Chapitre 3: Escape

Three children were seen nodding their heads to each other in some corner of a dark spacious room.

And these kids are no other than, Erin, Carlo, and Liza.

"Hey. I heard you lots will escape. May we also join in?" They all look up to a boy with dark brown color, with dark hair and eyes too. Another small boy who looks like five or four years old is hiding behind his back and took a peek at them from time to time.

"And who are you?" Erin asked.

"I'm Tom and this is my little brother Fred," Tom said as he points to his brother who only hides more at the mention of his name.

"Sorry, he is a bit shy to new people." Tom scratched his head as he laughs at them awkwardly.

"How did you know that we will escape?' Liza asked.

"Everyone kind of knows it. But choose to just ignore you three. And most of them believe that you will all fail to escape." Tom said.

"I see but that won't happen," Erin said confidently. "And feel free to join us. The more we are, the more the plan is going to work." Erin said.

So after they talk further, they all went back to their places when Carlo who is their lookout, saw the tall skinny man heading towards the room to do his usual check out on them.

They all pretended to stay asleep as soon as they heard the screeching sound of the door opening.

*Bang*

After a few minutes when they heard the door closing a loud sound, Erin stood up.

"Let's go now." After she said that, the rest of her group slowly open their eyes and carefully stood up.

Since there are no electrical lights here, they could easily hide in some places. There are also some torches that are lit in some areas. But doesn't enough to light the whole place.

The first-night shift guard was already gone, then the second shift, and finally the third person for the third night shift finally took over. Carlo who is hiding in some high grass carefully made his move as soon as he saw the third shift guard falling asleep. He carefully went to him to get the keys in his belt around his waist which is what Erin exactly told him. He successfully snatched the key.

'I wonder when did Erin observe these things?' Carlo thought as he heads out of his next designated place carefully.

Then Erin finally got some torch in her hands. Steadily make her way to the densest place of shrubs in the place.

She was momentarily stunned when she saw the fire as a memory of her past resurfaced. But nonetheless, she just shook her head.

'I must do this, this is the only way I could escape here.' She thought then she looks around. She saw three planks of wood that is stuck on the ground. She dug it up with her bare left hands then soon a bottle could be seen. She gets it. It is a littered bottle filled with some yellowish liquid. The liquid is some kind of chemical for disinfectant they used to spray on the cocoa trees. From what she heard from the tall man when she asked him, this one is highly flammable so she managed to hide one here during her works in the day.

She throws the torch on the shrubs and immediately it started to be covered with fire.

She runs back a few meters away from it then looks back at the bottle in her hands. When she sees to it that she is far enough. She throws the bottle with much force into her hands.

*Boom!*

A loud explosion was heard. The people who are part of the plan throw their torches in their designated places. Multiple fires started at every place. Liza, Tom, and Fred began to head stealthily at the exit of the place when they saw the guards heading to the caused of the explosion. Carlo was already there.

Carlo opened the locks in the gate hurriedly and soon he ran outside, along with Liza, Tom, and Fred. They never tried to look back as if they are afraid to be caught.

"Diversion. That's what the fire is for. The more we caused a commotion, the more we will able to easily escape. And when you heard a loud explosion, commence the plan" Erin said.

"Explosion?" Tom asked.

"Yes. That would certainly attract great attention. I will be the one to set it. And you would just need to wait near the gates as soon as you successfully got the key and set fire in other places." Erin added.

"If you do that, you might be left out," Liza asked worriedly to Erin.

"Don't worry as soon as you heard the explosion, escape immediately and never look back or have second thoughts. I can handle myself" Erin said.

"It's not like we have any other choice so let's do this," Carlo added.

'I hope Erin will make it out.' Liza thought as she remembered the conversation they had with Erin and continued to run.

All in the plantation heard the loud explosion and now everyone was fully awake. Most of the kids there saw this as a chance to escape. While the elders and guards of the place were busy stopping the fire to spread in the plantation further. Many kids were already heading out in the place towards the gate.

"Damn! The kids are escaping! We will get them! While others stop the fire at all costs!" A man shouted angrily. It is the bulky man who brought Erin and the rest here to the plantation.

Erin was also running in the exit along with the other kids.

*Bang!*

Multiple gunshots were heard but Erin didn't look back. She runs with the out-most speed she could muster towards the exit.

She is almost there, to her freedom.

But then she heard a loud shout.

"Look out!"

Someone suddenly crashed into her.

She tumbled down the ground harshly with the sudden impact of the crash.

But she didn't care about the pain and forced to stand up. She knew too well that if she stayed in her place she will be caught.

She looked at her assailant. But she was surprised to see that it was the boy whom she saw the first time she arrived here. Since she saw her jacket tied on his waist.

It is also the same boy that is listening to them.

But instead of anger for crashing into her, Erin felt fear as soon as she saw the pool of blood gushing out from the boy's shoulders.

She looked back at the guards. It seems nobody still notices them with all these commotions since they are busy with other kids.

She immediately runs towards the boy and helps him to stand up. With no difficulty, she tried to carry him on her back.

Surprisingly the boy is not too heavy. Maybe because he is too skinny. Now she is only focused back on the gate.

"I like you so please don't die..."

Erin was surprised to hear the sudden and out of the blue mutterings of the boy on her back.

"What?" She almost stops in her tracks.

*Bang!*

But as soon as she heard more gunshots she just ignored the boy's words for a while. If she stops running now then everything will be over. And besides, if she could escape here, she could ask this boy anytime.

"Don't worry I don't plan this for me to only die. I will escape here. No. Matter.What.Happened." The one thing that is on her mind now as she focused on running out of the gate.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drip*

*Drop*

*Ratatata*

The rain poured down heavily from the dark night clouds.

I escaped. I finally did it.

Erin's knees felt so weak and tired. She tumbles on asphalt concrete ground along with the unknown boy.

She is now in a different place. There are no trees with small insects that bite her wounded skin. But that doesn't matter anymore. This place is not the same one she saw back there.

This is not the plantation anymore.

She remembered that the boy who is with her and lots of blood flowing from his wounds that he got from being shot. But she won't have any strength left to move after the long run she made out of the plantation.

Pray, pray, and pray.

Maybe that's the only thing she could do right now. She prayed that the boy would still be alive and there would be someone who will be willing to help them.

'I like you so don't die' The last words of the boy kept repeating on her mind.

This is the first and only person who said that they like her full of sincerity and passion in his voice. And that is from a boy who she only help by chance and she didn't even know his name.

But somewhat it made her feel something within her heart that she never felt before in her life.

'Please stay alive.' The only thing in her thoughts before her consciousness fades away.