Okay, so for the last few days I haven't been able to stop thinking `why the man let me go that night He told me that there was everything I needed in a little package next to a tree for the road once I was out. He said "When you see a match strike, the electrical current will be off and you will escape to the other side. You will have half a minute, 30 seconds, to get to the other side of the fence. You’ll have a few days to get to a harbor in Salonica, find the ship that’s headed to Italy, once you get there go to a town called Denmark; you’ll be safe there."
Tonight is silent as I lay there and think of everything that has happened. First the man let’s me out; it's crazy how a lifetime of suffering can all change in half a minute and just like that I was off.
After I was over the fence I was running like a maniac and I thought to myself I’m going to die anyway, there is no way they couldn’t catch me! So I stopped running and started walking thinking `Ha! I’m not scared of you!!` I felt so proud but at the same time nervous!!
Then I found the package and was on my way, then that night my compass told me to go through a thorn bush I tried to go around it and couldn’t I dared not disobey it and I got all kind of scrapes and scratches, my arms still have the scars.
A few nights later I’m running low on food and water; but to my luck I fell upon a field of sheep and I found their pale of water and there was some left over soup that the shepherds had not eaten.
I continue on and when I’m resting for the rest of the day; I hear people coming my way, my heart was pounding so loud I thought that they were going to hear it. I thought that they were here to capture me and bring me back to the camp. No. They were only hanging out! They had come to have a smoke; I was so relived that I couldn't even concentrate on what they were saying. The voices were different from the guard's but after a while I could tell the people apart.
I over heard one of the men say "I will only go to Salonica with the van and that's as far as I'm going." and I thought 'YES! If I can sneak in to that van I have a ride!'
When the men leave I quickly follow behind. The van pull's off and I'm racing with the wind to catch up, my heart pounding through my chest I jump on and find a place where I wont be noticed. As I step inside I can't see a thing, blinded by darkness, I come to realize that the van is filled with boxes. I'm trying to find a place to squeeze into and then I find the perfect spot.
I settled down trying to catch my breath. I try so hard not to fall asleep but even with the roaring of the engine and the violent swaying of the van I manage to fall asleep. I was awakened, it took me a few seconds to realize that I was still in the van but the van is motionless, I hadn’t realized that how long I was asleep for. I tried to make my way to the exit, still alone in the dark I fell around when suddenly I trip and land hard on the hard, cold floor.
Feeling discouraged, I lay there in silence as I hear a voice. 'Could it be one of the drivers?' I thought but to my surprise I come to realize that it's the voice of Johannes; Johannes had died in the camp he was like a father to me, he told me everything I needed to know about anything! But as I was watched his body laid there everything changed, from that moment on I had to defend myself. 'Get up, you have to keep going, you can't give up now you’re so close.' I thought he said. "Will you come with me?" 'No I won't, you can do this on your own!' I got up and felt the need to continue on; I find my way to the door and hop out of the van.
I made my way to the dock and found the ship that said 'Italy'. 'I should come back at night and sneak on when no one can see me'. The night was cold and dark but I felt my way was lit by the moon; I found the ship I was looking at earlier that day and sunk on.
I went down to the storage part of the ship and found the perfect spot to hide where no one could find me even if they did go into the storage room. With my but as cold as the floor it was on I was surrounded by darkness once again and running low on food and water again. But I spot something that looks like a bottle with a little bit of liquid in it. I reach out for it and then took a sip; it tasted sweet but kind of sour and bitter. I kept drinking it, quenching my roaring thirst, it felt so good on the way down and by the time I was quenched, I started felling dizzy and light headed and fell asleep.
Once again with everything was dark when I work up, I didn’t know if it was day or night I had lost track of that as soon as I found my hiding spot. I got up to stretch and all of a sudden I hear foot steps coming my way, my heart was pounding as I heard the noise get louder and louder and then frozen in terror I saw a figure appear in the black.
"Mama Mia!!" He said. It was one of the sailors. "What are you doing here!?" more of a statement than a question, with his funny accent. "Have you been drinking my wine?" He asked with disappointment and frustration in his voice. "Yes. Thank you." I said sort of sheepishly. "Ha first this child sneaks on to our ship and now he's thanking me for steeling my wine! Mama Mia!" He said.
We stood there looking at each other me with worry in my eyes, him with wonder and sadness. Finally he says "Okay, I will help you, I can not let you be seen so when we are a few yards away from the shore I will lower you off the side of the ship and give you a life belt and then you swim to shore, after that your not my problem anymore!" "I...I don't know how to swim." "Mama Mia!!" he shouted once more.
He showed me what to do with my arms and my legs. The time was near; he snuck me up to the deck and put the life belt around me and a rope to it. He lowered me down the side of the ship and when me feet touch the water cold shoot's up my legs and right through my body and my body was numb by the time I was all the way in the water. I start swimming and I think 'This is harder than it sounds!'
Exhausted and numb I finally get on the shore and my legs almost refuse to go any farther but I push them up the little hill, when I reach the top I open my eyes and see the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in entire life. A red flower on a valley, with a river and a mountain in the background fading in to the sunset.
My stomach started to twirl and twist and I come to realize that I am crying for such beauty. I smile and finally realize...life is worth living!
my arm now! the ship I was on!
life's meanning, pure beauty!
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