storynew

Okay, so here is the story from 8th grade, a little crazy, who knew i was strange like that back then???

For some reason, all of us 7th graders were captured. We included me, Ryan, Josh, Eric, Joe plus plenty of others. I have no idea how or why. We all had the hopes of escape from the horrible place.

I guess it was like a POW camp. There were guards and brambles, almost in a rectangle around the perimeter. There was a narrow V-like entrance formed from them. There were plenty of guards there, in that corridor to the outside world.

We had hardly anything to do. So I was able to find out about that easily. What I could do with it I had nearly no idea.

I found it easier to talk to Ryan. First we talked of trivial things, you know, the weather. What we might be doing if it was not the way it was.

I was talking to Ryan when it hit me: the plan of how to escape. Suddenly, I looked very surprised. He asked me what it was. I said, �Something that will change our lives.�

We met. That is Josh, Joe, Ryan, and I. Honestly, I did not trust telling too many people. I suspected someone would turn traitor. I trusted Josh and Ryan, and Joe seemed like just the right kind of person.

We discussed the plan I proposed. They seemed to like it a lot. Josh, especially. He wanted me to go over every detail twice. I mean, Joe and Ryan wanted to know too, but Josh was the one who actually asked.

We planned our escape. We debated who would stay behind. Josh volunteered. He said he would find someone to do what he would do for us. We would do it tomorrow night.

We had to see what we had to survive on. We searched and found a couple of pocketknives, some matches, and a small ax. Not much. But better then nothing. We decided to each carry an implement and a box of matches.

Well tonight is the big night. We are going to attempt our escape. I hope we do. We were to meet one hour after lights out in our quarters.

Ryan showed up, with a friend, Eric. I took Ryan aside and asked him why. �I couldn�t bear it. I overheard one of the guards while sneaking around. He and David were selected for �special treatment�. What else could I do?�

I thought about it for a moment, �So Joe is bring David?�

�Yes. Joe is bringing David.� David makes me aware of his and Joe�s presence at our meeting spot just inside our quarters. Josh was standing behind them.

�Well,� I said, �Now is the time to head our. Josh, go and �spring the trap� after about ten minutes. That should give enough time for us to get to point E.�

�Point E?� �Spring the trap?� David and Eric are confused.

�Point E is where you guys will sneak out of the compound tonight,� Josh said, �and �springing the trap� is��

�Springing the trap is when Josh makes a ton of noise and risks his life to distract the guards. They go to the noise in theory and do not see the rest of us sneak out and split up,� I finish for him.

�Why split up?� Another question arises.

�So if the guards notice they have more than one target. Then some of us will escape. Now let�s stop talking and get moving. Josh, go to �spring the trap� now.� He leaves. I pause to gather courage, �Now let�s head out.�

We headed out, walking quietly along the path, cleared of sticks earlier in the day, to make it easier to be nearly silent. We were at Point E for a few minutes before Josh �sprung the trap�.   We had planned for Joe to go right, David would go with him. Ryan was supposed to run left, now taking Eric with him. I planned to go right a little and duck into the woods. We would meet up in two days cattycornered right of the exit as far as the roads went. We had told David and Eric of this incase Ryan or Joe had fallen behind, been captured, or worse�

When Josh sprung the trap, Ryan used the ax and cut the needed hole in the brambles. We went our ways once we squeezed out the hole, while yelling was going on. As we split up, behind me rang out a single shot. I duck into the woods and really sprinted. The others thought it was me that was shot. They worried. But no. There were no more. The guards went back to their posts in the darkness. They did not notice the hole in the brambles. They thought they had thwarted an escape by shooting Josh, most likely killing him, at least that is what I thought....

I had gone far into the forest, so far I saw a falcon flying to her nest. I was so hungry. I wanted meat, sustenance, and the idea of a falcon chick seemed good to my wasted mind and intellect. It should be a good enough meal.

I was so desperate, since I had already ran a full day into the woods without food. I did not think how much the mother would protect her chick or chicks. It just seemed like a good idea to wait until she flew away from the nest to climb. I climbed all the way up to the nest and discovered only one chick. I had hoped to leave a chick behind but it seemed I had no choice now.

I sprung the blade on my knife. I was ready to kill the chick, when as a blur I saw the mother come back. In defense my knife flashed toward the mother. Which would win, bird or blade...

Well, sadly, blade won. And yet it would have been sad the other way. I would have died, probably knocked out of the tree to the ground. An awfully long fall. Almost impossible to survive.
I gently took the chick from the nest and placed it in my hand. It was a strong little spitfire. I named it Perry. For Peregrine, the kind of falcon he was. Also, if it was a guy it would be named after someone I knew.

