The Traversing Book I

Chapter 7

"Lolly, we need to figure out a way to escape," I say very quietly to her as we sat on the floor.

"H-hhow?" she said, her voice cracking a bit.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm thinking maybe we escape to the basement, we can somehow get away through there?"

"But they are everywhere, Kokia. Everywhere! How can we do it without getting shot?"

I took a deep breath in and looked at the floor and didn't answer her. I had to think. I knew this place better than the captors knew it. I just closed my eyes and try to think of a way and outsmart them. Though I knew in reality I couldn't do it alone. We sat there for quite a while when the guards yelled for everyone to line up. Oh God, I thought. What is this?

I was in the left line, and I looked briefly at the girl beside me. She also had a terrified look in her eyes. We just kept following the guards until we got to the large kitchen, which I guess was for the catering business.

"You are to cook. That is your job. You cook for us."

OK, now I realize why they have been attacking schools. They are looking for young slaves. Girl slaves. I peered around the kitchen. It was big, but not huge. There must have been about a couple hundred girls, all slowly filing in. Everyone kind of looks around and doesn't know where to start, so I stand up on a chair.

"OK, so this is what they want us to do, so let's do it. Can someone get an inventory of what food is here so we can see what we can make? Look in all the large freezers. Someone else gets the pans out and someone else start the ovens. Who wants to be in charge of those? Maybe if we do what they want, they won't hurt us," I yell.

Some meek voices pitched in "I will" and I saw some raised hands.

"OK, great," I say, and as I jump down to the floor, and I notice that Lolly is just staring at me.

"Are you not scared at all?" she says dumbfounded.

"I am terrified, Lolly!" I reply in a whisper, almost not believing that she is saying this to me. "But I think the easiest thing for all of us is to do what we are told." I turn to stare into her eyes. I try to search within myself and find every ounce of courage. I couldn't break down. My family needed me.

Before too long we had some chicken sandwiches, steamed broccoli, applesauce and bread onto plates we found in the cupboards and put them on a long table that was set up in the vestibule of the Arena. Just like we were feeding children. We all snuck some food and ate some chicken just in case they do not allow us to eat. I peer over to the door as I am putting a piece of chicken in my mouth and see the same guard looking at me. I was worried he would reprimand me for stealing food. But he did not say anything, just kept his gaze on me, and I found myself realizing that I didn't mind. He then abruptly turned to look out the window.

After the guards ate, we all did the dishes and went back into our holding cell, if you will. This was so depressing. How long would they keep us here like this? To cook for them? Then what? It was getting late and I tried to settle down and couldn't get comfortable on the hard floor. After knowing sleep was eluding me, I decided to get up and stretch. I don't know what came over me, but I found myself walking across the room and approaching the guard that had been looking at me all day. It was almost like he was staring at me, trying to remember me somehow, even though I know that we have never met.

I stand in front of him, and he is within my reach. He had watched me approach, and I saw him swallow hard, like I was making him nervous.

"Can I please ask a question?" I say to him, looking at him, then at the floor, feeling my heart beat faster. I quickly glance at both sets of entrance doors and see three guards on each side standing there, leaning their backs against the doors. They seemed to be conversing with one another.

"You may," he says quietly.

"Are there any blankets or pillows we may use?" I say back, more softly that I almost could not hear myself.

"We do not have those," he says under his breath very quickly, and I noticed how good English he speaks.

"Oh, OK," I say and start to turn around, but then feel him grab my arm gently, and I immediately stiffen up and turn back toward him.

"What is your name?" He whispers to me, his voice barely audible.

I lift my eyes to meet his, and I am faced with the most beautiful dark brown eyes, and I was transfixed.

"Kokia. My name is Kokia," I whisper back slowly. It was so strange; I did not feel afraid of him. It was like my body was on fire. And I liked it.

"I'm Amir," he said quietly, then let go of my arm. I slowly walked back to my place on the floor feeling very confused and flustered.

I folded my body up in a fetal position and tried to sleep; tried to think of happy thoughts of Sepa. Or of my Dad showing me how to fish. Or of my mother wiping the tears from my eyes after I fell off my bike. I said a silent prayer to God. I just want to live one more day. Just one more day. Please, as I drift off to sleep.
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I awake in the middle of the night to Lolly's soft sobs, her head in her hands. "I'm not gonna make it," she whispers to me, "I'm not. I'm just not."

"Don't say that," I sit up to look at her. "We will get through this. We will. The President will do something. Just stay with me, do everything that I do. I don't know what I would do if I lost you right now," I tell her and then she grabs my hand and smiles as tears fall down her face. She looked so forlorn, so vulnerable. She was all I had right now.

I feel a poke in my back. It is Magzi. I sit up and turn around.

"Do you think we should try to escape?" she whispers to me.

"I don't know. I'm trying to wrap this whole situation around in my head," I look at her, "What do you think?"

"Definitely escape. Wish I had a gun. I'd shoot those bastards," she says making her hand into a gun and saying "poof."

"Do we involve more people?" I ask.

"Do we trust anyone else?" Magzi says, her gaze shifting to all the girls asleep on the floor. She is right, I don't really know these girls. I don't even think they go to our high school. Where did they come from?

All of a sudden I hear the guard yell "Quiet!" to us.

It is not Amir. He must have left when I was sleeping, so I lie back on the cold floor and stare up at the ceiling.
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"Baby mine, close your eyes...baby mine say goodnight...hold your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine..."My mother is singing to Sepa, sitting on the porch swing as it sways softly to her music. Little Sepa quiets down and her little eyelids flutter and close.

"...hold your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine..."

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Lolly looked over at Kokia sleeping. She was one of the prettiest girls Lolly had ever seen, yet Kokia didn't know that she was pretty, which is what made her cool. She was huddled up in a ball and in a deep sleep, her hand still clutching the strap of her backpack. She remembered when she moved to Bridgeport five years ago, and how Kokia was the only one who approached her at lunch and told her that she could sit with her. Kokia was so friendly and outgoing, they even tried cheer together last year, but decided it was too much work. Not exactly saying that they were lazy, but...yeah. After they knew each other for a few months, Kokia told her about her mother and how she had died when her sister Sepa was a baby. Lolly could tell that they were close and that her mother's death had made a deep impact on her life. 

Kokia was the best friend she could ever have.Like a sister almost. But last night she saw something that worried her. One ofthe guards was watching Kokia intently, watching her put the food out, watchingher go to her backpack and getting her brush out. He just sat there looking ather, mesmerized. A full brigade could be storming the front door and hewouldn't have noticed. She then saw Kokia shooting him a glance and ahalf-smile, like she welcomed the attention. It left Lolly very confused,especially since Trast was both of their friends and he is a great guy. Shedidn't know what was happening to Kokia, but she knew it was something lifechanging.