The world freezes.

Well, I think I sense movement around me but I can't tell. Either way, my world is frozen. All I see is Chris, lying limp, probably... dead.

My breathing comes in short, rapid bursts of air and I begin to feel extremely light headed. My body has been holding out, but all the sudden it's as if my emotions are going to be the things that black me out so that I don't have to face the reality of what just happened.

No, no, he can't be dead. That wasn't supposed to happen, we just had to get Ayana home. None of this was supposed to happen.

I blink and finally begin to become aware of the sheer chaos that is going on around me. Ayana has dropped to her knees by Chris' side and the two men have gotten back into an all out dust fight.  They each struggle for the gun. A couple shots rings out and instinctively, I duck.

Ebele grasps my shoulder tighter than I would've expected her to be able to and whispers, "We must leave. We attract more men soon because of noise."

I swallow hard and barely force out te words, "They'll shoot us all if we try to run."

Ebele looks at me more sternly than I thought she was capable of and says, "Child I know you're frightened. But we in so much trouble, they may just shoot us here on morning instead of putting us back to work."

I glance back at the men as I slowly begin to nod. "But where will we go?" I ask just as the man from the schoolhouse gets possession of the gun.

"We head to river. Many villages around river."

My head snaps back to her. "You know where the river is?"

She nods. The man from the schoolhouse bends the gun with his bare hands and throws it farther than I can even see it land.

My eyes widen as the men keep fighting and Ebele urgently instructs,

"Fetch the child, we must run now."

I nod and begin to crawl over to Ayana and the limp figure of Chris. I fight the tears but there's no use. There was a sliver of me that hoped he hadn't been... killed but...

I shake my head slowly and tears cloud my vision until I can barely see.

No....

Ayana is looking sternly at the ground and seems to be moving her hands around a lot. Does she sign to herself like we talk to ourselves?

I hear an angry voice behind me, but I don't care at this point. Feeling beyond lost, confused, scared, devastated... Is this the one thing that could make me no longer care whether I live or die?

My blurry vision slowly clears and I realize something.... Ayana is patching up Chris with a part of her dress... She's patching up his... Arm?

My breathing speeds as my emotions suddenly shoot up faster than a rocket. I see it. The steady rise and fall of his chest.

He's alive.

It's shallow breathing, I can't deny that fact, though I try not to dwell on it too much.

He's alive.

He has a chance. Right? He has to have a chance.

I lean over to see that Ayana has wrapped a horrible wound that's already bleeding though her DIY bandage. But it's helping... I think.

The bullet must've hit him in the arm.

Trying to think at one thousand miles an hour, I lift Ayana's chin so she can see my eyes. She looks at me, ready to listen, in her own way. I reach over and grasp her hand. Then I point to Ebele.

She furrows we eyebrows, so I try again.

I point to her, then back at Ebele.

Understanding, Ayana reluctantly lets go of my hand, the shouts and protest of the slave owner still ringing on.

"Odette, why you bring him? Dear, we can't!" I hear Ebele protest as I try to find a way to carry Chris.

"He's alive! We've got to-"

I stop talking as I realize Ebele was right. The two men have stopped fighting. The "original" slave owner is on the ground, unconscious, but five other men, all with rifles, have finally come as back up.

Ayana, Ebele, and I are frozen once again, one gun pointed at each of us. The other two men both have their guns pointed at the schoolhouse man.

I can't figure this guy out. Is he for us? Did I have the wrong idea about him? Ayana certainly didn't seem to want him hurt but then... Why would she have run?

There's really no time to think about all of that. School Man suddenly grabs the gun from the nearest slave trader and begins yelling.

Still bent over Chris, I'm shaking like a leaf.

The men yell, and yell, and yell back and forth at each other.

I look at Ebele to see if I can catch a facial expression since she knows what they're saying.

I don't know what I expected to see but terrified.

But then, all the men besides "schoolhouse man" lower their guns ever so slowly. Schoolhouse Man barks short commands, and the men, rather grudgingly, back away.

There are so many emotions surging through me at this moment that it all just ends up making me feel numb.

Ayana runs the rest of the way up to Ebele and watches Schoolhouse man closely.

The big burly man slowly walks up to Ayana, confusion and despair written all over his face. He gets no more than a few feet from Ebele and Ayana. He reaches out slowly... And Ayana grabs Ebele.

What is the history with these two? If I was right about him abusing her why would she care about saving the life of someone who'd completely destroyed hers?

The man quickly brings his hand back. The he stares at the ground as he mumbles a few words. With one last glance at Ayana, he hardens his jawline and springs away.

I swear I hear a tiny gasp escape Ayana as she finds herself letting go of Ebele and and staring after the man, her shoulders going up and down heavily. Her face contorts oddly.

What I would give to be able to understand what this girl has gone through and what she's thinking right now. Who that man was... The stories of her mother.

Ebele gently walks up to the shocked Ayana and takes her hand, turning her away from the retreating figure of that all confusing man.

I pick Chris up the most gentle way I can.

Even though there may be no one trying to stop us, we don't take our time getting away from that camp and heading towards the river.

But Ayana doesn't stop looking back.