Ultimate Freedom

• Erin Chandler, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2011

I continued to trudge through the thick greenery that tried to swallow up my legs. The night was pitch black, so navigating through the forest was difficult. It had basically reduced my vision to the standards of a blind individual. From what I could tell, I was now resting my excruciating body against a towering oak tree. I prayed that I had finally lost the samurai assassins, but my relief was short lived, as an air of uncertainty started to suffocate me; my heart began crawling up to my mouth, about to spew itself out. Breaths of wind started to whistle past my ears at a more constant and piercing pace, and I could feel one thousand eyes resting on me. But, this was no time for me to succumb to my own terror; standing in this position like a deer to headlights was the last thing I could afford to do.
I lugged my legs along with my body, despite how stubborn they were being. They remained in writhing pain, due to the natural obstacles of prodding branches, pitfall traps, and protruding tree roots set on my spontaneous course. The whispering breeze lightly hits the thick, cool blood running down my brittle legs. They began to throb uncontrollably, but there was no room for me to think about pain; I had to lock in my sights of freedom; my optimism was telling me I could escape these horrendous fiends.
Snickers and jeers echoed through the canopies, as did the swipes of several samurai swords. My emerald green hair continued to obscure my vision, combined with the relentless sweat stinging my lavender eyes; I was almost certain I was prone to colliding with a tree. Just when I thought I was about to surrender to the assassins, a strange illumination drifted in the distance. A force was directing my body toward the light; I knew I was merely unstoppable at this point. Although I could still hear the intimidating noise of whistling swords passing my ears, a feeling of adrenalin started to take possession of me. The unusual beam grew nearer; I was about to free myself of liberty!
At last, it was all over. After a final collapse onto the coarse gravel, a sense of relief lifted through the air. The samurai assassins were ultimately lost in the perils of the sinister forest, whereas I, Verena, had reached the hidden village of Haruba. The scenery was stunning; an absolutely picturesque sight. My breath was truly taken by the limestone dome huts, sheltered with straw, which stood in front of me. After letting my eyes dance around the village, I propped myself back to my feet. I tilted my head down to be greeted by the sight of my tattered denim jeans, outlining the many scars that carved their way into my flesh. The dry blood was engraved into each scar, like coruscating rubies. These scars narrate a story of a young girl pursuing her well deserved freedom.