Ré's Sacrifice

Chapter 9 Murder

The next morning I woke early. I felt excited from the night before when I saw Charlié. I couldn't wait to see him again. Next to me, the bed was empty. Ebony was up early to buy me some food.

I stretched out on the bed and yawned. Outside, I could hear the army troops shouting at each other that they had found another poor orphan. I prayed to God and Jesus Christ it wasn't Amélie or Charlié. I heard complaints and the child screaming. I was tempted to peek out the window but I decided not to.
Better wait for Ebony to return with food.

I thought about where the BAT's were sending the orphans. Probably to Orphan schools somewhere in England. I hoped that would never happen to me.
The sound of the door opening made me jump and I abandoned my thoughts, but I relaxed when I saw it was Ebony. "Ebony! I said! You won't believe what happened last night I saw-" I stopped dead. How stupid! I couldn't tell her what happened! I tried to think of something to say. "Er I saw...I had a dream I saw my friends" I said then looked down, hoping she didn't suspect anything suspicious. But she just smiled. "How wonderful Ré" She said. We ate our bread in silence, then she said. "I feel terrible for keeping you locked up like this..but you understand why, do you?" She asked gently. I nodded "To keep me safe from them" I said "them" with as much hatred as possible. I was referring to the BAT's. I knew she understood. "You're right" She smiled and stroked my mattered hair. "Ebony?" I asked. "Hmm?". "May I see Charlié?". Ebony sighed. "It would be too dangerous-" She started but I cut her off. "What if he came here?". She considered this. "Maybe" was all she said.

I spent all day watching for Army troops. I couldn't go out like this. They spent the day snatching orphans. I saw a little girl, no older than three being pulled away from her Mother, she was kicking and screaming for her Mother, who was crying. I watched them until Ebony pulled me away from the window. She brought me food and water at meal times and she stayed with me and we played games together, but all I wanted was to run around outside with my friends. The day seemed so long and I felt disappointed that I had to wait another whole day before I could see Charlié again.

It was a terrible long wait, but at last the night that Charlié was due to visit came. I used an old brush to comb what I could out of my hair and brushed down my rags. Ebony didn't suspect a thing. She went straight to bed and I pretended to be asleep.

Finally the hour came. It was a nice night that night, no rain or cloudy skies. I got up slowly so I didn't wake Ebony and slid out the door, ran down the stairs and out the main door. The streets were bare, not a soul to be seen. I started to worry that he wasn't coming. Then I saw his small figure approaching and I smiled. When he came close enough I threw my arms around him. "Would you like to come for a walk?" He asked. I looked at the house where Ebony was unaware of my absence. "I'd better not" I said unsurely. "It will be alright, you'll be safe with me, come on, lets spend a bit of time together" He told me. "What about the Troops?" I reminded him. "Worry not, I know all the places where they never go to, you'll be fine". I nodded and smiled and we went off together.

We walked around the square, hiding whenever a tank full of army troops passed us. We were having a wonderful time. Then something happened that I would never forget. We were walking down a dark alley when I suddenly felt someone grab me from behind. I screamed but a hand covered my mouth and I tried to bite their finger. I heard Charlié from somewhere shouting at them to let me go. I heard new voices. Scary grown man ones. "THROW 'ER IN THE TRUCK!" I heard him shout. Fear and dread flooded through me. The army troops had caught me! I kicked and squirmed, but it was no use. They were starting to drag me towards a truck with orphans inside. I started to cry. Then suddenly the hands on my loosened and fell off me. The soldier fell down to the floor and hit the concrete face first. I saw a large knife sticking from his back and blood poured from his wound.
I stood there, trembling. Charlié pulled the knife from the soldier and wiped the blood from it. "Are you alright Ré?! I am so so sorry!" He said.

I suddenly felt anger wash over me, this was all his fault. He got me into this. He was the one who told me everything was going to be alright. But then my anger faded. He was also the one who saved my life. He could of just let them take me away. If it wasn't for him, I'd be in the back if a truck on the way to an orphanage. So instead of yelling at him, I smiled. "You saved me.." I whispered. Then I stupidly began to cry. My emotions washed all over me like a tidal wave. Charlié hugged me and told me once again everything was okay. I nodded. "So many people have saved my life..." I sobbed into his shoulder "..and I have done nothing in return". "Yes you have, you have done so much to help us, You saved Amélie's life, and you took care of her when nobody else would, also you stole the bread to save us, Ré I was so alone until I met you, I am so thankful I did" He told me.

We stood holding each other in silence for a while until Charlié told me it was time to take me home. He walked me to the house and watched as I climbed the stairs. I swear he kissed me while I was asleep that night. It was the happiest night of my life. Little I knew that night that the following day, everything was going to change.