The Escapade

Chapter 2 - Rescue

We were searching for flowers in different places when I heard the panicking voice of Rio.

He was standing under in front of a huge tree and was looking at the ground. 

.

On walking closer I saw that there was someone laying down under the tree. 

It was a girl. 

She was breathing heavily. Her clothes were covered in dirt and she looked very pale.

Her breathing was very unstable. 

There was nothing we could do in that situation except calling an adult for help, but it was nearly 1am so that was out of option. We decided to take her to the orphanage.

Rio had more physical power than me so he carried her while I walked lazily enjoying the last minutes of our night freedom under the beautiful moonlit sky.

"She has a high fever, hurry up!" 

"Haaaai..." (Hai is the Japanese alternative for Yes) 

On our return we went and called Miss Ary which dragged us into the mess which I had expected.

In the mess we had made by bringing a new person to the orphanage and the whole fact about us sneaking out at nights getting revealed, We forgot everything about Miss Ary's birthday which was the whole reason for us going out that night.

The girl, whom we had brought to the orphanage, had a fever which had lasted for quite a few days. 

After finally recovering to an extent, the girl told us everything. 

Her name was Koi. She was of the same age as us - me and Rio.

She used to live in a town named Herilia which was under the province of Palody Gardens. It was a very beautiful and prosperous town. There was a big lake beside Herilia which added to its beauty. Everyone lived in peace. 

Her father was a part of the managing committee of Herilia and her mother was an ordinary housewife. 

One day, her father came back home very worried and said that a messenger had come from Erly, which was located in a province named Eukrox and which was also her mothers birth place, and reported that there was some trouble. 

Her parents decided that they needed to go there immediately and so the next day they set off for Erly along with her. It was a forty kilometers route in which they could go to Arian hills by car and the rest of the way by walking. 

It took them 4 hours to reach the hills. To reach Erly they would have to cross walk to the other side of the hill. 

On reaching the top of the hill, she saw that there was a stream flowing down directly below the hill and there was a bridge on one side connecting the base of the hills to Erly.

That is where some people dressed up in an army uniform first shot his father and then they shot his mother. Next was her turn but before they could shoot her, her mother pushed her off the straight slope of the hill. All she remembered was the crying face of her mother, the two men in army uniform taking their last shot and the sound of the wind which raced upwards as she fell into the stream. 

When she woke up, she saw herself just on the shore at a turning point of the river. From there she kept on walking and running blindly, in fear and pain until she came and fainted below the tree from where Rio and I had discovered her.

It was actually quite surprising to hear that soldiers were killing common people but we had nothing to do except for making theories like a war could have been going on or that they could be dressed up rebel forces who were protesting some policy of the government.

Although she was only barely conscious on the day we had discovered her, she remembered our faces so she thanked both of us, especially Rio for carrying her all the way. 

After she had completely recovered, the three of us - Rio, Koi and me hanged out a lot. As we were not allowed to go to the town except one day per week, we used to chat at the base of the Southern hills after completing all our duties at the orphanage.

Koi often teared up thinking about that moment when her parents were killed in front of her eyes. At those times Rio assured her that she was safe and everyone was her family at the orphanage.

Every time the topic of parents were brought up - I used to go completely blank. In those 13 years I had not been able to remember anything about my parents or where I belonged to.

 Koi was the last addition to our orphan crew. 

Slowly the days passed by like the flow of a stream. We had to follow a similar routine everyday so nothing really notable used to happen. 

Although I used to really enjoy spending time with the smaller children, it felt like something was very wrong or like a piece was missing in my life.

It was at those times when I remembered that sentence which was told by Airo while leaving ' "Remember Rio, we are free...." '

Freedom - a factor which we assume everyone has, but not in reality.

I used to think back then "We are free of course, who is chaining us...?"

Gradually 3 years passed without any big changes to our daily life.

We all lived happily at Rose. Rio, Koi and I were all 17 years old now. Although I proclaim "us" to be of the same age, I don't know my birthdate or anything so it is pure assumption, not that it matters though.

We used to spend our days helping one another, playing with the little children and roaming around near the foot of the southern hills in our free time. 

In the past 2 years, at some point Rio developed feelings for Koi but he did not confess anything to he or rather he was afraid in doing so. It was quite a natural fear because none of us thought about each other in a romantic manner or so I think.

It was actually very interesting to watch Rio getting very indecisive over doing some work which involved Koi or stumbling frequently while talking directly to Koi. 

Actually I was happy for him because after Airo had left he had no one to express his sadness other than me and sometimes Miss Ary.

Then comes that day when the events occurred.

It was a Saturday and also the birthday of Koi.

To be continued...