In that moment the air erupted in screams, as the soldiers started firing their guns at the protestors. Eric and his new companions quickly got up and started dousing Atem in their drinks as he screamed and rolled in pain, as he held his face.
"We need to run." Akeer said, panicking.
But Eric didn't hear a thing, it was like he was underwater, the sounds around him all sound so murky. The only thing he could hear with clearity was the guns firing away at the people, not just protestors anymore. He could see it, the orange light zoomed across the town square, killing protestors and bystanders. A protestors fired back and managed to injure some soldiers, but he was quickly brutally killed by a unslaught of bullets. Not by one or 2, but by 7 soldiers, firing their guns at his already dead corpse. As far as Eric was, he could see everything clearly. The man died standing up. But the soldiers were unrelenting. They continued firing their powerful guns at the man, until his limbs got blown off by the hail of constant bullets. When the soldiers eventually stopped firing, all that was left was a bloody disfigured corpse. The man's body only had 1 leg left, the rest of the man's limbs were blown off by bits and pieces, and at the right side of his chest was a big gash of red flesh, that oozed with blood down to his only remaining leg. But still after all those bullet, he died standing up. But not for long, as a soldier shot at his remaining leg, knocking his corpse off balance. Eric coudn't think, his mind was completely blank, and sounds were all still murky. And on top of that he coudn't move, his body was completely paralyzed and shaking. He tried to move his fingers, but all they could was shake wildly as they go up and down. The only thought that manifested in his mind was, am I going to die here.
"Eric, Eric, Eric, Eric."
He heard someone calling his name, but his body and mind couldn't react. They were still processing the grotesque scene unfolding in Eric's eyes. He could feel someone pulling him by the arm, until his body could register to move. He followed, and looked down at the hand holding him, and he noticed it wasn't his father's, nor Adut's hand. It was a girl's hand, it was soft, warm, and small. Is she Adut's wife, he wondered. Then he looked up and saw a messy bun, and realised it was Akeer. And at the side of her was Thon, with his shirt off, carrying Atem. His shirt was completely soaked and was rapped halfway across Atem's head, only rapping above his nose. But despite half of his face completely covered, Eric could see the black burns on his lower face, and some red too. Was that blood? He wondered. He turned his head back in front of him and saw that Akeer was yelling something to Thon. Fear embodyed her face. Thon yelled something back, but it some how didn't reach Eric's ears. He looked around and saw that men, women, and children alike were running and tripping over each other. Eric even saw some women running and tripping over their kids. Some cried, and one didn't even get to cry, as the little infants head was crushed by her own mother's weight. Eric could see the blood splattered on the floor. But the mother, instead of mourning and crying for her child, just ran away, even faster than she was before, no longer burdened with her baby. Eric saw a family, the father knocking door by door, but none welcomed him and his family in. The mother was hushing her children as they cried against her leg and belly. Then they finally decided to run with the wave after wave of people, but it was too late for them. In slow motion Eric could see several orange lights zooming past his right eye, in that moment Eric's entire world was lit in a green light. When he looked back infront of him he could see the children's lifeless body slowly falling to the ground, on the hard concrete. And their mother bending over to help them, got impaled by a orange light on the side of her head. She fell gracefully on top of her children, it all most seemed like she was hugging them. The father, not yet processing what just happened to his entire family, got shot in the eye by the orange light. He fell down, dead, not getting the priviledge of dying touching his family for one last time. But still, after witnessing all of that, his eyes didn't build up tears. All he could feel was his heart quickly beating and his ears ringing. The entire world to him was moving in slow motion, even when Akeer opens up her mouth to yell as tears flood down her cheeks, he could only see it frame by frame. Then they eventually stopped.
"Akeer, we can't go back to your house or mine. It's too far."
"Then where should we go then." She screamed, tears flowing down her face, as her thick saliva in her mouth build up.
Thon quickly went over to a office building and signaled for Akeer to jump in first. But before she could, Eric could feel being bumped by the stampede of people then everything went black.
Eric was adrift in his mind, not knowing what to make of the situation. What's happening. He thought, as it rings across his mind.
"Am I gonna Die."
"No, no, I don't want to die."
"I want to live."
