Escapism

BACK STORY I

First person pov:

And here it how my life became hell Anita it all started from.......

I skipped away from the noisy city center. The market was full of buyers and sellers, arguing and negotiating prices. Down the main pathway, was a little wooden shed where books were borrowed. "Miss, can I borrow a new book please?", I asked the old lady behind the counter as soon as I reached the shed. She was not the same woman who had been at the little book store. She looks kinder, I thought.

"Oh darling, how old are you!?", she croaked in shock as elderly as possible. "Eight.", I replied hotly. I was a small child for my age, I was told, and I never liked it when people looked down on me for it. Naturally, I learned to be fierce and feisty. "Okay dear. What book do you want?", the old lady asked. This question startled me. She hadn't questioned me suspiciously about my age; that was a first. "Any new one please," I replied, "I've read every single one in this store". "Oh okay dear. There was a new delivery this morning and I shall get them for you.", she said as she turned away slowly.

She grabbed a little bundle beside her and turned back to me. "You know girl, you're destined for great things. You'll be great, even greater than your parents.", she said. I blinked at her. "Okayy." I said. I didn't understand her. My parents were ordinary teachers and there was nothing great or extraordinary about them.

She pulled out a new crispy leather bound novel from the bundle and gave it to me. "I know this is not what you're used to", she said, " but it is a good book too." I looked at the book. It was an ordinary novel written by one of my favourite authors. "Okay miss. Thank you." I said quickly and hurried away from the store.

That was weird, I thought to myself as I strolled along the streets. I picked up the book and was about to open the first page when I heard a loud bang behind me. There was a sudden stillness that reigned in the market behind me. I turned around and saw people with heads turned towards the entrance of the city centre. Then it came.

A series of non-stop bangs and screams from people who had been hit with exploding bullets. Blood, gore and body pieces flying around. I froze in horror and shock and watched as a bullet hit the book store and explode it to a million pieces. Suddenly, the shock turned into terror and I began to race down the street. A swarm of people came running with me. Behind our group of runners and screamers, were people yelling out in pain as they were shot and burst by the enemy bullets.

I ran. I did not recall the moment my face was filled with tears but I saw lots of people in the city running and screaming with us. All at once, we ran into a group of people running from the opposite direction. The enemy was attacking from both sides. We were doomed.

My vision was a blur. People falling from all sides and bursting into nothingness, people caught in the stampede and being trampled on by their friends and family, people yelling in pain from being shot in the heart with flaming arrows; and my parents.

I caught a glimpse of them for two seconds. Caught in the stampede, it was evident they were looking for me. I tried to shout out and yell for them but a huge yelling figure, blazing with a flaming chest, shoved me aside, crying for help. I glanced at them again. They hadn't seen me.

My mother was crying and my father was trying his best to prevent people from shoving them to the floor. He was holding one of his books. And then, they fell. A huge wave of arrows had been shot and the whole place had caught on fire. I didn't see my parents again. I felt a stab in my heart and fell to the pain. I shut my eyes and a numbing feeling replaced my consciousness.

****************

I tried to open my eyes. There was a rocking movement about where I was. There was a throb in my head, and a tight feeling in my chest. I felt my eyes opening, but I saw no light. And there was a stench. A mixture of faeces, blood and urine, a smell so strong I nearly threw up. I felt around me. I was laying down naked on a very slippery floor. My feet were bound up with strong ropes and my body hurt. I tried to sit up but I fell back down as a sharp pain in my neck pulled me down. I sat up more slowly. There was no light wherever I was. It was pitch black, but my eyes were starting to get used to it. There were other laying bodies; and I couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. The space was small, but shaped peculiarly. It was evident I was on a ship.

I lay back down and fainted again out of pure fear. When I woke up again, there were voices about me. I did not raise my head. I feared the consequences. "Throw the dead ones overboard," one deep grunting voice said. "Sir, they all seem to be dead", another, less authoritative, voice replied. "Well then lash them all till they wake", said the deep voice again, with a tone of indifference. A loud crack was heard and someone screamed. "See," said the deep voice, "They always respond to violence. If they do not wake, throw them overboard. Keep the living ones here but keep them unconscious. And take care to flog them all thoroughly". Following this statement, was a gruesome hour of enduring the heart wrenching sound of whips against bodies. It seemed like I was on the farthest side of the small room, or I was too small to be noticed, but as I lay there frozen with terror, it took long before my beating came. When I did, I was thrashed all over. This whip felt like it had thorns in it and it tore at my skin. My body felt like it was on fire. Before I became unconscious from the pain, I heard that deep voice say again, sickeningly, "Easy now, it's just a naked little girl".

1093 making good progress I think 🤔 pls comment again credit to my favorite person and writer.