14- Odette

The shock and fear of the unknown person chasing Ayana has me glued to my spot for a few seconds. But I quickly get my head on straight and run up to meet Ayana. I grab her arm and firmly place her behind me as two men with rifles get right up in my personal space. The look they give me lets me know that they're aware Chris and I aren't from around here. Ayana clutches my leg like a shy child clings to their mother.

Chris slowly comes up behind us. The men eye him and I feel like smacking them. The look they give Chris, Ayana, and I makes me very uneasy. Or maybe that's just cause they're holding rifles.

I don't know how to handle the situation. I don't know what they want, and I'm guessing they don't speak English. So, I give Chris a look before turning to stare one of the men right in the eye, trying not to show my fear. I hate showing fear.

I grab Ayana's hand and turn around, simply starting to walk away; praying the men leave us alone.

I think I have a problem... Called wishful thinking.

We've haven't given more than five steps when Ayana and I are pulled away from each other. Ayana lets out a blood curdling scream. Her terrified, innocent eyes widen with fear. This poor girl, she's seen enough already. My blood is boiling over.

I'm about to kick my captor in the gut but Chris beats me to him. He shouts "HEY!" before swinging his leg around and crashing it down on the arm that's holding me. I break away and fall onto the ground. I hurriedly try to get up so I can run for Ayana. The men are shouting in their native tongue. I hear a smack and turn around to see Chris crumpled on the ground.

"NO!" I screech. The men just laugh. The one who grabbed Ayana has his rifle to her back. Her eyes blaze and I can see them watering. My own eyes are pushing tears out soon enough.

I crawl over to Chris, his body limp. He's still breathing, thank the Lord. I missed what happened to him though. I bring his head into my lap and stroke his hair for a moment. The man hel first had me comes and yanks me to my feet and sticks his rifle in my back.

I'm suddenly deathly afraid to make a move. I don't want to be shot and I don't want Ayana to be shot. My breaths are short and shaky.

They wouldn't leave Chris here would they?

Or maybe, I think with dread, Maybe leaving him here is what's better for him. When he comes to he can go back to the others.

Where are they planning on taking us?

The man behind me takes the point of his rifle off my back for a moment. He walks over to Chris and kicks him. He says something to his partner. His partner nods. The man kicks again and Chris suddenly jolts away. He's yanked off the ground and thrown next to me.

I start yelling, sprinkling my sentences with every curse word I know, even though I know they won't understand I thing. The man gives me a threatening look and sticks the point of his rifle in my back again. Chris kicks me in the shin. "Don't tick them off," he hisses.

I shut up.

Suddenly, I feel a rope tightening around one of my wrists and attaching me to Chris. I glance over at Ayana to find they're tying her up too.

The tears are begging to come out and I'm breathing so deeply just trying to control myself. How could they do this anyone, much less a child?

Ayana's eyes hold the story of someone who's knows too much. Hidden stories of things no one should experience. The kind of stories you learn about in school but never imagine you'd find yourself in the middle of.

I feel like hyperventilating. I'm feeling more emotions then I've ever felt in my life all at once. And yet, I can't express them in any way out of fear.

The man pushes his rifle deeper into my back. I gasp, afraid he randomly decided to just shoot me right there, but he only wanted me to walk forward. So I do.

Chris is more solemn than I've ever seen him in my life. The two men laugh as we walk to God knows where. It takes everything in me not to turn around and punch them both with my free hand.

As we keep marching I notice that we're not the only prisoners this team of life-ruiners has gotten a hold of.

There's a woman, and a young boy probably about my age. As we approach the boy's face falls and he gives us an apologetic look. The woman is deathly thin and looks like she can barely stand on her own two feet.

With one final shove, the three of us join them, herded like animals. The rifle is finally taken off my back and Ayana's. The men don't put them down though. I clench and unclench my fists over and over again.

I've never been one to get angry at God when something bad happens. I saw no reason to yell at the Creator when it was confused people who caused the suffering. But right now, it was really hard to believe that He was looking out for us. Especially as the heavy reality of the situation began to settle on me.

This may be the end. I may die with because of this... Modern day slavery. I may never see my seven little siblings again. I look at Chris, unable to sit press the tears any longer. I'd dragged him into this, and now his family may never have him home again. What lay ahead for us?

I looked at the woman, hardly able to stand on her own two feet. What had they done to her? Where was her family?

I noticed that Ayana wasn't able to keep her eyes of the woman either.

Ayana. Unable to escape persecution , no matter where she turned.

One of the men stuck his hand in my pack and found a water bottle. He stared at it in awe. I felt like spitting on these people and cursing them out again. The other man ripped Chris' backpack off and started searching through its contents. I noticed that while their attention was on our stuff, Ayana had crept closer to the woman. Her hands itch and tremble behind her back. Longing to sign, I figure. The woman's eyes caught the smallest light in them. She shakily bent down and cupped Ayana's face in her hands. Silent tears began to make streamlines down her wrinkled face.

I furrow my eyebrows and look at the other boy who is with us. He caught my gaze and held it there for a few moments. He actually seems pretty healthy still. He's very muscular. The only thing off with him was that he just looked... worn.

I have to be strong, I thought.

I intertwine my fingers in Chris'. He looks at me, his terrified eyes calming a little as they meet mine.

"We'll get out of this," I tell him, squeezing tighter. Then I look around at the little group surrounding us. "We all will."

He glances at the strangers and Ayana. Then he stares at our hands and squeezes back a little harder.

The two men shout something and begin pushing us all forward again.

We leave the little lake further and further behind. And our fears grow stronger and stronger with each step.

I have to be strong. We have to get back to the others. We have to get Ayana out of this, and away from whoever that other creep was....

I won't be able to live with myself if we don't.

Yola lovelies! Please listen to the the song, I adore it. It's by Matt Maher. I felt like it matched the chapter on a way... But maybe it doesn't really make sense XD Either way, it's a fantastic song lol. Thanks for reading! God bless!

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