I can't stop now. I can't turn back. Not now, not ever. Not with what I just saw, what I came home to. Just the mere thought of the near past keeps me running. BOOM!
I wake up on the ground under my tree with every bone in my body aching like I just got crushed with a boulder, my face wet with salty tears and shaking. The dreaded shaking. The same dream, the same nightmare every time I close my eyes. My past. As I lie under my tree waiting for the shaking to subside, I realise that I fell out of my tree. Perfect. The wind bites into me. Oh no. It is twilight. I am so in trouble. I heave myself of the ground and push the pain from my mind.
"What do you think your doing Jake?" says Ms Robinson.
"Coming inside. What else would I be doing?"
"Mr Peterson, may I remind you...."
"No you may not. Goodnight."
I push past the menacing orphanage teacher and make a beeline for my bedroom. I slam the door and throw myself on my bed. I drift off to sleep only to be aroused by the nightmare. I sit up and wipe the tears from my face. It is really funny because I only ever cry in my sleep, never in real life. I walk to the window and open it, letting the cool night air calm my racing heart. The area where my house once was is alight. I push open my window and climb out without hesitation and run to the fire. I am going to be in for it now. The government is going to kill me, literally, for going to help. I am breaking the law by interfering with the government. Oh well. It is not like I haven't done this before. I finally reach the place only to hear a piercing scream coming from the burning house. I sprint into the intoxicating house and hunt for the person. A wall crashes down in front of me and I stumble backwards. The fumes and smoke is overwhelming but I can't let another die at the hands of the government. Finally, the room with the screaming person. I squint through the smoke to observe the room only to recoil in shock. The person was a child. A child siting next to her parents begging them to wake up. I run over to the child, grab her by the hand and heave her up. She looks at me with tears pouring from her eyes. I squat next to her parents to examine them. Oh my goodness. The girls parents have a bullet through their heads. I grab my the girl and run from the burning house careful to evade the government.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"
The girl walks up to her.
"Help me. Please. My parents are dead."
Ms Robinson grabbed the child and gave her the biggest hug I have ever seen. She then ushered us the the nurse and left to get the girl a change of clothes.
"What have you been doing Jake?" asked the nurse.
I look down at my arms and legs. There are burns everywhere. All down my arms, on my shoulders and my legs. The amount of grazes and cuts is uncountable and now I think about it, it really hurts.
"I was out and about."
The nurse raises an eyebrow at me but says no more. Instead, she turns to the girl.
"And who might you be? Your in a worse shape than Jake."
The only thing the girl manages to mumble was her name, Catherine.
YOU ARE READING
A Time To Rise
AdventureA cruel government, a horrific past and an equally as terrifying future, Jake must pull himself together if he is to overthrow the government.