I took his (I decided it was a he) mother�s dead body in one hand and put Perry in my shirt pocket and hoped he would have the sense not to struggle. I dropped the dead peregrine. I needed my hands free. I climbed down. Once down, I took Perry from my shirt pocket.

I made a fire with one match, something I had never done before. I skinned the dead peregrine. I cut off the feet and took some of the bigger feathers. To cook the meat I cut off a good-sized piece and speared it with a sharpened stick. Then, I cooked it like a marshmallow. I made Perry a bed of sorts with my bandana and a few down feathers floating around. After I fed him a little meat, he fell asleep. I blew out the small fire and curled up to sleep. I forgot about the other guys and only thought about the past days events�

Some time has passed. Many weeks. Perry flies overhead, and when he sees something he dives at it. If he kills it, I skin it and give him his fair share. Sometimes more than his fair share. We never went hungry.

Now I had a small bag tied onto my belt. It was made of a rabbit skin, with the fur on outside. in it I kept the five remaining matches in their bag and the piece of flint I had found and used to start the fire for a while. The feet, I had cut each talon plus a little toe off. Using rabbit skin strips attached four in a row. I left plenty of length on the strips to tie them around my hand. I made two. I also had the feathers in the pouch still.

Right now everything was perfect. Until I fell asleep and dreamed� This was my dream� Perry flew overhead and dived down and called, saying that what was there was too heavy for him. I went to see what it was. It was Josh, with a bullet hole in his forehead... I woke up screaming "No! Not Josh! No, Not Josh!" over and over again.

I splashed water on my face and really woke up. I remembered now, I needed to find Joe, David, Eric, and Ryan. I would head out in the morning....

I was ready to go. Perry was on my fist. My talons were on. I headed east. The entrance had faced north before. I ran into a road for a while. Cautiously, I turned south. Perry got frightened and flew.

I called "Cree, Cree, Cree, Caret" to get him to come back. No falcon normally made that call. He called back and flew back down. I heard the call again. Very faintly. I called back. I heard it again. I went in that direction and called again. The reply was louder. I went closer. I smelt smoke. I yelled "Ryan?" He yelled back, along with Joe, David, and Eric, "Becky?" I ran that way not caring that Perry took flight again.

I saw Ryan and hugged him for a long time. I hugged them all. I called Perry. They wondered what happened. I have them the condensed version.

They liked Perry, and when he finally came back to me he was edging and distrustful. Eventually, he fell asleep on a branch nearby.

They asked if I got shot. I told them that I had not. Then they wondered if the shot was directed at me. "No, it was Josh, at least I think so."

"Are you sure?" Joe asked.

"I�m sure. I am going back to spy on them. Tomorrow."

Ryan is shocked, "How?"

"I�ll climb the brambles, like a ladder. Go over them. Sneak into where there are buildings. Learn. Leave. Very simple," was my reply.

"Why?" Joe wondered, trying to hide his sudden wave of emotion, "Just find us and leave? Do you think we didn�t worry about you for all of the past two months, as we scraped up a living in this wilderness? Do you think we want to wonder what happens to you, wonder if you�ll live to see another day?"

"Well," I shot back at him, "Try not knowing about someone you care dearly about, the only person you know who is going to your high school. The only one you�ll have known before eighth grade and still know in high school�" I broke into tears. "Never mind, whatever you want to think. I don�t care anymore, just leave me alone. Leave me alone!" I screamed and cried even more. Sobbing I sank to my knees. I somehow heard my own inner self say, "Calm is the Key. Calm is the Key. Calm is the Key. Calm is the Key." Over and over. Suddenly, I lost my sadness and woke up from my trance-like state. I opened my eyes. What, where am I?

�I see my little pet has woken up.� The voice. The voice teemed with evil. �The sedative kept you asleep long enough. It was yesterday when you broke down.� I struggle to get away. �You�ll find it pointless to resist with those cuffs on your hands.� I raised my head. I saw my feet were shackled too.   The whole room reeked in sense and smell of fear and death.

�You seem to like my play room. You�re wondering how you got here. Well I�ll tell you. You probably remember breaking down into tears. Well, remember your precious falcon being scared and flying twice,�

I interrupted him, �What have you done to Perry and my friends?�

�Just listen and wait. You�ll realize what has happened soon enough to them. Remember how your falcon flew in fear? That was because I was assigned to come to that area and see if I could find any of our temporary escapees. I saw you head the way of the calls. I found your friends� camp. Since I saw you having a hissy-fit where you practically fell asleep� By the way, are you and that dude who really yelled at you going steady or something? you should, I mean, you fight good enough as couples fight��

I was outraged, �No! I�m not going steady with Joe or anyone else.� I cried out and tried to get away but to no avail.

