I woke up from my slumber in my makeshift camp, that wasn’t really a camp at all. It was just a bit of grass I patted down and my pickaxe held tightly in my hand. I expected it to be bright out, but when I opened my eyes, I saw nothing at all. It was completely black. I am barely able to make out shapes in front of me, and it is noticeably colder. Was it still night time? Did I not sleep as long as I thought?
All of a sudden, I heard something. I didn’t have time to worry about the dark, or my aching belly, in desperate need of food and water. I quickly stood, holding up my pickaxe and frantically turning in all directions.
“Liliah! Help us!” I heard. I turned.
“Who’s there!” I yelled. What was going on? Who was calling me?
“Liliah, please! We’re going to die! Save us!” I heard someone cry.
“Who are you? Where are you? I can’t see you!”
“We’re dying Liliah, save us please!”
“Please, I don’t know what to do!” I screamed, beginning to cry.
“LILIAH!” I heard a woman scream. My head shot towards the sound. I knew that voice, it was my mom.
“Mother?” I asked softly, walking towards the source of the sound, lowering my pickaxe slightly.
“Yes dear, please, come help me, I’m dying.” She called to me. Tears rushed down my face.
“Mother, I don’t know where you are!” I told her.
“I’m right here dear!” She voiced. I turned, to face the sound. “Look at me darling!” I turn again, the sound now coming from a different direction. She kept shouting my name, all the sounds coming from different angles.
“Mommy please! I don’t know where you are!” I sobbed.
“Help us princess! We’re going to die!” Another voice said.
“Daddy?” I cried out.
“Save us princess!” He cried. I fell into a heap on the ground as they shouted at me, the voices surrounding me. I covered my ears, wanting to just die.
“I want to go home.” I cried through my sobs. “I want to go home!” The voices grew louder. I wanted to scream. I held up my pickaxe, ready to end it. Ready to give it all up. I couldn’t take this, it was too much. This was unfair, and just plain cruel.
After my moment of weakness, I stopped. I had made a promise to myself when I came out of that tube. I was not going down as a coward. I was a fighter and a soldier. I will not bow down. I stood slowly, grabbing my pickaxe.. I began to walk further and further north, blocking out the voices in the distance. After a while, I couldn’t hear them anymore. I sighed, shrinking back down in the the grass and pulling my knees into my stomach.
