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Fight Like Hell (Part 1)

Escape From Tyranny

By Sidney SmithPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Fight Like Hell (Part 1)
Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

I stood alone at the end of the lake. I looked out over the mountains and the partly cloudy sky. The sun beamed down making the water look like small sparkles of light. My tent stood a few meters away. My dog Barley came trotting towards me. He sat beside my legs, joining me as we both looked over the beautiful landscape. We had finally made it, and we were finally safe.

I had never felt so much peace since... well... ever. I grew up in a time of turmoil. Turmoil at home, turmoil in the streets, the nation, and now the World. I lived at home with my parents for a long time. But they always argued and constantly threatened to end their relationship. I went through my fair share of emotional abuse, dealing with their hateful words towards me which were just a reflection of how they felt about each other. It was hard to leave. I was the rock that held them together. So they say.

The government started to become tyrannical. Illness was spreading, protests were rising, and confusion was becoming mainstream. I could see things were getting worse and I had felt something in my gut say to warn people about the harm that was to come. No one believed me. I lost all my friends. And my parents and I argued so fervently that it got to the point where the tension was too much for any of us to handle. My father almost put his hands around my throat just to get me to shut up. I knew it was time to leave. Although everyone saw what was going on but fear kept their eyes closed, and made them hostile.

I tried to prepare myself to leave and I kept quiet about my observations, but one night everything changed. A tank came and blasted our street. Everyone awoke crying out in fear. Some people had been hit, I could see the bodies of some neighbors with missing limbs. A military commander came out of the tank and said "Surrender now, or you will be thrown into concentration camps for your disobedience! This is the beginning of the New World Order!" I grabbed what I could. I knew that I needed to get over the fear of leaving and step out to protect myself. My parents saw me and tried to grab me. They were about to surrender themselves and force me to follow them. I refused and to my detriment, fought them off. I threw the bag on my back and started running. "You don't know how good you have it!" My mother yelled as I ran into the night.

I ran as fast as I could into the woods behind my house. I could hear people screaming behind me along with gunshots. I turned behind me and saw some men chasing after me. I never had run so fast in my life. I didn't know if I was going to make it. I didn't have time to pull out the light to see where I was going. I was guided by the moonlight, which was limited. I felt myself losing energy. I then fell into a deep pit in the ground. Moments later I heard their footsteps run past where I was. My heart was moving a mile a minute, and sweat poured down my face. "We lost her." I heard them say some distance away. I was safe. But it was only the beginning of the journey I was about to face.

Sitting here at this camp I have made for myself, I have time to reminisce about everything that happened. I take a deep sigh as I watch the sunset over the lake. Barley has been a God send. He nuzzles my lap, giving me well-needed cuddles. I worry about my parents and others that I had to leave behind. My mother's words still burn a hole in my chest. "You don't know how good you have it." It wasn't the only time she said that to me. I was also told that people would kill to have a life like mine. At this point, I put it past no one to do try and do that to me, but I swear that I will fight like hell to protect it.

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About the Creator

Sidney Smith

A picture tells a thousand words, and a thousand words can paint a beautiful picture.

I have been a writer all of my life. It has been like an anchor for me to release emotions, process ideas, and escape into a world of fantasy.

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