Prayer Of The Refugee

Dark and Drousey

Setting the child down, I get up and close the sewer hatch.

Complete and ominous darkness surrounded him and I. I reach into my jacket pocket and take out my lighter.

Soon there was a small glow of a flame.

"Are you alright?" I whisper hoping he would hear me.

I was soon answered by a cough. I had to get this child some help quick.

I point my lighter and find the disgusting sewer water in front of me.

Keeping my hand to the wall, I picked up the child and hurried along the dark sewer.

It was amazing where this sewer could lead me to. I could be in a whole another part of Norway.

"W-why are you saving me?"

His voice startled me. I looked down at him and he had his gaze set on my eyes. I actually did not know the answer to his question.

Why did I save him?

I'm a refugee. I don't have time to save people because I am constantly running for my life.

But, what if he is like me? What if he is also running for his life?

"I saved you because everyone deserves to live." That was the best answer I could give him. He shot me a pained smile and I returned it.

I didn't know where I was walking to. Neither did I know how I was going to tend to this child's wounds.

All I knew is that I can't leave the sewers for the night, because as he said, there are people after him.

Everyone at camp will be so worried about me. They might even think I'm dead. Why did I get myself in this mess?
The slight feeling of regret was creeping it's way into my brain, but then my eyes shifted to the child.

I decided to stop walking and sit down with the child in my lap.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Lillian, but call me Lilly" I gave him a faint smile in the glow of my lighter.

He smiled back, but flinched, showing how much pain he was in.

"What is yours?" I asked him after his pain subsided.

"Hector." He almost whispered.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"What? I just don't like my name." He replied.

"Well, Lilian isn't my name either."

"Then what is it?"

"My real name is Maryam."

He giggled,"That's weird!"

I smiled at him and nodded my head.

I believe his pain had subsided because he was clapping and moving around more.
We decided to play a little game together. We played I Spy, which was boring for me, but interesting for him to my surprise.

I couldn't see anything with the light of my lighter, but apparently Hector could. He showed me so many things, it's amazing what you can find in the sewers.

"Lilly?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to stay here?"

I sighed. I didn't answer him. My silence was enough reply.

I didn't know what to do. I always knew what to do back at camp, but here, I felt alone. Almost scared.

At the refugee camp, little girls always looked up to me because I was never afraid of our circumstances, but right now, the fear is creeping it's way up into my body.