TRIANA

THE ESCAPE

Ben, my little brother was the only reason I smile, occasionally and on very rare occasion, my stepmom wouldn't allow me play with her son so that I don't infect him with my badluck, he was a cute little boy, he will sometimes come to me on his own only just to play with me or say hi, but if we were caught I would be severally punished, She warned little Ben never to get close to me that I was evil, the little boy didn't understand and still kept coming calling me sister, sister, I had to tell him to listen to whatever his mother says when he was a little old enough to understand just so that I could avoid trouble, even if I never had any friend I could run to or any of my maternal family members, I was still very young when my mother left me and i couldn't have remembered even if she told me where her parents live or how they even look like, and I never saw anyone come visiting to tell me they are my mother's relative, Even if they had come I wouldn't even know, because my step mother always keep me hidden whenever visitors are around as if I am a leper.

I couldn't even make friends easily but the few ones I made in highschool are not close enough to know what is going on in my house, and I wasn't really a social person that talks too much, and some people don't really care they just want to gossip, so I stay on my own.

.....Back to Reality....

Taking a deep breath I moved slowly into the dark night.

I wandered further into the darkness, wanting to move far away from home.

I looked around to find a shady spot to pass the night until I found one behind a shopping mall on the third street to my house.

The mall is my favorite place to buy things because it keeps me away from home, from my stepmother, I stood on the porch of the building and squeezed my dress dry, the rain had reduced a little now, and am quite sure it will be daybreak soon.

When the rain subsided completely I left the porch where I was standing on, starting my journey to no man's land.I have been walking from one place to another now for three days straight, all the food stuff I packed is almost exhausted, I have been eating very little or almost nothing the whole days just so I don't finish it all before I could source for another one, I have to do something about feeding fast or else I will starve and become too tired to walk, and now my legs are as heavy as a rock, lack of proper sleeping condition made my whole body ache as if I was run over by a large truck, but, still I am determined never to go back home.

The place I spent the night on the third day of my aimless sojourn is one shady spot in front of a desolate and uncompleted building, I couldn't sleep with my two eye open for fear of the known and the unknown, I have heard various tales of all sorts of dangers that befall young girls wandering in such areas and none of these tales have a palatable ending.I wouldn't hope for such though but still this place is as dangerous as the word danger itself. But surprisingly I haven't heard or seen anyone come into the building or so I thought, It was night and I made a mental note to properly search the two storey building once it is daybreak, I couldn't go in because I don't know what to face, the building was roofed already but it's not plastered yet, with various sizes of green mosses on the walls, it is obvious work has stopped on this house for years now.

It hasn't been raining since the night I left my house, because I couldn't call it a home, I had one of the most peaceful night sleep of my life on my escape night even if the sleeping condition was not favorable, still it was better than spending a night in my father's house where I have to wake up as early as 3:30am daily just so that I finish my never ending house chores before the family wakes up.This is going to be a very long night I thought out loud, I ate my last supper as I would call it, the last piece of bread I had, and took the little water left in my bottle, now I have to get some sleep so as to have enough energy and strength to go for food hunting tomorrow, I really believe I wouldn't starve to death, I was sure I am very far away from home now, no one will be able to trace me quite easily,I have walked several miles that I can't even mention the particular street I am presently the night was uneventful but eeringly quite, I slept for a few hours despite my fears, I got up at the break of dawn, even though I don't have a watch to check the time I could guess it's either five o'clock or a few minutes past five, I rolled my tattered cloth I used to sleep and looked for somewhere to brush from a water I don't know the source in a bowl beside the building, I presume it was rain water because of how it tastes, I couldn't drink it but at least it could serve a purpose.

I heard faint footsteps as I bent down to check the bowl, the footsteps was coming from the back if the building, it was very clear as I could hear some sounds of legs hitting something on the ground,

I stood abruptly and tried to look around in the same spot I was standing, too scared to move as I didn't know what to expect, my heart was thumping loudly in my ears and I was visibly shaking, The sound stopped for a minute, only for it to get louder and seemed to move closer to the ground floor where I was, I summoned enough courage to move and hid myself behind one of the pillars, and stood still not wanting to draw attention to myself,I managed to peep behind the pillars and there and then I saw a man's shadow on the unplastered brick wall, and then it became two, then I started hearing voices, it seems like they were arguing, they appear to be arguing about money, about who gets the bigger share, I tried as much as possible to be very quiet and even slowed down my breathing as if it could be heard

They were two rooms away from where I was, I could see them but they probably haven't noticed me yet as they were still arguing but they could still hear any sound I made so I was careful to remain still. Discovering that a young girl was there could be disastrous for me, their voices was getting louder and it seems they were about to fight, I could get away while they are still shouting, I thought quickly and moved my feet, I hit my leg against a small can I didn't notice was there out of my fear it made a scrappy sound and rolled away now I am caught, I thought within me, I listened and noticed that the voices have reduced, they definitely heard that, I am in deep soup, what should I do, I have to think fast, I looked closely and saw the exit and made a run for it...

"Who is there?!!'.

I heard the voice of one of the men echoing loudly behind me,

"I said stop there!!!"

The other voice joined in, I didn't bother listen to whatever they have to say,

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me leaving my few belongings behind it wasn't worth anything anyway, it was still a little dark as I made my way out of the building, I hid myself behind a wooden house I could find and hoped those men didn't follow me, they probably did but gave up when they couldn't find me, they really have more interest in the money they where about to share than me.

After waiting for a while and I didn't hear any sound I moved quickly away from the danger zone and started out on my journey, My legs became wobbly and tired as I struggle to remain calm from what happened just now.

I couldn't imagine what would have happened if those men followed me or caught me, I really didn't want to think the worst but those men were thieves not responsible ones, they could do and undo, I had to run for my dear life first.