"I just want to see my mom. Just one last time." He thought, each thought echoing in his mind.
"Eric."
"Eric."
"Eric."
"What is that sound. Is someone calling me."
"Eric."
Then Eric felt a sharp sting against his cheek. As his eyelids slowly opened he could see Akeer on top of him, gripping his face with one hand. Eric steered up at her, at her brown eyes. And she steered back down at him. This time they didn't break eye contact. They steered at each other for several seconds until she uttered these words.
"They're so pretty."
But after saying this she immediately snapped back to reality and got off him.
"Sorry, I just wanted to wake you up. You were sleeping for a long time." She said, wiping away the tears that still leaked down from her eyes, but slowly.
Eric sat up, rubbing his eyes, and asked.
"What day is it today."
"It's thursday." She responded.
"So I slept through all yesterday."
She nodded.
Then the memories flooded back into Eric's mind. From Atem getting burned, to the man and the family getting brutally killed, and to him getting knocked out by hitting his head on the ground. His brain was on now, he fully registered everything that happened.
"What happened to Atem. Is he ok."
She nodded as tears began to leak down her face profusely.
"Are you ok." Eric asked.
"I'm fine. But his face is completely burnt and his nose is just hagging off his face. But." She stiffles, just barely keeping herself together.
"He will live." She said, her face twitching.
Eric was about to get up and give her a hug, but Thon came into the room.
"Your awake."
"Is he awake?" Akeer quickly asked.
"He is sleeping. I covered his face in bandages from the first aid kit."
She sighed, and slumped down in a corner, hugging her arms and crying on her legs.
"Listen Akeer we need to go out and get some food and some medical supplies from a store or pharmacy. Because we have nothing to ea."
"No." She yelled cutting him off.
"Listen to me, i'm fine without eating, but what about Atem? He needs medical supplies, I checked the whole building and there aren't any left. You and Eric need to come with me so we bring as much as we can." He said.
"Then who's going to stay with Atem."
"We have to leave him."
"No."
"Stop being stubborn Akeer. Do you want his face to get infected."
"I'm not being stubborn, what if some people come in here and kill him. Or what if they come in and baracade the whole place and we can't get in. Or what if we get taken by the soldiers, and Atem would have to stay here by himself, suffering in this place, until he dies. I can't do it. I can't leave him?" She said, her voice growing weaker.
Thon sighed. Knowing he will never convine her to take the risk.
"I'll go with you." Eric said, hand still trembling, but he hides it behind him.
"Alright. The soldiers are patrolling the streets, so be quiet and don't let them see you."
Eric nodded.
Thon left the room and fanned him over to help push a huge shelf away from a broken window. Thon jumped through first then Eric. Then they quickly ran across the street into an alleyway. Thon gestured to Eric to be quite and follow right behind him, and Eric did. As they were walking they would regularly stop and look around to make sure their weren't any soldiers near by.
"Thon, do you know what happens if we get caught."
Thon stopped walking and turned to look at Eric.
"No. But we are children so they should send us to some kind of detention camp, I think. But that's if we get caught." He said.
Eric nodded.
"Are you scared?" He asked.
Eric paused for a moment before responding.
"Yes. Yes I am I afraid, but i'm fine."
"I know i'm going to sound a way for saying this, but we aren't going to die. They can't kill children, so we will be ok." Thon said.
"How are."
Gunshots and Screams fill the air.
"Get down." Thon said.
Eric got down and both of them sneaked behind two large stacks of crates at the end of a alleyway, that gave them a direct view of the town's square. At the center of the square their were people and soldiers, each armed with rifles. They were standing over people, both men and women, tied up, naked.
"Everybody, look at these traitors. They were planning to sell our information to the Sudanese. Not only that they were poisoning your ears, making you believe that we were trying to enslave you people. Their plans were to turn you all into their spies and dispensible soldiers at their back and call. They were trying to make you rebel against us, they were were trying to destroy us. But not today, not ever." A soldier said, shouting in a microphone, his voice propelling with each word.
The people tied up and screamed.
"It's for the betterment of the people, it's for the people we love."
The soldier turned around and told his men to set them free.
"This is what we will do to our enemies." The soldier said, turning to the shops and homes smiling.
