Alto's Journey: Resilience Amidst Adversity

Holding Innocence

  Although I was too young to fully comprehend the situation, my father was away serving his country. At the age of 4, my family and I were constantly on the move due to the war. Safety was never guaranteed, and danger lurked at all hours. He didn't want to leave me alone because I was only 4 years old. We traveled day and night, but nowhere was safe. We arrived at our new home, and I immediately went to sleep. My father sat next to me and covered me with his jacket. He said, "Don't worry, Alto. One day, this will all be over." I heard as I fell asleep.

The following morning, my father carried me to an empty box as gunfire rang out towards the house. He put me inside and yelled over the gunfire, 'Alto, don't move, don't talk, don't do anything. Just stay in the house when I leave, please.' He added, 'I'll be back, Alto, I will.' He then left the house, grabbing his katana before he departed. I opened the box and yelled, 'Wait!' However, the sound of gunfire frightened me, causing me to quickly duck back into the box. After two hours, the gunfire ceased, and the gunmen had searched everywhere but failed to find me. Eventually, they left, and I remained in the box, waiting for my chance to escape. However, he never returned. After several days, I finally emerged from the box, hungry and tired, in the middle of a rainy night. Upon entering the kitchen, I discovered that all the food had been taken by the men. Despite my hunger and the knot in my stomach, I did not care about the missing food. My tears flowed as I realized that the only person I had ever been close to was gone, and I knew deep down that he would never return, whether alive or dead.

I spent years in a cabin near a pond. I fished with my bare hands and made my own food, surviving on fish and water. I got sick a few times and even fought a shark once. I learned how to make a campfire and provide for myself. However, not having anyone to talk to was miserable and lonely. I often talked to myself and looked outside for entertainment. Watching the fish and the city, I couldn't help but wonder if they were still at war.

Enduring the harsh seasons, especially winter, at the age of 14, I learned to make my own decisions and stand up for myself. Suddenly, an army of people with guns and armor approached the cabin. I quickly ran inside and looked at the box. At that age, I was too big for the box. I ran to my room, locked the door, and went to the corner. I prayed to myself that I wouldn't get caught.

The army searched the house and tried to open the locked door. I used my bed to block the entrance, but the wood was weak, and they kicked the door open. The soldiers tried to arrest me, but I fought back and incapacitated them one by one. But more soldiers seemed to be coming from every direction. Suddenly, a powerful blow struck the back of my head, causing me to collapse. The soldiers then restrained me by tying me up with a rope. Despite my efforts to resist, I was unable to break free. I yelled curses at them and asked what they wanted. They didn't answer. They tied me up, put a bag over my head, threw me onto a car trunk, and drove off. I struggled to get out of the bag and continued yelling. Then, one of them hit me. "I don't know who you are, but you need to calm down," said one of the soldiers. I spoke up, my voice muffled, "I'm being kidnapped, and you're telling me to calm down now. Is something wrong with you?" "I wish I could let you go right now. You remind me of the young me," he replied. "I would never grow up to be someone like you," I said. The soldier gave a slight laugh. "I miss my family. I wish I could go back to them." I started to calm down and asked, "Why don't you just go then?" He replied, "The King is keeping me as a forced soldier. In fact, everyone here is a forced soldier." My brain wasn't processing. I asked, 'How did this happen?' and received the same question in response. I couldn't build logic or store stories. I asked, 'How did this happen?' and received the same question in response. After ten seconds of silence, we were there. The soldier untied my body, but not my hands, and led me to the gate.

He a He a He advised me to follow the rules, even if they seem impossible, and never talk back to the King. He instructed me to use only 'yes sir' and 'no sir' and to avoid eye contact. I reply reluctantly, 'Yes, sir.' He releases my restraints and hands me over to the guard at the gate. The guard grips my shoulder firmly. 'This is goodbye for now. Best of luck,' he says before departing in his car and waving farewell.

I didn't expect any of this. I was held captive and forced to train relentlessly every day from dawn to dusk. During a morning workout, a prisoner collapsed while doing push-ups.A nearby soldier barked at him to get up, showing no compassion. Despite his efforts, the man was unable to rise.

The soldier reloaded his weapon with chilling efficiency and gave the prisoner three seconds. The man who had fallen was struggling to get up, his desperation evident in his trembling limbs.The soldier's voice was cold and unforgiving as he counted down, 'Three.' With a sickening thud, the man fell again, and blood pooled beneath his head.

The fallen comrade begged, 'Please, I'm trying!' The soldier counted down, 'Two.' Then, he swiftly moved through the air. Another soldier lightly kicked me, reminding me to stay out of it.The fallen man managed to do a single push-up before collapsing. As I looked down at the bloodstained floor, a gunshot rang out, followed by a death scream. I was shocked as I watched the life drain from the fallen man's eyes.

I realized the grim reality we faced. My heart raced, and I collapsed to the ground.