Call Of Freedom

꧁Laws against Reason꧂

It has always been hard for me to find satisfaction in this world and I almost envy every human that does. It's somehow easy for them to wake up every morning and take part in a monotonous, endless rhythm. On the other hand, I'm the dry drum, the tuneless clarinet, a guitar with no strings. I only ruin their melody. But for the first time in my life, I can hold it in my hands and break it if I want: a knife. Cuts and dry blood stain my fingers after millions of attempts to sharpen the blade. The edge of my left sleeve ripped apart since I needed something to cover the hilt.

Even now, the small bubble of pride that starts building up inside of me pops after a few minutes. I don't follow the rules, I must hide it. If the villagers manage to discover my creation, they will hand me to any patrolman that happens to be passing by.

Now that I'm thinking about it, how does one even use a knife? Why are they illegal?

The first breeze of the day starts blowing, caressing my cheeks and removing my hair from my face. Among it comes the smell of rain and ripe fruits. Autumn is approaching and the trees are sensing it as well. Their leaves are losing their vibrant green color slowly embraced by warmer shades. This season always saddened me.

Bad weather only means one thing: fewer opportunities to escape the borders and explore the outside world. It also means fewer opportunities to be caught by a patrolman... It's no man's wish to ever be seen by them. No one knows what they're capable of. Only Master has this knowledge; he is omniscient, but doesn't share anything with us because... I don't know why. I shouldn't care. They can't know I care.

The sun rays hit my face, filtered by the leaves and bushes of the forest. They will wake up soon, I have to leave before they discover I'm missing. I rise up, put my tools and the knife on the pouch hanging from my belt and start making my way back home.

The leaves behind me rustle and tremble. My body goes numb. I gulp loudly and take a glance over my shoulder. A branch snaps and the bush shakes . A patrolman! I jump behind a tree, wishing that its trunk is enough to hide my body. It most definitely is not. I breathe louder than usual. I shut my eyes and try to control it. The leaves rustle behind me. I put my palm on my mouth and shrink down. And then comes a cry.

I open my eyes. If there was one thing I would never expect from a patrolman was for him to cry in the middle of his shift. I lean to my right and try to take a glance through the branches of a bush. In front of me crawls a petite body of a malnourished boy. His hands are tied with a rope ingrained with his blood. He pushes with his legs to stand up and then limps to wherever his bare feet lead him.

I rise up and block his path. He screams a high pitched sound and loses his balance once again. His hands in unison cover his eyes and his knees protect his chest.

"Please, please don't hurt me!"

If only he knew that I had the same wish a minute ago. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Where does that boy come from? What if someone chased him and now someone finds me and hurts me as well? I am pulled by the weight of my knife and I take a step closer. He flinches.

"No, no! I didn't do anything!" he blurs out and rolls away from me.

Of course he hasn't done anything. What could a boy do to deserve such pain?

I take a step back and clear my throat. I notice him taking glances at me through his fingers and his whining pauses.

"Did anyone follow you?" I manage to say after scanning our surroundings.

"I- I don't think so..." he raises his chin. "You are not a patrolman?"

"Is that a serious question now?"