Child of War

Home Sweet Home

I took the lead as the stranger and I fled through the trees. The Sun was sinking toward the horizon.

He stopped, pulling off his helmet. His face had strong defined features. "We have to find my squad."

I turned around. "We won't reach them before the Sun sets and you don't want to be out here at night."

"Where are you taking me?"

Something howled in the distance and I scanned the area. "Somewhere safe. We'll find your friends in the morning."
————
I pushed through the tree line, revealing a steep slope. We trudged up the hill until we reached a rock platform about halfway up the incline. A curtain of vines covered the cave mouth. I parted the thick vegetation with my staff and ushered the stranger inside. Scanning the landscape for any sign of pursuit, I followed him in.

He stared in awe at his surroundings. The cave was meagerly furnished with a dim lamp lighting the area.

I snickered at his surprised expression. "Welcome to my humble abode."

He whirled to look at me. "You built all this?"

"Obviously." I walked over to a rickety table and pulled off my helmet, letting my long black braid fall down my back.

When I turned to look at him, his jaw dropped. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen." I strolled over to a wall with a tattered blanket hanging over it. "I think."

He gave me a questioning look. "You THINK."

I gestured to the room around us. "Well, I don't exactly have a calendar." I knelt next to the curtained wall.

"But you still keep track."

"Why not?" I scratched a line into the wall with a sharp piece of metal. "There's not much else to do here."

He stared at the part of the wall he could see. "How long have you been here?"

I grabbed the curtain and dragged it aside. "A little over five years." I walked out onto the platform. I hadn't talked about this for a long time, ever really. I needed some fresh air. It hurt to admit how long it had really been.