." They nod, probably thinking I am being dramatic.

After some time, my father emerges in his sleeping clothes and once he sees my face, his face turns serious.

"This better be really serious," he says as he walks to an empty room, "speak." I stop biting my nails and say, "I saw some men that are not from our army or country crossing the border and harassing our people in that town that we went to deliver the food to." My father tenses and sighs, "What were they wearing?" "Black," I say honestly and my father nods. "They are from a country that has no values or any curtesy for borders," he says kindly, "and, yes, they harass the people but we are trying to make a dent in their forces. Sadly, it is hard to track them down. Anything else?"

I look at Radley and sigh as he nods, "They are the same men that took me." My father tenses again and his face fills with rage as I make this confession, "But you were not in their country." "Okay," I say nervously, "but that doesn't mean they were not the ones who took me first and then sold me to someone else." "Do you remember anything else?" He asks with pain in his face. "About them," I say honestly, "they made me sleep until I arrived where I was rescued from and then, later, I was put into the foster home."

I noticed Radley look at me when I did not say where I was rescued from.

My father nods, "Let's gather more evidence and remember all you can about them." I nod but I know I will not tell him things he should not know and things that will break him in pieces.

I can, already, see the pain in his eyes and the hurt he feels.

Once my father leaves, I sit there and stare at the wall for a few seconds as the life I lived comes back in films so I can remember anything about them but nothing comes to mind.

Radley watches me, "I see what you mean about telling him things. It will break him." I nod, "He will never be the same if he knows."

I, then, get up and head to my room to study because I know I will not be able to sleep.

Early the next morning, I am still studying and catching up, slowly. My heart aches, my head throbs and my mind begs for sleep that I know I will not be able to attain at this time.