My Sister's Keeper: Chapter Eighteen [NaNoWriMo]
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
They awoke early to prepare as best as they could for how to pass through the town unscathed. It didn't occur to Anastasia until the early morning light that perhaps circling the northern edge of town in the dark could work. It may provide them with the safety they require, then allow them enough time to get as far away from the town and it's possible inhabitants as possible. She started to seriously consider the option.
“We need to pass through the town, Emma told me.” Ruby relayed Emerald's message to Anastasia. She was aware of Anastasia's concerns, and she felt they were justified, but Emerald had a plan, and she needed Anastasia and Ruby to keep the faith.
“Does Emma have a plan to get us through safely?” Anastasia asked Ruby. She could see her conversing, but as was always the way, Anastasia could never make Emerald out, and if it hadn't been for her own experiences along this journey, her patience with what she once believed was a charade would have long run out. But she now knew better, and had come to depend on Emerald and her guidance. But how could she get us through this town, if indeed there are soldiers in there, she wondered? Are more planes on the way? Can she call any in? What is the plan, if there is one?
“She wants us to make our way, quietly, though the town, just like we have with all the other ones. She promises that nothing bad will happen to us. I don't know what she will do, but I believe her,” Ruby told Anastasia.
“And I do to,” she replied. “But this is the most frightened I have felt on this whole journey. I'm trying so hard not to worry.”
“We've not had worry because Emma has gotten us this far. She has helped keep us safe. We just have to keep believing.” Ruby responded.
“I know, Ruby. And you're right. She will watch over us, just like she has through this whole journey. So lets finish up here so we can start our trek through the town.”
They packed up their supplies, and refilled the water containers, and set out from their camping spot. The town lay on the far side of the creek, about a ten minute walk before they would reach the first buildings. They made their way out of the forested covering that had helped keep them safe through the night. Back towards the road into town, and the bridge over the creek, they now found themselves out in the open, exposed to the elements and to any soldiers who may be looking their way. Anastasia felt confident none would be though, as it appeared all their resources were focused on the far side, in readiness for an assault on the coastal region – in the direction of the refugee camps. Who were these soldiers, she wondered? Whose orders were they following? And who would benefit the most by raining destruction down on the area housing the refugees, and possibly one of the last safe places left? And why was Emerald leading us directly towards them? This was the biggest question of all on her mind. There is a plan here, but I hope to God it works.
It was a low lying town, not like the city they had both come from, with its large buildings as far as the eye could see. At most they noticed only single story, with the occasional double storey dwellings – of what was still standing. They had been through some towns where you could see the far side from the point they entered the town. Nothing stood in the way, literally. No buildings remained intact to block the view. Everything had been flattened. But that was not the case here. It looked to Anastasia like the soldiers had deliberately kept as much of the town intact as possible, perhaps as cover for their actions to come. But they must have run the people out, or worse – killed them. Those forests could hide so many bodies, Anastasia shuddered at the thought of it. Well they wont include us in that, we need to remain strong, and vigilant, she reminded herself.
They reached the first buildings, and Anastasia looked around in the hope a clear and obvious path would present itself. Something like a sign saying “this way”, but she knew it was wishful thinking. Why couldn't Emerald have marked the road to take here? There were several options opened to them now, with streets leading out in several directions.
“Follow your heart,” Ruby told her.
Anastasia stopped and thought about the advice. She didn't want to crush the child's willingness to offer help, but she felt it was useless advice. My heart just isn't here, my body is full of adrenaline, and I'm out in cold sweats. We are walking into a potential trap – what could my heart offer me now? She wanted to respond, but words failed her. Ruby was able to read her expression though.
“It was Emma's suggestion, not mine,” Ruby told her. “Just follow the path that opens up in front of you. What happens from here is what is meant to happen, and with hindsight we will understand why Emma has lead us here.”
Anastasia wondered about the words – what happens from here is what is meant to happen. Is something going to happen? How can we proceed from here knowing that. Anastasia felt like she was thinking herself into a panic attack. Breath, she told herself, as she took hold of Ruby's hand, and together they ventured down the path that opened up in front of them. At least that is how it seemed to Anastasia. Emma will protect us she told herself. Emma will watch over us.