�Well, then who was the person you cared so much about you wanted so much to come back here and see? Is he your boyfriend? Or your ex?�

Exhausted and exasperated, I said quietly, �No.�

�Anyway, getting back to my little story, my how we get off-track so easily� you had fallen unconscious from your crying. They saw me coming and backed off, slowly and hesitantly. After all I had a gun. They saw me jab a needle in your shoulder, putting a sedative in your blood. You calmed right down. I took you her. I put you here where you are now. Where you will be for the rest of your life.�

A tingle rushed up my spine at that last remark. I wondered what he was going to do with me. I quietly asked, �Are my friends alright?�

He replied, �Yes they are all right, if they left there camp within about five minutes after I left and did not leave an obvious trail. I sent my men to where their camp was to capture them too.�

�No,� I said, �No. No.   No. No��

He eventually stopped torturing me and left me alone. He took me off the table and put handcuffs on my feet and hands. He threw me in a cell. I was dimly aware someone else was there, but I was so exhausted�

I woke up later. The next day. There was noise. The cell was unlocked. The door swung open. �It�s Him,� someone said. I looked over and my heart almost stopped. �Josh,� I choked out.

�My pet.� He said. I backed into the corner. I looked at him with almost pure hatred. I clenched my fists.   �Come. I don�t want to have to come get you.� I looked at my fists. My falcon weapons were still on them. �Chill a minutes Little pet, I didn�t mean you just yet.� I muttered under my breath, �I will not chill or relax.�

He took Josh roughly by the shoulder. He led Josh out and locked the cell again. They disappeared out of sight.

I looked around the cell. Two benches. A stall I found had a toilet. A small window with bars over it. A single light bulb dangled. Three walls were solid minus the window. The other had bars spaced half a foot apart. Holding the gate door closed was a shining padlock.

No sooner had a truly explored my cell and seen all there was to see when He opened the cell door and threw Josh in and left.

�Josh.� I whispered his name.

�Becky,� he said back, �You know, I really wish I could hug you, but these handcuffs make it impossible, they are too tight.� At that I cried. We both did...We eventually stopped crying. �Is this special treatment?� I asked Josh the pointless question.

�Yes,� he answered back.

�Were you shot?� At least this question of mine had a possibility of being not what I expected.

�Yes, but only in the foot. They though I was attempting to escape, you know. They handcuffed me and threw me in here. Since then, this building is all I�ve ever known. For two months. No real rest. No freedom. No one who cared. No one other than Him,� he paused. �Then you came. You were thrown in here and I thought I was dreaming. Then I realized I wasn�t dreaming. You really were here. Then I thought about the others. Are they okay?�

�I�m not sure, last thing I knew they were safe. And from the way He is acting, it appears they still are. He wouldn�t be so mad,� I waited a moment, �Quiet, I think I hear someone coming.�

�It�s Him,� Josh says almost too soft to hear.

He came and unlocked the cell. He took our handcuffs off. Both sets. On both of us. He had a gun still. He said, �You�re free to go back to usual quarters.�

�Why?� I asked him, regretting it the second I did.

�You�ve told all you will tell. There�s no point of keeping you here.�

That was the end of Him in my life�

It was back to the way it was before. Nothing to do. The yearn to escape. �We need to escape. Or talk to the others. Do something,� I told Josh. We walked to the brambles. More like I walked and he followed. Something drew me there. I could not help it. The brambles drew me. Like a magnet.

Once there, I listened and told Josh to be quiet. I wanted to see if anyone was following us. Someone was. Twigs kept snapping. Leaves kept rustling.

Two people at least were coming, or one very fast walker. I saw them. It was Heidi and Ian. Ian asked, �Can we escape with you? Although they said all of the rest of you were still in special treatment, we don�t believe it.� Heidi said, �No one else believes the others aren�t there. It�s just us.�

It was quiet. So quiet I heard a falcon calling �Cree, Cree, Cree, Caret.� I must have been focused intensely because they all stared at me. Josh asked, �What�s the big deal?� I answered, �I heard a friend, one of a few outside those brambles��

They thought I was crazy. I said, �Seriously, I know of only one peregrine falcon who would use that call we just heard, unless a fictional falcon would like to make an appearance.� I paused, and I heard it again, louder. �Did you hear that?� Josh, Heidi, and Ian echoed an agreement.

I called the call. Then it was repeated even closer.   I saw Perry coming over the trees. He flew in and landed on my hand. �Oh, Perry,� I said softly. He was in good condition and his feathers were all strait. At least one of my friends outside the wall had been all right. Sighing, I explained to Heidi and Ian as much as Josh why I could call to that falcon and have him come.

