The Run

In one long swoop, the boy jumped across the gutter. Landing on his feet, he felt sharp pain in his left foot. "This is bad luck", he thought. He was however determined not to let the pain stop him lest he be caught. Soon, he came to a junction, turned left and ran for a little while. He stopped at a sidewalk, looked around and realized everyone had gone to sleep as it was past eleven and the street was deserted.

He slowed a little, feeling the pain once more. Then turning round the corner at the end of the street, he jumped at the snarl of a dog. The dog ran behind a garbage can and the boy, equally scared, ran. Panting heavily, the boy ran so fast he thought he was flying. Now with the boy gone, the dog returned to its meal, forgetting about the intruder. The boy on the other hand, kept on running.

Oblivious of the roadblock ahead, he crashed into a pole made of concrete just beside the quarry and fell to the ground with a loud thud, hitting his face on the pavement. His upper premolar dug into his lip, searing it. Deep in pain the boy groaned as blood dripped from his upper lip. From a distance, he could hear the hoots of an owl and he thought to himself "I cannot die today, no, I must keep going". Springing to his feet, he felt as though he had no legs. His head seems to float and he could barely see a thing. Nevertheless, he kept running.

As he made for the street across the quarry, he heard the bleats of a lamb and he moved towards the sound. Behind a torn down stall was a lamb tethered to a tree with a bowl of water before it. The boy made for the water for he was thirsty. The lamb, suspicious of the boy began to bleat louder for fear the boy would harm it, but the boy did not notice the ram beside him or the flash of light coming from the other end of the building. As he stooped to carry the bowl of water, the ram moved quickly and tugged at him with it's horns. The boy stumbled over the bowl, spilling its content on the floor. Filled with fear, he got up in a flash and ran while the ram in an act to show its territorial victory, chased after the boy. Having succeeded, the ram returned home, but the boy kept on.

Now it was about midnight. The boy was running hard and fast. He felt dizzy but he kept running. He knew if he stops now, his captors will definetly get him as his disappearance would have been noticed.

"Ding!"..The boy froze! It's midnight. He could hear the tinkling of the church bells. "No, not the church", he thought, "I must go on". He kept running, turned round the corner, passed the church and down the pathway, Then he heard it - the rustling of leaves. The boy stopped in his tracks, limping quiely, he hid behind a stack of bricks. Breathing heavyly, dirty, tired and hungry, the boy crouched low feeling sour all over. Gripped with fear, he waited, heart pounding, sweat dripping, the boy peeped at the direction of the sound, waiting.......it was a rabbit strolling out of its burrow. The boy sighed - partly relieved that he was presently not in danger and partly because danger still looms.

Tiredly, he made to stand but his joints screamed. Then he sagged against the stack of bricks and closed his eyes. He thought of his warm room, a warm bath, curried spaghetti and a hot cup of coffee. Then he saw the face and his eyes shot open. He felt as though he has seen a ghost. He knew he must keep going. Gingerly he got up, he heard the sound of his joints resisting, it was as the crackling of firewood.

The boy dragged himself up whimpering softly. He ran and ran. He passed the restaurant straight through the community field - "Ouch!" The pain was different this time, sharp, deep and sraight to the heart. The boy had stepped on a piece of glass left there during the day after a drunken brawl. Painfully, he limped to the edge of the field, hidding from sight. He sat on the grassy ground and lifting his foot, he observes the wound through the light from the moon. The piece of glass had pierced the same spot on his injured left leg. The boy closed his eyes, pulled off his shirt and placed it in his mouth gagging himself, bravely he wrenched out the piece of glass. He then tore his shirt and wrapped it round the wound. He told himself that he must keep on going no matter what. But, he felt very weak.

He tried to pull himself up, but could not. He looked around him and he saw an area with tall grasses - a perfect place to rest a bit. He crawled to that spot while dragging his foot. Confident that he can relax a little, he dragged his jacket snugly around him and fell asleep. He did not know for how long he slept, but that sound gives him the creeps - it hisses. The boy turned his face and there it was, staring straight at him. Paralyzed with fear, he thought "This is it", but he remained still like he was dead already. The snake moved, but the boy remained still. The snake cold as ice slithered over the boy, sending shivers through his spine. As the snake slithered into the bush, the boy heard their voices. He raised his head and saw the flashlights. Then he crawled by the edge of the field down to the road. Then he got up and sauntered across the road into the street.

Down the street, he could see a flicker of light from a candle. Elated he smiled and thought of seeking help from the owners of the house. With renewed energy, he kept running, but as he approached the house, the light suddenly went off. He stopped for a moment and - darkness.

With sunken heart, he resumed running even though his left leg felt like a truckload of brick was tied to it. He felt sour and numb that he forgot about hunger.

Meandering the street, he held his nose as he smelled the stench from a pile of rubbish as he dashed through a deserted school compound. A few more minutes, "I will be home", he encouraged himself.

As death seems to tighten its grip around his neck, the boy was determined to shake it off. So he ran through the bush just behind the fallen school fence. He knew that behind the bush was a road leading to his street but the steep....Alternatively, he can go back to the street and take the road through the market and round the entire neighborhood, instead he decided to go down the steep.

The boy tried to walk down the steep but his feet will not carry him, he then decided to go down sideways. After a few steps, he tumbled and rolled down straight to the bottom. Undaunted, he pulled himself up and kept on going until he was safely in his own home.

After closing the door, he sagged against it thanking God in his heart, he has finally made it. That was when he noticed it - the blood, his own blood. He had made a trail after himself. The boy knew then without a doubt that he had not escaped after all. Completely fagged out, he just waited there till they came for him.