Untitled Story

Chapter 4: 'Things weren't as i had been told'

The sun had now completely disappeared from the window view, leaving only a few streaks of red light in the sky, the lights of the city had been lit and now dominated the view.
"So it was just you?"
"Just me."
"Mind if I finish off the sandwich?"
There was a pile of crumbs on the plate were the sandwiches once were, and Joshua's belt had been undone
"Fine by me"
Joshua pushed the remaining sandwich into his mouth.
"Wanna continue?" Mumbled the reporter
"After the boat went down, myself and the remaining passengers and crew just sat in the water, floating by our life jackets. As I said, it was very stormy and we were struggling to stay afloat. The crew wanted to try and swim back to Libya, but I knew we would never make it back in the conditions. While we were arguing over this, and trying not to drown, we heard the horn of a ship, which we shouted and waved our arms at, until we saw it was the Italian Coastguard.
They took us onboard and sailed to the Italian Mainland, where we would be held. However as soon as I arrived in Italy, I knew I would have to leave and make for Germany, just as me and Abdul had planned. While the security at the Italian 'Refugee holding Center' was better than the Lebanon camp, it wasn't too hard to escape, again with as much food, water and medication as I could steal. Yes, I knew the stealing was wrong, and people might have really needed what I took, but I was desperate and if I had a chance, I took it. My plan was to leave Italy and go and join the huge groups of 'Migrants' heading through the Balkans and towards Germany. This, however was a long way, I had to sneak through the Italian border on my own and try to find the groups heading for Germany.
I don't remember much about the journey, except that I blacked out somewhere in the Italian northern countryside and was picked up by this older man driving a derelict pickup, who offered to take me over the border, as he was heading nearby anyway. I couldn't thank this man enough, he fed me, drove me and even talked to me in what little English I knew, as he spoke it fairly well. Without the kindness of this man, there's no doubt I would have perished like so many others on my journey.
As it was, i joined the group of migrants in their trail to a Germany, or whatever EU country they wanted. We reached Austria about a week after I joined this 'group', the final hurdle before Germany. We knew taking the train would be the easiest option, hopping on any train, or coach that would take us. However the Austrian police seemed to have other ideas. For 24 hours they held us in a train station without proper food, water or heating. Eventually, they let us out, but the rest of the way we were escorted by police, always watching. This was the first sign things weren't as I had been told in that refugee camp in Lebanon, all that time ago.