Race For Freedom

Masood Aslami

"Run! Run! All of you! Run fast!"

Loud and heavy footsteps vibrated through the ground. Everyone was running for their lives, same as me. My loud heartbeats echoed through my rib cage and it felt as if I was about to pass out. I ran so hard and fast and finally I went to an open ground.

There were pillars with different characters designed on them. It was rounded by chairs and on those chairs were soldiers waiting to attack at the order. It all looked like a training ground. In the middle was a beast with a flaring nose who was bubbling with anger. The beast, otherwise known as the human beast was Tanza, the one who spares none and watches skulls roll below her feet. I was so scared to see her because outrunning all this would be really difficult. But then again, nothing is too difficult for Tanya Adams.

Everyone was running Helter skelter and were looking for a way to escape. I tried running only for me to be kicked to the ground. The comotion was too much and when I looked up, I saw that Tanza had her eyes on me. She was the hunter and I was her prey and she would do everything to see me fall and kiss her feet.

I immediately stood up from the ground and I took to my heels again and I ran faster than I have ever done in my entire life.

"Make sure you get her to me. Alive or dead I don't care!"

Tanza barked out orders to her soldiers and everyone started chasing me. I was so scared that they would easily catch up with me and I doubled my efforts into running more.

I ran to a point where I got to a field filled with foxgloves. They looked so pretty. The bell shape had a magical flair and the pink color reminded me of my mother and her tender love. The delicious scent of the flower made me remember the times my mother cooked for me. They were pretty and the petals looked so tender and anyone with the eyes of a child would be so tempted to touch.But I knew better because those foxgloves were poisonous and could actually grant me breathing problems which was so not what I needed for this journey of race.

Unlike me, others ran through the field of foxgloves and even though I desperately tried to shout out to them not to, I couldn't because I needed that time and strength to run and it would be so foolish of me because I was the main target and the soldiers would do anything to get to me.

"Do not run through those foxgloves!" Tanza shouted out to her followers. I turned back to look at her face and I saw that she was scared. She wasn't looking out for her soldiers, she was looking out for me. She probably thought I forgot about the story of the "petals of poison". Our mother would always tell us this story before going to bed. Yes, our mother. Tanza And I are sisters. Want to find out why my sister wants to capture me so badly?Well run with me and you might just find out.

I wondered why I wasn't tired of running till now but I guess when you're running for your life, that thought wouldn't matter anymore. I got to the weeping willow near the little stream of the town. Memories of Tanza and I playing around the weeping willow and trying to catch its falling leaves flashed through my mind. It made me wonder how such a simple person could betray her family just for power.

The breeze blew and the ribbon which tied my wild hair down flew away. I wanted to go back to get it because it was a gift from my father before he died but when I turned back, I saw that the soldiers were fast approaching. I immediately turned back to continue the race when my leg suddenly hit a stone near the stream.

"Ahhh!It hurts!"

I started leaping because it was so painful. I ignored the pain though because I knew I had no time for that. I continued running and I eventually got to the cliff and I saw the river below. I was breathing so hard. I had the choice to jump over the cliff and swim into another land or to stay there and be captured.

Tanza got to the cliff and was staring at me. She had changed, she was not the sister I used to know. She got recruited into the army and due to her strength and all, she immediately got a rank and she had to capture the people in our village. That was her chief's order. She could have said no, but she decided to capture her people just for power.

I started breathing so hard. This was it. I was going to be captured by my own sister. I looked into her eyes and saw fear and dread. Probably fear of losing her only sister and the only family she had left.

"Jump Tanya, I can't capture you. You're my sister. Jump!"

She didn't need to tell me twice. I immediately jumped and started swimming in the water. I smiled because I remembered she was the one that taught me how to swim. While swimming, I heard Tanza telling her soldiers.

"It seems like she escaped before I got here. I couldn't find her"

And I heard their footsteps echoing. Probably they turned back. Well, at least Tanza proved she cared after all.