The hidden truth

RUN

My legs are killing me. I can barely catch my breath. Racing through ally ways dragging my brother close behind. I can't afford to lose him too. I can't be alone. He can't be caught. WE can't be caught. We've been running and hiding to long to be caught now. We'd be sentenced to death at this point. They're pretty far behind so I drag Ethan into a nearby ally. They might be stronger and armed with weapons but we know this place like the back of our hand, we had an advantage. I climb into a secret door helping Ethan up and quickly shutting the door behind us. "That was a close one, are you alright?" I whispered to my little brother in case the soldier was near. "I'm fine, just hungry, but I'm used to being hungry so I'm perfect I guess." He replied softly. "I know, once the coast is clear we can go back to that fort we made around a mile from here. I have some bread and 2 apples there." I told him in a sincere voice still quiet just in case. "A feast!" He said with excitement. "Sshhh! They could be right outside this wall." "Sorry." He whispered sheepishly. We've escaped the soldiers from the boarder of our nation since Ethan was 5. The center is so broken from the outside where the government lives. The government lives on the outside where it's rich from taking from the center, hiding the center and making it impossible to escape or get into. They don't care about us. They take us as slaves and make the people in the outside world think we don't exist. They say that the center is just a dump inhabitable for human life. Putting thick walls up that only soldiers can pass. We're one of the few who've escaped the soldiers clutches. Sure we haven't got out of the center. Sure we have to keep running and hiding. But it's better than being a slave. It's better than being punished every day. It's better than death. When I'm finally sure the coast is clear, I grab Ethan's hand and jump out of our hiding place and start walking to our fort. Staying in the shadows and watching for soldiers, we make our way to a small but functional hidden fort I made about a month ago and crawl in. I hand Ethan an apple, give one to myself, then split the bread for the two of us."Mmmm, delicious" he squeals taking a large bite out of the apple then of the bread. I chuckle and enjoy the food as well."Do we have any water?" Ethan asks with a hopeful gleam in his eyes."I think so, let me check." I say as I crawl into a different part of the fort and grab two water bottles."I guess today's our lucky day!" I say excitedly, tossing him a water. He drinks it happily and I stare at him with a small smile on my face."What?" He asked with a mouth full of bread. I laugh and say "I'm just glad we're not going hungry tonight." I have a ghost smile on my face. We finish our food and Ethan falls asleep so I tuck him in and try to go to sleep myself. After a half an hour I fall deeply asleep until morning where a new adventure awaits. I wake up to the sound of footsteps and muffled voices. I peek through a crack in the wall to find two soldiers doing their rounds and talking right outside our fort. Luckily they don't know we're in here so I keep as quiet and still as I can. When Ethan wakes we'll go through the back exit and through the fence, then flee until I know we're safe. I think that's an ok plan. Right?