Trail of tears and betrayal

The harsh beginning

     It was hot, blazing as the fire crept against my tan skin, I coughed as hard as I could with a hoarse throat. I lifted my body up as fast as I could looking through the fire and smoke.

    Screams had echoed throughout my village. I stumbled slightly down the hall, as I watched my beige clothed tent burn down forming a circle of fire around me. I thought to  myself as I weezed  “I need to get out the fire is too intense and is blocking my way,but...if I stay the fire will engulf me...I better take my chances or  else I might die without knowing if my family is okay.”

    I dashed outside my tent screaming as the fire crept up my legs and ate me alive with scorching burn marks, despite my legs being in pain I hastily made my way to my little sisters tent.”Catori! Where are you?!”

A small whimper echoed as I was adjusting my eyes to the smoke    "Ashwin, I'm s-scared it's hot and m-momma isn't waking up." My little sister begins to cry as the sudden realization hit me.

    I thought to myself feeling a drop of sweat travel down my cheek, due to the fire and its increasing heat.” What does Catori mean when she say mom isn't waking up?...No she...she can’t be!” I dashed towards the tent  charging for my mother and little sister,luckily enough the fire didn't spread to the exit. I ran inside and immediately spotted my mother covered in black spots, with burns more red than our skin, whimpering barely able to get a word out. I grab my mother and sister, carrying them outside the tent before it came crashing down.

    English men came screaming at us with weapons, and wagons. “Get on and get out this is our territory now or else we will be forced to shoot and kill you!” In that brief moment I swear I saw that man smile so deviously, towards the end of the sentence, almost as if he is enjoying our suffering.

A shaking hand sets on my shoulder, I jerked back only to revealing my father's trembling face at my mother “Is-Is she-?”

I shake my head “She's severely burned, but she's not going to lose her life anytime soon, When I was younger in a situation mom asked me to promised to be strong when I was little, there is no reason she can't do the same.” My father understood, staring daggers of pure hatred into the english settlers, I set my hand on his back and whispered “Come on let's go mom needs to rest...peacefully.” I looked down at the woman who raised me with limitless love.” Did you get Akecheta into the wagons with grandfather?”

My father faced changed from that of anger into seriousness “ I’ve loaded the wagon with supplies from the village and house, along with Akecheta and father. I suggest we get going, so we don’t get involved in this...mess.” my father grimaced at the burning houses,crying families, and rioting tribe members.

“I agree…” we head over to my father's wagon and settle my  mother inside,covered by a leather blanket.

“Ashwin! I was worried.” I was greeted by my loving younger brother Akecheta, although we would bicker and argue we would always end up forgiving each other what can I say we were brothers no doubt about it.

I patted his thick,long raven colored hair as I reassured him. “Hey aren't you supposed to have more belief in me, little brother” I hit him in the shoulder as I began to smile.

He looked at me in disbelief “Of course I do we all know you can't die until I beat you in a game of stickball!” We all laugh including my grandfather who was witnessing our miniature argument.

Three months later...

     The cries of my people have become a normal recurrent,loss of children,family, and friends due to either disease, exhaustion,or just plain murder during the removal of our homes.” At times like this I wish Lonan was here at times like these he would always help me through this stress.” I think to myself as I remember the time were my grandmother passed away and Lonan embraced me under the tree of remembrance. I chuckled slightly “At least that is what we called it since we spent so much time there with grandmother.”

My thoughts were cut off as soon as I heard Akecheta cry grandfather's name, over and over relentlessly. I ran over to grandfather holding his hand “Grandfather whats wrong?! Y-you're not..” tears filled my eyes as I stumbled upon my words “Going with grandmother are you?”

Grandfathers wrinkled tan skin softened to a face of sadness, he spoke softly parting his trembling wrinkled lips “Ashwin,Akecheta,” he placed one of his hands on each of our cheeks wiping our tears away slightly “It's okay, I'm happy. I’ll miss you guys deeply,but i'll be with your grandmother. Always watching over you two ,your father,your little sister Catori and your mother.” his eyes close as if they were sleeping peacefully, however sudden realization dawned on us when grandfather's hands fell down,losing all warmth they had.

Tears spilled down my face as I kissed the hand that would  always hug me as a child, that would push me to join other kids when I needed a push to do so,the very one that supported me and Lonan’s relationship from the very beginning. Akecheta broke unable to stop crying, asking for grandfather to come back. I embraced my little brother in a tight embrace “ It's okay grandfather is with grandmother happy,watching over us just like he said.” my voice trembled with every word as more tears filled our eyes, however I couldn't help but notice our father cry in silence as  he walked behind the wagon.

Four months later… we still haven't recovered from grandfather's death,mother was finally able to speak, however she too had to mourn for our beloved grandfather.  We’ve set up camp so far everyone is still traumatized in their own way. I sighed sadly “I wish I can go back to the time I was dating Lonan,with my family in our village” I closed my eyes softly as I lay under a decaying tree,shedding a painful tear.”

“Ashwin?” a low voice spoke in  question

I know that voice anywhere it's- I opened my eyes immediately to see who the speaker of the voice was Lonan, I jumped up,,cupping Lonan’s face gently placing a. Longing kiss upon his lips. “I've missed you where have you been? You left without telling me anything I was so worried about you?” tears were beginning to fill my eyes once again, till a hand caressed my cheek wiping my tear away.

“I'm so sorry but...Ashwin I'm sorry as a lover and a friend to you."his eyes were puffy from crying why, I didn't know.

I embraced him closely “Why what happened?” I whisper into his ear.

“No its what's about to happen.” Suddenly a pair of white hands grabbed me, locking me in chains. I fought back but it was futile I was compared to the men who caught me. Lonan kissed me on the cheek and whispered sweetly into my ear “ Now we can be happy and no one can Judge us, because you will be my slave for the rest of our lives,but your family will never see you again, I can't have them rioting against me, now can I. Oh but no worries they will still be free and be well taken care of. Unless you were to try to escape,then they might just disappear.”

My face changed from one of delight. To one filled with hatred “I hate you!” I spat filled with anger.

He smiles forcing a kiss upon me “And I love  you, Ashwin.”

♥ Hello. Everyone this. Story is a one shot but a can be turned into a book depending on your responses and whether I have time since school. Is literally eating my life, while Doing Everything possible to forget the homework I have now😥

♦What did you enjoy about the story?

♣Would you like to read more similar to this or different?

♥What was your favorite part?

♦Any advice you can give me?

♣What questions do you have for me?