Chapter 7- free from Hell?
After the Ohito Bomb blast, three years are passed, for those three years, COA prepared Kids for wars. Meera is now a good friend of Annie. She is glad about the fact that Annie told her about her dad. At night Annie, Meera and Bagus are going to send for War. Three Days before Raymon takes one exam on Land mine. These three perform well, so Raymon decides to send them to War.
Its night. Annie is in her room. She knew, tomorrow morning she will be preparing for war. But one thing she is having in her mind is to escape.
She goes to the dining hall.
“You are late” Zen
“I’ll get the food” Annie
She went into the kitchen, chef and Raymon are talking.
“They will be here tomorrow” Raymon
“I heard kids are more this time. Need to prepare for more food stock” chef
“Yes another base camp was closed so 4 kids of there are going to be here” Raymon
They realize Annie is here. Annie is listening to it while filling her plate.
“Give it to me, I’ll serve you” Chef takes her plate and Serve her food gives her plate. All she was having in mind after Jay has gone is escaping this place in the next chance she gets.
For the past few months, she is waiting for a chance to go outside, so she will get a chance to run. It’s hard for her but she decides to do it at any cost. Even if other countries caught her and put her in Jail.
That day was going to be tomorrow they knew they are going to send the war, for the past three years COA was preparing them for this.
She keeps the plate on the table and sits.
“Are you ready?” Arif
She avoids his question.
“I was just …” he stops
“All the best and please come back alive” Arif
She again doesn’t replay but she was confused she looks at him.
“He and Zen both are not going” Meera
“Just you, Bagus, and I three of us are going” Meera
Zen stands up “I am glad I will be here in one piece” and he leaves with the plate
Arif also leaves with him.
“Listen Annie. You know what we are going to do. There is no twice thinking about it” Meera
She is talking about the escape plan they both were thinking about it all time she says it in a soft voice.
Annie just nods.
At the night. They all are sent through the truck.
In the morning Annie is in camp. She wakes up. Meera is still sleeping. She tries to wake her up she is still unconscious. one lady comes inside with a food packet and uniforms.
“This is food for both of you” she keeps it on the table
“This is uniform” she puts it on the bed
“Is she still unconscious?”
“Yes” her voice is very small she needed water. That lady officer realizes that
“I’ll get the water get ready within hour”
Annie nods.
After two minutes the same lady comes back with a water bottle. She is about to return.
“We were having one more friend with us?”
“He is in male camp,” she says before Annie completes it.
After sometime Both Meera and Annie come outside the camp. All over soldiers are preparing bags. They both saw Bagus.
“We all are on squad” Bagus
“what?” Meera
“Listen” one officer comes to them. “You three are coming with us.”
“Us?” Meera
“Two more cadets are also with us” here they come
They both come with two bags.
“Come with me we have more bags,” one of them says the other two start talking.
Annie, Bagus, and Meera leave with them.
When they come back everyone is having two bags in their hand.
“Let’s go” one main solder orders
“But where?” Bagus
“You are not allowed to ask questions,” One of the Cadet says.
“We are going to the jungle your job is to follow our commands. If you try to do anything these two will kill you. We are paying for this, so do your job.” Soldiers
They all leave inside the jungle. Annie and Meera are observing them. Both cadets are stronger than them. They both are with INSAS Standard rifle. And the main soldier is with an M4 Carbine gun. And these three were without a weapon. Those three were not having any idea what’s inside these bags. Maybe more weapons. Maybe a bomb. After walking for two hours. They stop. It’s around 2 in the night.
“You stay here with me” Main Soldier orders Annie.
She says nothing.
“We are going to separate now,” other cadet says
Annie and old soldiers stop there.
Meera and other cadets go to the left and Bagus and the other one goes to the right side.
“Open the bag” soldier
She was all alone with him. It was the best chance to beat him and escape. She is afraid about only one thing that is his Gun. He is not doing anything just ordering her.
Annie opens bags she is having a Battery on her head she opens zip. The bag is having four Land mines inside it. She gets one and starts to plant it.
“Did you remove the knob?” Solider
“yes” Annie
After planting one she removes her head Battery.
‘What are you doing?” Solider
“It’s too stretchy its hurting” Annie is trying to make him busy in talk.
