Escaped

• Blake Cogdell-baird, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2019

Feet rapidly thudded down the muddy dirt path spraying slush in the white moonlight. Lightning cracked above with a grow like a panther causing Liam’s heart to race even faster. Only seconds would be left until the guards would realize he’d escaped the stone-cold camp he resented while the inferno that had been set blazed in the buildings like a signal fire. But the rain would have dulled it down to a numb smoulder by now. A buzz like a wasp followed by a flap like a bird's wings came behind tearing the tree’s leaves in all directions along with a blinding searchlight. Liam wrapped his arm around a rough tree to whip himself left, then right. He pressed on the side of his head where a secret radio had been implanted in, concentrating hard like Steven had taught him he reached out to a picture of his kind face in his mind. “Are you there? I’m coming to the cabin,” he said in his mind causing a small headache. “Getting better! It was a bit fuzzy but I can hear you, head west and you’ll see the cabin, make sure you're not seen.” Steven replied approvingly in his mind. The man had such a kind heart, yet fierce like a mother bear protecting her cubs. Liam took two rights, flicked his torch on and threw it far to his left to deter his pursuers. He then reached the old wooden cabin, a motorbike sat next to the building like an old relic, creeping to the cracked oak door he pushed it open with a creak. It was as dark as night in there. “He...” Liam was cut off as a man leapt out and grabbed him with a roar. “It’s me Steven,” Liam said with a croak barely audible. “Oh, sorry son. You can’t be too careful you know.” Steven flicked a torch on Revealing his classic wide mouth grin and his 80’s brown jacket that looked like it cleaned a few spills up. The rain relentlessly thundered on the roof as if someone wanted to get inside. “Good job with the escape.” “It was nothing too much,” Liam bluffed while ignoring Steven’s bad breath that smelled like he just ate raw meat, cheese and onion. “I got the bike outside, ready to go!” Steven yelled over the now heavier rain. “Rain’s got to die down soon, then we’ll go to a camp of sorts and start our new lives.” Next thing Liam knew he was in a damp corner rugged up in Steven’s brown jacket, the rain was now but a trickle and it was going to be light soon. “Thanks.” Liam handed the jacket back. “let's go.” Outside they started the motorbike as Liam held onto Steven. It started with a roar of a bear and off they took into the misty sunrise. “Life is going to be good now, I wonder what comes tomorrow,” Liam thought as they left the woods into open land.