�What�s this?� Heidi asked pointing to a little rabbit skin bag on Perry�s leg. �I don�t know� Ian, can you hold Perry for a minute? He is tame enough.� I got the bag off and in it there was a note�

It was from Joe, Ryan, Eric, and David. I looked at what it said:

If it is you Becky who is reading this, then our plan worked. We will tell you what it was. We�ll tell you when we meet up. We waited a good month for you to get out of �Special Treatment� before pulling it off. Well, we left camp and in a place where you would look, we left directions to where we are now. P.S. We took your rabbit skin bag with us. Joe and the rest of us are sorry we couldn�t save you from that guy with a gun. I mean, we wouldn�t be able to write this if we had tried to stop him. We would have been killed or worse� go to special treatment�

I was having tears of joy and pain in my eyes before I finished. Then they looked at it. I thought, �How could they know if I was dead?�

�Well, I think we have one choice. Go to your old camp and find the message.� We all agreed with Josh, but how?

�There must be a way to climb these brambles,� Ian said. We all walked over and tested it. There was space on a few branches for bare hands. There still were the other branches and other random scratches, but we made it across with no major cuts.

�Well,� I said, turning toward the old camp, �This is the way to their old camp.�

We got there. There was a big rock in the middle. Too obvious. But just the same, with Ian, Josh, and Heidi�s help, I rolled it over. And low and behold there was an arrow of rocks pointing further into the forest. �That must be the way.�

We walked for a long time, in the exact direction of the arrow, then there was an arrow made of broken sticks we almost missed. Then there was another stone one. Again and again there were directions made of natural materials in unnatural positions. The path was long and we had to sleep a night on the cold forest floor.

The next morning, I cautiously called �our call�. Perry looked confused but remained silent. Then I listened.   Very faintly I heard it again. I called twice in quick succession, to make sure I didn�t just hear an echo. All I heard in return was one call, so I knew it wasn�t an echo. We were on the right track, but they were still a ways off.

The others talked a little, but not much was directed at me. I guess they knew I was sensing everything and processing information. They talked about how they were hungry. I stopped and made my own arrow of twigs in our direction of traveling. �We can stop and look for some berries or something.�

I wasn�t hungry. Josh didn�t seem to be as much. I guess �Special Treatment� does that to you. I looked just the same for food. I found a bush of raspberries and called the others over. I ate some, but it did not fill this other emptiness in me. My heart was empty without the guys at the camp�

We went back on the trail after finding my arrow. After a time, I smelled wood smoke. The others could too. We walked faster. We heard softly running water. Then I quickly climbed a tree. �There,� I pointed in the direction of the smoke. I could see it over the trees.   �That�s where their camp must be.

We arrived and the fire was still smoking but burned out. They were not there, or so it seemed. I started to get a bad feeling about this and noticed a cave around the bend. I cautiously went in while the others held back. I heard a rustling noise. �Okay guys, you can come out now.�

The cave was so deep I could not see much in it. I waited. Someone called our call. I called back. Slowly, Eric came out, by himself. �Where are the others?� He didn�t answer me. �Why did you bring others?�

�They wanted to come. And where are the others?� I tried to calm myself. �I don�t care where they are, I just want to know where they�ve gone.� No response. �Joe, Ryan, David� where are they?�

Eric answered, �I don�t know. They went out to try to catch you on your path to the camp two days ago, right after they sent Perry your way� You didn�t see them?� He was looking more and more worried, �Did you see any sign they went along there?�

I was about to answer negatively but a small voice came in before I could speak, �I did.� It was Ian. �I woke up last night and I heard someone or a few people go by I kept quiet thinking they were from There or I was imagining it. When I couldn�t hear it anymore I went back to sleep.�

�That was like the dream I had. I dreamed we were sitting on a log and He was walking by,� Josh paused and looked at me so he understood whom I was talking about. �and behind Him trailed Ryan, Joe and David.�

�Let�s go. All of us. We need to find them, so they�re safe,� Heidi, usually very quiet spoke strongly. We quickly agreed and readied ourselves for the journey back down the path.

Josh looked over at me. I could almost see what he was thinking, what we both were thinking. If He hurt our friends, this was war. I checked to make sure my �talons� were on right. Josh talked to Eric and he handed over the knife that Joe had carried to Josh. Then I realized, still in my pocket, how in the world He had not seen or felt it and confiscated it, was my knife. I gave it to Heidi quietly saying, �Hopefully you won�t have to use this, but if you have to��

�Yeah, I�ll use it if I have to. Thanks.� She understood, they all understood, what we�d do if He had hurt our friends and we got our hands on him�

HOME

okay, that's where it ends. it seems such a shame that it ends there, i wonder what would have happened?
i have nothing more in the notebook. and how do i keep going if i have no idea where i was heading? well if you have feedback on that, along with anything else about the story, go ahead and email me : < [email protected] >

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