Forgetting Home

Chapter One

Forgetting Home
Started on November 27, 2015

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"It's freezing, isn't it?" I asked my student, Henry, who was trying to do a proper side-by-side shotgun spin. He nods as soon as he stumbles upon his feet.

That's when the the other students roared with laughter. "Hahahhaha!!" Henry's face crinkled as he stood up from the ice cold ground.

"I'll do it correctly next time! Just wait you silly fools!" I went to him and helped him up. Grabbing his slim arms, I lecture him;

"Just wait for the right time, kid. You've just started a month ago, no one takes that fast to do a shotgun spin." He sticks his bottom lip in a pout and gives me a sulky look. He replies with a 'Yes Teacher Phiff'.

Gliding past me, he roams the rink with quite a speed for an 8 year old skater. Disregarding that, I bury my palms in my jacket's pockets and go to Emma. Halting with a sharp break, I slowly lean on the barricades. "Henry's quite feisty, am I right?" She asks me while watching her students practice their twirls.

Emma's my co-instructor here in ''Polish Winter Sports Center". We teach together a set of 11 students everyday except on Fridays and Saturdays. She's 27 years old and two of her sons are my students.

"Quite is. You see, he gets quite pissed off easily and very prideful. I can actually see myself in him--"

I was cut off because of some stranger's voice bursted through the speakers. "GO! RUN FOR THE EMERGENCY EXIT! DO NOT PASS BY THE MAIN ENTRANCE! THERE IS A GANG BY THE MAIN ENTRANCE, TAKE THE KIDS OUT BEFORE THEY---"

A horrendously loud gun shot was heard. All the kids drop down to their knees and cover their precious ears. Out of shock, I drop down, likewise Emma. I can't think clearly, the kids are 3 feet away from us. They all are beginning to tear up. My eyes widen, so as my breathing fastens. I can hear Emma's hushed prayer on going;

"God, have mercy on us. Save us from the fires of hell.. ".

I can't think clearly! The kids, their parents, my life, theirs! Are we going to die? What is happeni--

"DROP FLAT ON THE FLOOR YOU DIMWITS!!" A tall man shouted as he comes in from the entrance and his malicious gang following behind him. Guns were plastered on their bodies. My students started shouting and bawling for their dear life.

Paralysis took over me, salty beads of water sliding down my pale cheeks. My palm was gripped tightly around my ears. My vision was getting blurry as the men stepped on my ice. They each grabbed one kid and held them by their waists.

"NICHOLAS!" Emma agonized as one of them grabbed her older son by the hip and as soon as he whined and struggled to escape from his suffocating grip, he planted an imprint of a hand on Nicholas's face. When the man slapped Nicholas, he shouted; "SHUT UP KID! Or else I'll plant this bullet in your thick skull!" Nicholas pursed his lips in a tight line and nodded forcefully with tears streaming down his face. Nicholas was just a 10 year old and innocent boy.

The leader of the gang pointed a pistol to Emma, intimidating her. "So, this your kid? If you don't want him to say goodbye, ZIP YOUR MOUTH AND STAY DOWN!"

He raised the gun quickly and fired once. We all screamed in agony with our eyes begging of sympathy and mercy. Whines and blubbering filled my ears, so as outrageous sobs. "Now, be a good girl and quiet down, OKAY?" Once again, Emma nodded hastily with her lips trembling and fingers shaking.

I was tearing up now. Fear engulfed my whole soul. I felt like I was going to vomit my breakfast, I felt an urge to weep myself to sleep, heart beating out of my chest, and my asthma kicking in again.

Police sirens were heard from outside and they smirked as if success was theirs. Someone, probably an officer, shouted from the outside. Using a megaphone, he called with a authoritative voice; "Surrender and you will experience less punishment for not abiding by the laws. I repeat, surrender now."

They were prepared for this, they predicted this. It's a trap for the police. They took out their megaphone and replied with a stern voice. "We're holding the kids and two instructors here. If you send your men inside, we'll kill one kid at a time. Remember, one officer, one kid."

"What do you want? A trade? A transaction?"

"No, we want the manager of this sports center to step down her place. And 50,000 zloty!" They looked at each other with disgusting grins on their faces, demanding such a high price.

The police outside were hushed, probably when they heard the trade they were willing to make. Alas, after a few seconds of silence with the sobs and bawling hushed to a volume where only the sirens outside were heard.

And there, when my world is trembling unto my feet, an officer came in. Aren't they thinking? Are they that dumb to go in and sacrifice a life! And not just a life, it's a kid's life. And as the officer came, one of the gang member looked at a kid. And isn't this a lack of faith? No, they won't kill him. No.

"Such a nice decision officer, risking a child's life, huh?" Said the ignorant gang leader.

And just right in track, a guy is about to grab Henry from the entrance of the skating rink. I can't move my feet, I can't decide properly. I want or should I say need to save him, but I just can't. Fear and anxiety has taken over me.

And when I was back to my senses, I ran towards Henry in a pace that I never knew I could do. Unwillingly, that skill is not enough. I was too late. Blood gushed down the cold block of ice. They shot him right in the head. And worst, in front of me.

The gang laughed, distracted and happy, without them knowing that the officers had taken over them in that very instant. And that's when I realized that, they would sacrifice a life just to save the others. But, that isn't just a life, it's Henry's.

I woke up. As the sun's light beams reach my face, I swear to the river styx that I will forever curse that traumatizing memory.

I get ready for work, the same place where my life was brought broken and shattered. It has been one month. A month of disaster from that incident that changed my life.

After that tragic incident, the manager told us to take medication or should I say, a see a therapist. Every Monday, a therapist is welcome to my home. As I walk pass an alley just right down of my home, I thought of some things.

After that incident, I didn't have fun with my life, didn't even wake up to a single morning where I look forward to enjoying that new day. It became a living hell for me. Everyday with no purpose of continuing in this corrupted, miserable, despairing world where people live only for self-pleasure. Until then, looks like I have to live with that burden till eternity.

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