Escape

Chapter 1: Escape

The sound of a blowhorn blasts through the night. Beams of light stretch across the night sky, and howling dogs and men shouting echo through the night.

"Don't let them escape!" a man shouts, running through a grassy field, carrying a flashlight and a dog leash in the other.

Big black hounds bark and growl, tugging with excitement. The thrill of the hunt ignites their spirits as their owners encourage them, fueling their exhilaration even more!

Like shadows in the night, a storm of men dressed in all black flood the open grassy field. Beams of light, sharp as knives, cut through the darkness as they search for their fugitive. The danger is palpable, and the need for escape is urgent.

"Keep going! Don't look back," Star, a teenage girl of about 16 years, called out. She has black, kinky hair and brown skin. She is barefoot and wearing ripped jeans and a black T-shirt. Her clothes are dirty and stained with dust. Her face and black hair are almost gray from all the dust she's exposed to daily. Her hands are blistered and bruised from holding tools and moving stones. But her body is solid and well-fed. Despite her hardships, her spirit remains unbroken.

" I'm trying, but it's too far. Let's go back; maybe it won't be so bad, maybe the Warden will go easy on us," a much younger girl whines, her voice filled with fear and exhaustion, trying to keep up with the much older, swifter girl. She's about ten years old, with blue eyes and long, matted blond hair, her features obscured by the layer of dry mud. She's exposed to the same labor and hardship as the older girl. Age didn't matter where they came from. They live to work. She wears a white T-shirt and black jeans.

" No, Moon, we can't afford to stop. You know what will happen if they find us," the older girl said urgently, the fear of being caught palpable in the air.

The young girl stopped running, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "But Star, I'm tired, and each time we've tried to escape, they catch us and punish us harder," Moon said, her voice trembling with fear.

"Not this time, little sister. I promise you, this time, we're getting out of this place. You'll never have to work another day in your life," Star said, her voice filled with unwavering determination, grabbing her little sister by the arm. "If you're tired, I can carry you." Her words carried a glimmer of hope, a beacon in their dark reality that nothing would stop them.

"No, I'm fine. I'm scared. What if we get caught again."

Star kneels and looks Moon in the eyes. "Be brave, my little Moon. We can do this remember we're sisters. And sisters can...."

"Do anything when they work together." Moon finishes Star's sentence.

The sound of approaching men and dogs interrupts their tender moment; their lights are more visible now.

" Come, we have to keep moving into the Forest. We can lose them if we reach the river. "

The two young girls dash into the woods.

" What makes you so sure we'll make it out this time?" Moon asked.

"Because I've covered all my bases. And I read over Papa's notes a dozen times. Besides, I had a little help.

A bright light explodes from behind them. A massive fire consumes the facility from which they escaped.

" Wow, how'd you do that !"

" You know that one guard that's always kind to me?"

" Yeah, what about him?"

"Let's say he forgot to lock my cell the last few nights, and I was able to knock a few things out of place.