Don't Let Them See You

Chapter 5

Another day began and so did we. Every morning would be the same routine, eating breakfast and then grabbing our bags. It was like a never-ending hell, but we somehow found a way to manage. The river felt close yet so far away. You could see the sun slowly rising beautifully on the horizon. It was the only thing you could actually call beautiful.

Unluckily for us, it was raining. I had given my jackets to Aadil in the condition that he would walk that day. It was cold, and I was shivering, but I wouldn't let that bother me. It was important to get through the day and keep making progress. We were near the river, the water lining showing in the distance.

I had planned to walk beside it, but the sight of a boat in the distance caught my attention. It seemed untouched yet in perfect condition, but I knew I would have to get closer to be sure. We continued trudging along as I led the two of them in the direction of the boat.

A long time ago, I spent countless times fishing with my father. I smiled at the memories of the past, and when times were better. It was great to have memories of my father that still stay etched in my mind. My mother's cooking was always something to remember. I knew that if we did make it through this, I would be using plenty of her homemade recipes.

Eventually, we arrived at the boat as I looked at the slight rust that grew along the interior. It was an old green color, but I could tell it was in working condition. Before we left by boat, I had to make sure there were enough food and supplies. I had Raisa head to the store with the little cash I had leftover. I reminded her to get food that would last for a few days and handed her the remaining two hundred dollars.

After thirty minutes, Raisa came back with all the items we needed in her hands. We began preparations, checking to make sure the boat was in fact safe enough to travel on. None of us had actually traveled by boat before, so we didn't know what to expect, but I was determined to make sure we made it to our goal. Besides, I did know enough to operate a boat from all those fishing trips with my father, and so I had faith that we would be just fine.

I picked up Aadil in my arms, carefully placing him on the boat beside me. Then I held my hand out to Raisa and guided her into the boat slowly. After we were all properly seated and our supplies were loaded, we headed off. The waves were surprisingly mellow as we began our journey. I was in charge of rowing the boat, while the other two talked with each other.

It was peaceful, so peaceful that it was deceiving. If someone saw our world only from this angle, they would mistake it for being beautiful. Sights like these were a rarity among us, calm waves the opposite of the raging destruction of society.

I continued paddling, further and further away from our home town, and in the direction of what I considered to be better. Eventually, night fell upon us, but I continued to paddle knowing there was no way I could stop. Though when I did find myself unable to keep going due to exhaustion, I saw a small shore and stopped to rest there.

The two of them were asleep so I softly lifted them both into my arms, and then carried them into the trees for safety. Then I pulled our boat onto the shore, marking the direction we needed to head, with "this direction", underneath the arrow.

On the small island there were plenty of palm trees, and so I made sure we were covered by the bushes and trees, before grabbing the blankets from out of the boat. I then hid the boat, doing my best to make sure it was out of plain sight. The last thing we needed was for travelers to find our goods and take them. I wasn't willing to take the risk of anyone showing up.

I laid awake staring up at the beautiful night sky, once again admiring the short-term view of what peace truly looks like. The sound of the waves soothed me, and to no surprise I found myself falling asleep to the sounds of them crashing along the shore.

.....

I woke up to the sound of rapid rattling, instantly hopping up alert. In the trees above our heads a snake slithered along the branches. Not sure what type of snake it was, nor how many others there would be, I quickly shook Aadil and Raisa awake, and then dragged both of the sleepy heads closer to the ocean.

I grabbed the boat and pulled it into the water, while Aadil tiredly rubbed his eyes, and Raisa released a yawn of her own. "Come on guys, there are snakes on this island, I had to stop because I was getting too sleepy to continue", I told them. Both of them nodded their heads before helping me reload our items.

Once we finished, we all got into the boat and then continued along the ocean. Today it seemed the weather was in a harsh condition. It was still manageable, but that didn't stop the boat from directly rocking back and forth. Aadil hid in Raisa's arms as we continued, and made way to wherever was planned for us.

Soon we reached an end, getting out and stepping onto land. I read a sign that said "Crocs country" as we stopped to eat, and saw if there was any other information we could find. I knew we were still in our country, as I had heard of Crocs country before. At once upon a time, it was a highly known tourist attraction, but as the war began, the economy, of course, fell down along with it.

I would need to find someone or something that could point to the direction of the board. I knew we were going the right way, but as to how to get there I wasn't sure. It was important that we exited completely out of our country and cut ties with it. There was no way I was going to be around all the people and watch them suffer. Maybe somewhere else I can make a difference.

We ate silently at an oddly built hut that looked like it was once a working business. It now stood fully deserted, with not a single person around. The sounds of the waves could be heard once again as we ate in peace, making small talk. Right after, we would look through the small town, to see if anyone could help, preferably a woman.