The people got up and looked at the soldiers confused, they slowly stepped back, but nothing happened to them.
Then one soldier gestured to them to go. Still hesitant they backed up again, faster this time. Then they dashed off, sprinting for their freedom, for their life. But Eric and Thon knew what's going to happen next. Everyone of the soldiers had a smile on their faces, as they brought up their rifles, all firing all at once, sending out a onslaught of bullets. Eric closed his eyes, he didn't want to see the same gore, just as grotesque as the day before. He opened his eyes again, and he saw people quickly drawing the curtains in their homes, and in the stores the people inside began putting up more barricades.
"We will inform you all when you will all be allowed back outside." The soldier said into his microphone.
Thon sighed and gestured for Eric to be silent, pressing his finger on his lips multiple times. Then he gestured for Eric to follow him.
As they zoomed across street to street, across alleyway to alleyway, Eric's arm couldn't stop trembling.
"Are we really safe." He whispered to himself.
"Will they really just send us to camps."
He asked himself these questions over and over until finally they reached a store that was completely barricaded with shelf upon shelves behind the windows.
"How are we suppose to get in." Eric whispered, his voice trembling.
Thon gestured to Eric to follow him, and at the side of the store, there was a door with a big hole right beside it.
"Do you think you can fit in there?" Thon asked.
"I can try."
Eric bend down and entered the hole, but had trouble getting in all the way.
"Push me." Eric said.
Thon pushed him until he eventually managed to get in.
A few seconds later Eric opened the door.
"Did you see the light switch?"
"It doesn't work." Eric responded.
"Sigh. They must've cut out the light for the entire town. But I have lighter in my pocket." Thon said, retrieving his lighter, switching it on.
"Wait, do you here that?" Eric asked.
They both went silent, and the noise continued. As they got closer the noise got clearer. It kind of sounded like clapping noises, and crying. Eric spead up. Then he turns the corner, ready utter the words of, are you ok? He froze. But luckly Thon was right behind him to cover his mouth in time. In front of their eyes was a disgusting display of human savagery. At a corner of the store their was a white light projecting from a flashlight on top of a counter. And that light revealed the noises Eric was hearing. At the corner their was a little boy, no older than 5 years of age, tied up in the corner with mouth gagged, he screamed and kicked, but nobody could hear him, and nobody would help. He was completely powerless, the only thing he could do was just watch, watch as the disgusting scene unfolded right before his eyes. At the very center, where the light shines at it's brightest were 5 soldiers, some completely naked, and some undressing. Eric saw it, a fliker of black braided hair going up and down in the air. And he heard it again, the same noise from before, but this time it was clear. Then Eric eyes widened, his heart skipped a beat. At the very center of the circle of soldiers there was a woman, her breast going up and down, as a couple of braid strands slid down to her face. Tears flowed down, but oddly enough she was smiling, with her tongue out, oozing with saliva. The soldiers pulled her hair as they defiled her. The store was filled with the sound of what should have been life's most beautiful rituals, but instead it was the sound of human violence, and cruelty. And Eric and Thon never looked away, their eyes were glued at the disgusting scene unfolding before them.
The child began crying louder, then a soldier kicked him right in the face, knocking out the gag, only to reveal and bloody mouth. The little boy stiffles as blood poured down from his mouth.
"No. You said you wouldn't hurt him anymore." She screamed.
The soldier spot at her, then gave her a slap, sending her head to the wall.
"Tell him to be quiet." The soldier said.
"Elijah, mommy has to do this, it won't take much longer, I promise. After this, me and you can visit papa in Juba together. And we can go to the doctor to get your tongue sewn back on. Ok. But." Her voice gave out, as she squirmed.
"But I need you to be quite for mommy ok, I need you to be strong. Please it won't be long." She said, giving him a bright smile, as her head was slammed down.
The child nodded, as he quiet down, but tears still flowed down his face, as he watched his mother get defiled.