It appeared to Anastasia that the path they took lead slightly to the north of the centre of town. The bulk of the town itself was on flat ground, so offered no vantage point to them. She listened intently as they walked along, until they reached what looked like a main thoroughfare leading north-south. They both held them self firmly against the wall of one of the corner buildings, studying the street that opened up in front of them. As Anastasia carefully looked around the edge of the building, she could see what looked like the town's main square, not too far off in the distance. And what, to her horror, appeared to be soldiers, standing and walking around; organising something, but she couldn't tell what. Busying themselves for something, she thought.
Anastasia turned to Ruby and put her finger to her own mouth, to indicate the need for quiet. “Soldiers,” she whispered, pointing in the direction she had seen them. The street they needed to cross was too wide to do so unnoticed. She looked around, hoping to find another way over, another possibility to get to the far side and continue their journey through the town. But no obvious way over presented itself.
Anastasia had her focus completely on the street in front of them, checking out the buildings on the other side, and the few areas of rubble that existed within sight. She was trying desperately to find an avenue over, so much so that she had failed to notice the soldiers approaching them silently from behind. She turned to speak to Ruby when she noticed them. There was no time to react, they had been spotted - so was the need to avoid detection even relevant any more? She felt their only choice was to run, across the street that lay as a barrier in front of them. So she did – grabbing Ruby's hand tight, she said as firmly as she could “run!”. They both bolted across the street, alerting the soldiers in the square to their presence, as they watched Anastasia and Ruby run from the side street out in front of their vision, and down the corresponding street on the other side. They were followed by three soldiers, who had been on patrol. One of them took aim when he noticed them flee. A shot was fired, whizzing passed Anastasia's left shoulder. That was too close, she thought. They obviously intend to kill us. We need to get out of direct sight.
She lead Ruby down the first alleyway she found to her right, as far away from where the soldiers in the square were as possible. She could hear them all stirring to life now. There was activity occurring, orders being shouted out, mean running about, but so far just the one shot had been fired in their direction. Anastasia ran as far down the lane as she could, hoping it would lead them somewhere. However, it just seemed to lead into a rabbit warren of further narrow lanes, which she followed, becoming all too aware that she had lost any sense of what direction she was now traveling. How can I get from here to the edge of town, she thought. I need a main road for that. And now that they are out looking for us, is that even possible?
She continued to run down the narrow cobblestone lane ways, in between old buildings, some still standing as if the war had completely bypassed them. Yet others were in various stages of decay. Some just piles of rubble, exposing Anastasia and Ruby to whoever happened to be looking from the other side, if anyone had been. Fortunately for them, so far this had not been the case. Passing one of these piles of rubble, Anastasia was able to make out the mountains in the far distance. They're still on my left, she thought. Thank God for that, we're still heading in the right direction. They continued to follow the alley ways where they lead them, until they lead them straight back to the main road they had started on. Anastasia brought them both to a complete halt, just in time to notice a soldiers gun pointed right at the centre of her face.
“Don't move,” the soldier ordered.
Anastasia slowly ushered Ruby behind her, away from the soldier and his gun. She looked around for others but failed to notice any. What chance have I got here? As she was ascertaining what her next move would be several more soldiers came running towards them, having noticed the commotion. Anastasia became all too aware that her options had now become extremely limited. I have to get Ruby out of here, she thought. As she watched the other soldiers approach, she leant her arm behind her to give some sort of signal to Ruby, hoping she was alert enough to appreciate that something was about to occur. She started creeping slowly back into the lane they had come from. There was a second lane to her right that she could see out of her peripheral vision. She remembered passing it before encountering the soldier. She tapped Ruby on her left side, as if to ready her to run from that spot towards her right.
“Run Ruby!” she shouted, standing between the soldier and the lane way allowing Ruby cover to bolt into the lane and flee. The soldier attempted to aim his gun at the child, only to have Anastasia shove it away. A shot ran out, missing everything. Anastasia was grateful that it missed Ruby.
“You shouldn't have done that,” the soldier barked at Anastasia, smashing the handle of the gun into her head and causing her to black out.
Chapters One and Two (Part One)
Chapters Three and Four (Part Two)
Chapters Five and Six (Part Three)
Chapter Seven (Part Four)
Chapter Eight (Part Five)
Chapter Nine (Part Six)
Chapter Ten (Part Seven)
Chapter Eleven (Part Eight)
Chapter Twelve (Part Nine)
Chapter Thirteen (Part Ten)
Chapter Fourteen (Part Eleven)
Chapter Sixteen and Seventeen (Part Thirteen)
This fiction is my own work, written for Steemit
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
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