The air was starting to smell salty. At first I thought this was bad - it made my mouth feel drier that it already was, and I had finished the water in my canteen a few hours ago.
Then it hit me - salty air meant salt water, salt water meant sea and the sea meant I was almost at the coast.
I started moving faster - from a walk, to a brisk walk, to a jog, to a run.
Eventually buildings came into view. They were small, shanty type huts but I took them to be a sign. A sign that I was finally there, and maybe a sign that I could make it through this, that I could survive.
I kept moving quickly, for once glad for the 10 kilometre jog-runs that my mum made me do at the weekends.
As I got closer I started to see more things through the early evening mist that had blown in from the sea. I saw an area of blue that became the sea, moving blobs that became people, specks that became fishing boats.
I smiled.
I smiled for the first time in since it had happened.
I started walking again, and walked straight into the town. I had wanted to be careful, but I couldn't care less. I had decided that no-one would be looking for me. I was one missing child, one in millions.
I walked towards a water pump I saw on the corner of the road and pulled out my water bottle. I pulled off my gloves, tucking them between my knees and pushed the pump and felt the ice cold water run over my hand as I held my bottle under the stream. As soon as there was a little water in there I put it to my lips and drank noisily, gulping down the fresh water. I did it again and again until I had drunk so much I was sure I would burst, and I was filling up my bottle for later when I heard a voice behind me, making me jump and spin round.
"You will use up all our our water if you keep going like that! When did you last have a drink?" The voice belonged to an old man with kind eyes, and laughter lines. He had a very strong accent and was speaking some sort of russian dialect, so I couldn't understand every word he said, but I got the gist. I knew he was only joking, but his question hit me between the eyes. I stopped drinking as if the water had suddenly become salty and looked down, a bit ashamed. He laughed slightly at my response, but was looking at me in a different way. I kicked myself for letting him notice something was up.
"You're not from around here are you? Are you on your own?"
I nodded, not really trusting my voice to answer his question.
"I am on my own too. Would you like to come to my home and eat? You could tell me more about yourself then."
I was hesitant to accept his offer, I was aware of 'stranger danger' from my parents, and I think my dad put more emphasis on it than most, but my stomach overruled my head and I nodded again. He smiled kindly
"Come, then."
I looked around and pulled my gloves back on, and followed him.
YOU ARE READING
A Drop of Black
Akcja"I hadn't meant to fall asleep - last night had taught me that sleep was dangerous. It made you vulnerable, and that was something I couldn't afford to be, if I wanted to win, and at the moment I did want to win. I wanted to beat them, prove them wr...
