I couldn’t move. It was one of those situations where the memories of my father’s arrest come flooding back and forces my body to shut down. I know these people know what we did. My mother is on their side. She won’t protect me. She probably never will. She wouldn’t even take a second glance at me if she got the chance. My blood boils as my anger rises. It snaps me back to reality. I stand staring. The MODS are armed. Ready to fight. The only weapon I have is the spoon in my hand and, the last time I checked, they can’t inflict too much damage. It could poke a few eyes out if I got the chance but I’m not here to fight.
I raise arms above my head as if to say “I surrender. You got me.” I step forwards towards the door. Stunned, the MODS step aside, as if I’ve done something unbelievable. My memories start screaming at me as they part to reveal the truck. The punishment. The death sentence. I walked straight towards it, the stunned faces watching me the whole time. I reached the back of the truck and the doors were opened. I looked inside. Cramped, dingy. Terrible conditions to be taken to your imminent death in. I snapped.
I ran. I ran from that place as fast as I can. I ran in the direction of Josh’s house. It was the first place I thought of. Then I think of The Pod. I’ll have to go through there. It’ll just slow me down. I change direction and run behind a house and run until I can feel my heart hammering against my chest so hard it hurts. I can’t stop. They’ll get me if I do. I can’t stop.
I launch myself over the tracks and throw myself behind a large rock, peering over the top to see if they’re coming. Nothing. No one to be seen. I see a pair of boots round the corner and I throw myself down, hitting my head on the rock as I do. I can feel the sting and the warm blood trickle down my face. I just press myself closer to the rock. I can hear the pounding of feet. The vibration of the ground emanating through the rock.
“Where is she? Where’d the brat go?” One calls.
“No idea, Commander. I lost sight of her after the firehouse.” I hear a stomp and a curse.
“Fall back. She’s not here. Let’s check The Pod and the boy’s house. She might be there.” The boy. I know who he means. They’re going to him. Josh. What’ll they do to him? Take him in for questioning? Torture him for information he doesn’t know? I could go back for him? NO, it’s too late for that. That’d just put him in more danger. At least if they question or torture him, they’ll figure out he doesn’t know anything pretty quickly.
I wait until I can’t hear footsteps before I peer over the rock. Gone. Not one person in sight. The night has set in and the sun sets pretty quickly around here. I creep out to get the blanket and a cushion and settle in back behind the rock. I look down at the blanket and realise how noticeable I’d be if they came back. I’m lucky they left before, unseen and unharmed. The blanket is bright red and blue. I won’t be hidden if they come back.
I reach to my side and scrape at the dirt, forming a small pile at my side. I scoop it up and rub it into the blanket. It sticks in between the fibres of the fabric and creates some form of camouflage. I size up the blanket. It would take hours to cover this whole thing. I stare at the ground and realise a solution.
Standing up and spreading the blanket out in my hands and lay it out. I spread out on it, both arms in the corners and my feet in the other two, and start to wriggle and squirm. If someone saw me, they’d think I was having a seizure. But, no, this is how I camouflage a blanket. I continue for about 20 minutes until my muscles are seizing up and sore. I flip it over, taking care not to shake the dirt out of it again. It looks dusty and dirty. Perfect.
I feel a steady throb start in my head and I remember the gash from the rock. I reach up to feel it and can feel the dried blood in a line down my face. I’ll leave it until I find a way to get water and something to cover it up and keep away infection. For now I’ll have to look like a monster. I lie back on the cushion and cover myself with the blanket.
