ESCAPE
It was nearly midnight. Both of Ophelia’s parents were sleeping. Their dwelling consisted of a small heap of old rags and grass. They slept together but did not touch. They were very light sleepers and she was worried about getting caught.
She had an old bag filled with left over food she had been storing under her bed for the past few weeks, a change of clothes and one blanket. It wasn’t very much but she prayed it would work until she could reach the Outside. She gingerly opened her door and stepped into the living room. Her parent’s bedroom was down a small hall to her left, the door always open.
She tip toed to the door, as quietly as possible. She had taken off her shoes and stashed them in her bag, trying to prevent her feet from making so much noise. She turned the doorknob and suddenly lights were flashing and a loud siren was going off.
She heard her parent’s door slam as they came out of the room. Ophelia had no idea that they had set up such a complex security system. She dashed out the door franticly just as her parents rounded the corner. They saw the open door. Her mother opened the door to Ophelia’s room. She could here her mother’s wretched screech at finding her bed empty.
Ophelia was already half way to the forest. Once she was there it would be difficult for her parents to find her. They could look for years and never find a trace of her. She was almost to the fringe of the first trees when her father’s angry snort came. He was gaining on her rapidly.
Her breath was coming quickly and her heart was pounding in her chest faster than eve before. She had never done such physical exercise. She was just reaching the first tree when she felt a knife graze her left shoulder. She cried out in pain as it past her and slammed into the nearest tree. She didn’t take time to inspect her injury and kept running. She stopped briefly at the tree the knife was lodged into and pried it from the wood. She kept running while tossing it into her backpack.
Her arm was shooting with pain by the time she was far enough in the forest that she could no longer see the faint glow of her home. Still, she could hear both her parents hot on her trail now. They were snorting and screaming and calling out her name.
She took a sharp left around a tall spruce tree. She spotted a small, shallow pound. It was wide across and she hoped it would be enough to cover her tracks so she could get away. She ran right through the middle of it. It got deeper than she expected and had to swim a little. Once she reached the end she was off running again.
It had started to pour and she slipped in a mud puddle. She tumbled and her knee hit the hard packed ground with the sound of crunching bone. She bit her tongue, not wanting to give away to her mother and father where she was.
She tried to get up but her knee gave away and she started to tumble backwards down a large hill. She hit rocks and slammed her head off of one large log. She was almost unconscious when she fell down into a small hole. She wasn’t sure where she was going but as she plunged out of view of her parents, she knew that some outside being, source of faith, had helped her get away. She tried to thank whatever it was but the plea of appreciation was stuck on her lips and her head hit solid ground. She was out.
