Set me free

Gift of the Land

long ago, during the time of y/n's great great grandmother, Lupe, there was rumors going around her town about bandits coming around and raiding villages. She ignored the rumors only hoping they were just that, rumors. How could a ten-year-old know for sure they weren't just that. While she was sharing a meal with her father and mother telling them about her day was when loud screaming cut off their conversation. Out their door they can see at the edge of their town were houses going a blaze, people screaming as they ran away. Seconds later, men on horses appeared in their view.  Her father acting on instincts quickly grabbed her by her arm, pulling his wife - her mother - and ran out the back door of their home. She tried her best to keep up with her father, ignoring the tears streaming down her face as her eyes focused on her burning village. Her friends and neighbors all running different directions then them. Turning her gaze back to her father and mother next to her, she could see her mother was also crying, clenching onto her husband. The only thing they could hear were screams, orders being thrown around, horses stomping onto the cobblestone, and the sound of cracking from the fire. 
They continued running until they were away from their town, from the intruders that burned down their homes. Lost in the woods around them they were able to take a break, catch their breathes while others soon join them. In the distance Lupe could see her whole town had been completely engulfed with flames. Her knees threatened to give out as she slowly melts to the ground, sticks stabbing her knees while her eyes burn with tears. She lost everything, and now was on the run. At least that's what she thought. 
Her, her parents, and a handful of people from her village started walking to where they knew was another town. Her father barley got any sleep, suggesting he stays up to alert everyone. 
It took nearly three days for them to walk to the closest village, telling everyone there to be on alert. The towns folks took their warnings to heart, taking them in to get them cleaned and fed. 

If only the story stopped there, then there would be a happy ending for Lupe, for any of her generations. It took about three years for the bandits to come back, why so long? Nobody could answer that, they only assumed the bandits ran out of money and used night as their cover.
After the last raid, her father was prepared this time. He had things packed already, handing them to Lupe and her mother before forcing them out of the house. He stayed right behind them as he led them out of the village with other men surrounding the women and children. Everyone made heist, quickly passing the wooded area to having to cross a river. This caused them to slightly slow down as some children couldn't swim, leading some men to carry them across and back again. Lupe watched her step into the river with her on her tail. She didn't have to turn her head around when she could hear faint noises of horses, she only prayed to the gods that her father was behind her. The people that were already on the other side of the river started ushering everyone away from the river and into the wooded area ahead. Reaching the banks of the river she turned her head only to see her father was still on the other side, smiling and waving to her and her mother. She opened her mouth to scream just as her mother covered her mouth, muffling her cries as she was forced out of the river. She tried to push away from her mother, wanting to scream why her mother was allowing this. Her teary eyes watching the men try to fight back the raiders. Her father turning his back onto his family as he manages to force some off of their horses before being shot by an arrow through his chest. Her cries muffled while her mother forced her body in front of Lupe, not before she saw her father turn his head in their direction, a sad smile forming on his face before he falls down. Her mother softly sang a lullaby that she always does when she was sad. Tears dripping down onto Lupe's forehead, that's when she realized her mother didn't want this. She didn't want her husband to sacrifice himself for them. She wanted him alive as much as Lupe did. She looked up at her mother to see her eyes were shut while she forced Lupe's face into her chest so she couldn't look behind her.
The noises from the men and horses slowly melted into the air before anyone dared to speak or move. They stayed holding onto each other even after the noises stopped. Lupe could hear the people around them slowly stepping closer and closer to the riverbank, only then did Lupes mother slowly let go of her. Trembling from both fear and her wet clothes, she looked over the river, only seeing lumps in the now dark area. She knew which one was her father, even without the light from the torches the raiders were carrying. Silent cries could be heard from the women and children behind her as she slowly crawls to the edge of the riverbank. She wanted to at least hold onto her father one last time, to hug him, tell him she loves him one last time. She knew she couldn't, not anymore at least. Once realization hit her, she let out a scream of cries, followed by her mother as well.

She knew others had lost their family too.

She couldn't understand why the raiders had to kill anyone at all. Her hands gripping the mud underneath her as she watches her tears drip down onto the mud, anger and sadness fueling her cries. She could feel her mother's touch on her shoulder as she slowly picks her head up, staring across the river. A small light forming into the middle of the river made everyone stop their cries, fearing someone was coming back for them.
Lupe only stared as the light turned into strings, draping in the river as it leads straight to Lupe. Almost like string as it glows and slowly wrapping around her fingers, leading up to her arm. Swirls, dots, and curves decorated her arms before settling to a faint glow. She watched the swirls with wonder as she turns her hands over and back again to examine them closely. Her mother watched with the same expression while the others sent whispers between them. Lupe only stared at her hands for what felt like hours before her mother forced her to get off the ground, they had to keep moving, as far as possible.
Lupe merely nodded weakly as she stands up, following right behind her mother with some people going ahead of them and the others right behind them. She stared down at her hands, unsure what had happened or why it even happened to her in the first place. They managed to travel far enough from the river before deciding to rest, that was when Lupe separated herself from the group, something telling her to focus on her hands.
Sitting down on a rather large rock she put her palm facing downwards to the ground, slowly pointing her fingers to the ground as she pulls her hand upwards. Mimicking the movement like she was picking something off the ground. Slowly the ground started to grow upwards, as if the earth was moving towards her hand. Pulling her hand away made the earth stop growing, leaving a small hill in its wake. Staring with widen eyes she tried it again, hovering her hand over the small hill before mimicking the same movement. Growing under her hand she watched it grow before she started feeling pressure on her palm, even though there was nothing. Moving her hand to face upwards and slightly pull it towards her, she noticed the hill was still growing, causing her to step backwards due to the incline. Watching this small hill turn into a steep hill Lupe realized what she was blessed with. Quickly pulling her hand to her side she dazed to the group, passing by them to find her mother.