I am David: A glimpse of the past (7)

Determination was the only thing keeping me alive. The harsh weather was getting worse and worse I had to find shelter and fast or I would not survive much longer.

I found an old barn and set one foot in it and the farmer came out and started to yell at me "You little thief, get away from here," I tried to explain to him my situation but he did not give me a chance to speak. "I am going to call the cops on you!" When a woman came in and said "NO! Don't call the cops, we could use him as a worker for the winter and let him sleep in the barn then at the end of spring call them and then bring him in." said the woman. They were both evil and not very good looking either, they had terrible smiles sinister and knotty.

They treated me like a dog they gave me left over foods and water and did not give me a bed but it was better than the camp; but the farmer was almost like a guard.

One night I was lying down thinking if I was ever going to get out of here when suddenly an old sheep dog came up to me and started to sniff me. I was tense because they had dogs in the camp but they were mean, the guards used to think it was funny to make dogs bite the prisoners and then they would reward them; but this one just lied down next to me. He fell asleep and so did I.

The next day I had just finished doing something when the farmers son came and completely messed it up; the farmer was really mad and was about to slap me when the dog came and stood in front of me, growling at the farmer. "Get out of the way King." yelled the farmer. The dog did not move. The farmer gave me a nasty look and walked away. King protected me, he isn't a bad dog he was a friend.

That night while I was lying down to sleep King came and lied down next to me. I reached my hand out and stroked him from his head to his bottom only once and did not do it again. King liked my face and looked into my eyes and it was then when I knew that he was my friend I cuddled into his thick fur at night and we shared our heat.

Spring was coming closer and closer and the farmer was locking the doors with a big steel bar on each door to make sure I do not get away. So one night I came you with a plan to get out; since my knife was to dull to cut through the steel maybe it could cut through the old wood, the walls, at night I cut a square big enough for me to fit through, then I would dig though the snow till I got to the other side of the bank, but I was working at night so I was getting tiered during the day and I thought the farmer was going to notice.

It was another week or so until spring was here, but the snow was getting weak I didn't know if the tunnel was going to collapse on me or not, so I decided that I was going to escape tonight.

That night I told King that I had to go and that I wouldn't be coming back. "Take care of your self King. I love you; you were the best friend ever." And I went through the hole I closed my eyes because I didn't know if I would be able to get out but I got out with no problem, I started to run faster and faster when I got to the road I was walking but when I looked back I saw a black thing running after me. I dove into the snow, for a few seconds my face was stinging with cold but it was getting warmer when I looked up I saw King licking my face. He had come with me by his own free will and I was glad he did. He was hard to take care of though I could not feed him every day and I did not have shelter for him but he followed me on his own enjoying every moment of his life.

A few days passed and we came along to another station where there was police men but we slipped along the side of it; we were walking along the road passed the station when a truck that looked like something they drove pulled up in front of me and rolled down the window. My heart was racing; it was beating so loud that I thought he could hear it. King immediately jumped in front of me and started growing at the truck. "You thought you could get away with out being seen did you." He smiled and completely changed the mood.” Were you headed?" "Denmark." I said stunned and relived at the same time. "Well I don't know if I can take you that far but hop in only if you can keep your dog quiet." "I think I can keep him settled." I said sheepishly.

The man was very nice and shared his food with us both. He showed me a new way of transportation; a train there was a platform were you stood when you were waiting for a train and a both were you could buy tickets for trains. Most drivers that I got a ride with were scared or uneasy with King but once they got to know him they liked him and were comfortable with him.