ESCAPE

Chapter 8B

'We should get going.' I quickly stood up and began to dust my body.

'What's wrong? Do you know him?'

'No, I don't. Let's just get moving.' I started walking and she hurried after me.

'Then why is your face like that?'

I ignored her and walked faster.

'Do you even know where you're going?'

I stopped and looked around, a few meters ahead of us was a tall tree, probably tall enough to see ahead. I moved towards it and climbed it, at least I tried to. I placed one of my legs on a cracked bark and rapped my arms around the trunk and tried to lift myself.

'Wow, you're doing a good job Alex.' she said sarcastically. 'that is if you're trying to give the tree a big hug.'

'Teasing. That's swell.'

'Have you ever climbed a tree before?'

'As a matter of fact I have.'

'Where?'

Quick, quick, say something smart.

'School.' Wow that was real smart. I could feel myself making funny faces at me.

'What school?'

'Wisdom High, we have lots of trees there.'

'What kind of trees?'

'We have?'

'No. The ones you climbed.'

'Does it matter now?' I snapped. 'Please I'm trying to concentrate.'

'Jeez, take it easy,' she smiled. 'it's just a tree.'

I cursed under my breath and continued my slow ascent up the tree. I quickly held on to a bough and moved my leg around trying to place it on something, which I presumed could give me the lift I needed to the next branch... Then... Snap! And for a moment I felt I was in the air, I was ascending but then I found myself flat on the ground. I was flushed with embarrassment. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.

'Here.' she said stretching her hand out to me.

'Don't worry.' I waved it off and got up.

'Sit back. I'll show you how it's done.'

She quickly walked towards the tree and positioned her hands and legs in places I didn't even know existed and before I knew it she was up like a monkey, jumping and grabbing branches here and there.

'Try not to fall' I screamed.

'Don't worry I won't.'

It turned out the tree was way more taller than I thought. In a matter of minutes she was lost in the branches, among the leaves such that she was just a speck in the distance.

'What do you see?' I screamed.

She did not reply. She probably couldn't hear me. I walked closer to the tree and sat down. Might as well rest my back while I waited for her to come down. I was silent, I sat there contemplating.

Mr Dean? A trafficker? That was very unlikely. He was my father's partner. They worked in the same company. I wondered if my father knew about this, that his beloved partner and friend was also a deadly trafficking boss who sold people for money. Of course, he must have found out, maybe that was it. It was the reason he wanted him dead, so my father wouldn't expose him. Unbelievable! My girlfriend's father killed my parents. My God.

'Hey, help me down.'

My head was swirling around a pool of possibilities.

What if I was wrong?