Karma's Only Exception

• Grace Ahdar, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2016

Dashing through the boundless masses of forest, I fled for my cursed life, racing almost as fast as my panicked heart which pounded in my ears. Adrenaline and fear accelerated my body with every instinct beckoning at me to escape, a heavy weight hooked below my heart just thriving in my terror and regret. It was my own actions that brought this execution upon my shoulders and here I am, desperately trying to hold onto a thin rope of hopeless escape. Branches cut and slashed out at me, shaming and persecuting me as I flew past. The roars of the winds called to the earth, as my weak legs ran the landscapes formed impossible courses closing constantly at me. A deep cut below my left brow delivered trickled thick blood straight towards my eye. The hot mess increased my already blurry vision lowering my chances of survival slimmer. Paths kept changing becoming a maze, the only openings were my fatal wounds and poisoned thoughts dragging me lower. My air ran short as I collapsed, knees to the ground in surrender as sincere tears stung my gashes. Knees buckling, my body fell limp to the forest floor staining the dry cracks wet with red.
“Over here! I found him, send help -”
Radio background noises and shouts echoed painfully in my ears pulling me back to consciousness, but only just. Could it be that I just heard him say ‘help’? No that must be for him, for protection from me, the man sentenced to death by enforced laws. The man who killed his own wife and accused of killing his only daughter. I still remember every second as it never left my mind abusing me as it replays over and over until I go mad. My wife, terrified and screaming in pain, hopelessly locked in the murderer’s arms, gun pointed at her temple. My precious beloved daughter shot dead in a pool of her own blood and cries. In my anger, fear and distraught I hesitated. My shaky hand held the gun, aimed towards the murderer, desperately trying to kill him before he killed my spouse, yet careful not to harm her. It was in that exact moment when I pulled that trigger that my bullet went straight through his arm and straight towards my wife’s heart making contact. It all came back to me. The ring of police and ambulance sirens, my two girls lifeless in my arms. Tears and agony pouring out from me, murderer escaping into the night, my wrists handcuffed, watching the body bags zip as I was forced into a car never to see them again. I flinched at the memories but my eyes refused to stay open as I croaked what seemed to be my last words.
“Forgive me whatever God is out there, please don’t separate me again, please I beg.”
Lights flashed, pulse stopped, soul lifted as a woman and a girl’s hand reached down from the light, pulling me upward.