Epiphany

⇞ hope ⇞

Run. Run now and never look back.

"I would not leave you alone."  The twelve-year-old girl yelled.

She was vaguely familiar but the dream was so blurry that I was not sure.

"They will come for you." The old woman said with trembling lips.

"Who will?" The girl yelled.

And the door broke down making them yelp in fear.

"Run."

And this time she did as the old woman stood like a shield for her.

She ran crying and feeling guilty about leaving the old woman behind. She was someone important but the dream didn't clear that out.

She ran and fell and got up and ran again till the light was gone and darkness of night settled in. Muscles of her legs burned and her throat was parched due to lack of water. She felt blood trickle down her cracked lips as she licked it clean providing any wetness possible because they hurt.

She mingled in the market crowd and kept walking, she knew the markets and she knew the way around the streets so she maneuvered through the narrow lanes keeping herself mostly hidden and covering herself in a dark hooded cape. But her feet were shaking under her and lack of food and water was making her nauseous.

For a minute she felt dizzy and was about to trip on a stone with someone caught her arm pulling her back up a little to fast and she collided with her savior.

The stranger like my dream was dark and not clearly visible but when he uttered a few words, the girl in the dream felt herself listening closely, "Careful, good thing I was here to catch you."

She tried to look at her savior but his warm hands left her arms and she almost stumbled.

Run. They will come to you. 

She hesitated not sure if she should trust and thank her savior or run.

So she started moving but he caught her wrist causing her heart to jump inside her.

"Drink, you seem tired." He was offering her water and instinctively she licked her lips.

She snatched the water and mumbled a thank you.

But then she heard commotion nearby, people searching for someone, maybe her.

As terrified as she was, she was brave.

"You need to go now." Her savior said not too tall from her.

He knew she needed to run so she did what she always did for the old lady and her friend when she was grateful, she tiptoed and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." And this time she ran again realizing that her savior had a special kind of warmth she would miss.

➻➻➻

When I woke up I was shivering and I missed the warmth in my dream. I don't know when I fell asleep and how I fell asleep because last I remembered I could hear noises and voices as the sun started setting in.

I have slept on the ground before when slaves were taken through forests or graveyards and to torment us further we were made to sleep there. So the mud sticking to my body or the insects on my arms and legs didn't bother me much. I dusted myself and got up.