Eric wanted to step in and help, but he knew he would only just end up just like that little boy in the corner shaking uncontrollably. But knowing this he still debated with himself in his mind. Step in and help, or just watch as this happens, without no power to stop it. But if I dont step in what does that make me. Would it make me a monster, a monster just like them. Then I wouldn't be any different from them. If I turn a blind eye, I am allowing this to happen. But if I do help, I will get hurt, or even die. Is it really worth it to put people's safety over my own. But if I do put my safety first wouldn't that make me a cowered. But i'm not, I want to save them, I do, but at the same time i'm afraid. Fear is holding me back. But why should I save them, or rather why do I want to save them. I never met them before, in a day in my life. And the fact that I didn't already jump in to save them is proof enough that I am not a Hero. But yet I want to be a hero. I want to be strong, to be looked up to. I want power, power to be loved by people. But isn't that transactional, if I want praise and my peers love, in exchange for me to help them. Then my very drive itself would make me a…. faker. These thoughts all detonated in his mind, one after the other, until Eric felt a tap on his shoulder.
"We can't save them Eric. Let's get what we came for." He said.
Eric nodded.
Then they both crouched down, carefully moving in Iles, making sure not to make the slightest of sounds.
"Take up anything you think we need, and we don't need water, there are a lot in the fridge back at the office building." Thon whispered.
Eric nodded.
"Oh and here are the bags." He said lifting up the back of his shirt, revealing scandal bags tied around belly, with make shift ropes, that looked to be shoelaces notted together.
He carefully, but quickly untied them. And gave Eric 2 big black bags to store food in.
"Put as many as you can inside." He whispered.
Eric nodded and did as he was told, all while hearing those sounds, that defyled his ears.
"Thon, i'm done." Eric said, with a whispering, shaky voice.
"We need to take up one last thing." He said gesturing Eric to follow him.
"There it is."
Thon pointed towards a wall, with a glass box, containing the first aid kit.
Thon stood up and tried to open the box, but to no avail.
"Shit." He cursed, pressing his forehead on the box.
A moment of silence filled the air, the only sound heard were the frequent stiffles of the child, and his mother getting defiled.
Thon side and look down at Eric that was still crouching.
"Listen to me Eric. I am going to break this glass box, when I do, I want you to carry this and run. Dont worry about me."
Eric's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widened.
"No, If you do then."
The sound of shattering glass halted every other sounds in the store. Thon quickly threw the first aid kit to Eric and shouted.
"RUN."
And Eric did he took the 2 bags and the first aid kit and ran.
"I thought you said there wasn't anybody fucking here."
"No."
The women began screaming.
This situation sent a bolt of adrenaline in his body. He looked behind him and saw that Thon was being chased around the store by 2 of them, and the other 3 were running after him. Eric quickly turned the corner and threw the bags and the first aid kit through the large hole, then he went through, but this time he wasn't stuck.
He could see the arms of the soldiers reaching out of whole for his legs as he back away.
"COME HERE." They shouted.
But at this point, Eric was in full surviver mode, he wasn't even shaking. His mind was completely clear. The only message his mind sent to his entire body was run.
Eric listened without question, and he took the bags and the medical supplies and took off, running across the street. Behind him he could still here the screams of the women and her son.
"NO, PLEASE NO.YOU SAID YOU WILL LET US GO. NO." The woman screamed.
Then shots were heard, then the screaming stopped.
Eric knew that could only mean one thing.
At this point Eric's heart was practically beating like a drum, his mind completely clear. Eric was focus on one thing, and that is to get out of his situation alive.
"BOY STOP." A group of soldiers yelled.
Eric didn't look where they were, he just ran and ran. He crossed streets, and ran through alleyways. All while hearing shots fired behind him.
"STOP."
He ignored all the yelling and the sounds of shots firing in the air, and continued running. Then he saw a entrance to a alleyway, one of the alleyways he and Thon came out from. Then the map created itself in his mind, he was close, just a few turns away. But as Eric was about to turn the corner, he was grabbed from behind and pulled into a building. His captures covered his mouth and restrained him, as he tried to squirm his way free.
"WHERE THE FUCK DID THE BOY GO." A soldier yelled, as he zoomed past.
"Be quiet."
Eric turned his eyes to look at his capture. By the shape of the person's body Eric could tell he is a male, maybe a year older than him. He wore normal clothing, and his face was rapped in black cloth. His capture held a finger to his lips and whispered.
"Be quiet."