“Put it back “he points Gun at her
“Ok. Just relax” she comes near the bag
“Put it on” he yells
Suddenly she flashes that Battery on his face. He uses his hand to stop it at the moment she throws one mine on his hand. It was supposed to hit on his hand and the gun should have fallen, but he didn’t lose the gun and mine falls. He looks at Annie. His face was full of anger.
“You stupid kid” he bends to pick the mine near his leg. Quickly Annie hit him on the nose with the leg.
“ouhhh” he realizes his nose is bleeding. He comes forward to hit Annie.
“you are dead now” Annie Quickly tries to grab his gun. in their struggle with the gun she gets her hand on the trigger. Before realizing anything she fires it. He falls.
She goes towards the left where Meera and the cadet went. She sees Meera and the cadet Meera is planting the mine. Annie hides behind the tree. She needs the cadet's focus towards her. so he will take gunpoint in some other direction he was pointing it on Meera for all time. She looks down. And purposely steps on the stick and break it. Cadet and Meera both hear it. They both look at it.
“What are you looking at?” the cadet he yells at Meera and walks towards the tree. Where Annie is hiding Meera is behind him. Before he realizes Annie shots him.
Meera takes his gun.
They both go towards the Bagus.
Bagus and cadets are about to finish. Bagus picks the bag. But stops cadet is trying to listen to something.
They both realize Someone is coming.
Before Cadet realizes it Annie and Meera are before him. He sees a gun in their hand he is about to fire. And Bagus pushes him on the Land mine which was planted and ready to blast.
Cadet was having his leg on the mine.
He is looking very angry.
“You move you die” Bagus he comes to Meera
“Fuck this,” he says and he removes his leg it causes a big blast in that jungle and cadets death.
They both realize that there is no going back now in camp. They started to run in the other direction after a few minutes they stop and started to walk.
“I don’t believe this we did it” Bagus he laughs
“We are going to be free” Bagus
“I am going to see a different place and breathe freely” they both are happy.
Annie is walking quietly. Something is not right for her. She did what she wanted to do. She is getting finally free. But something is bothering her
“Annie...” Meera interrupts her
“Hmm” Annie
“You okay” Meera
“Yes. I mean we are going to be finally free” she fakes a smile.
After walking for an hour they see the road. They decide to wait on the side. Its military area. After a while, one military truck comes on the road. Annie is still thinking she is having tense look.
“Annie” Meera
“Hmm” Annie
“Drop the weapon. We have to surrender truck is coming.” Meera
Annie looks towards the truck. It’s military of her that it’s her country. The truck is coming to them. It is about a hundred yards what they have to do is walk on the road.
“Let’s go” Meera she is about to walk
“I can’t” Annie
Meera is in shock.
“Nooo No. You can. common Annie.its not the time for that bullshit” Meer
“Go” Annie
The truck is coming near. Meera tries to pull Annie with her. Annie removes her hand. Her eyes are wandering on the floor. She is sad. She looks at Meera. Meera is not able to understand her whats going in her mind. Annie is about to cry. She wants to go with them so badly but something is bothering her. Something is stopping her. Bagus is a little away from them he is looking for the truck. He isn't having any idea.
“I want it too. But I can’t” Annie
“What’s stopping you Annie” Meera
Annie saws Bagus coming. Bagus comes and grabs Meera’s hand. I thought that Annie will come with them behind Meera. She must be behind them. But Annie turns back and starts to run.
“Annie” Meera yells they both fell on the road.
Military truck stops. Bagus realizes Annie is not with them.
They both are lying down with a hands on head. Soldiers are surrounding them.
“Where is she?” Bagus
“she went back” Merra
“Why?” Bagus
Meera starts to cry. She is not having an answer.
In the jungle, Annie is running so hard. She is crying. she wanted to go back with Meera. But still, she is running towards the camp.
Even if I was aware of the fact that we can't escape Death, Truth, and Our self, I still tried to escape at that movement. I thought If I escape this place I will change everything. In the end, I realized that I will escape from death, Truth but I can't escape from the Voices in the head. These voices know you more than yourself.
The moment you will think that "I am free" they start to haunt you every day, every time, every second they will make you feel reckless, they start eating you from inside. Before you realize they make you hollow from inside with thoughts.
