The Great Escape – A short story

The Great Escape – A short story

I ran after her with tears streaming down like rivulets from my eyes, fear tearing away like a surgeon’s knife gone berserk in my heart only to be confronted with a huge iron gate with an equally huge lock.

I pressed my face against the gate and felt the cold and icy touch of iron and longed for the warmth of her arms. I peered into the distance and the creases of a smile began at the corner of my lips as I saw her near the end of the lane, but the smile did not fructify as I saw her disappear round the bend in the street.

I pressed my face and body to the gate wishing that it would melt away and I could run free! Run away to her, never to come back to this strange world with strangers. But that was not to be and I slowly turned away from the gate with a heart as heavy as a mortar stone and a mind filled with fear. I gazed at the vast empty ground before me and the small building towards the end of the ground. A woman walked ominously towards me and clasped my hand in hers in an iron grip and half carried, half dragged me to the small building. I resisted, I tried to bite her, I yelled at the top of my voice, but to no avail as she was stronger than me. She shepherded me into a big hall filled with many like me and the one thing I noticed in that room was FEAR. I could see it in each ones face, some were crying loudly, some were moaning softly and still others were sobbing uncontrollably.

It was then with a sinking feeling that I realized why I was in this place, it was a punishment for all that I had done and I wondered what the girl who was sitting next to me would have done to deserve this punishment.

Suddenly all hell broke loose, one of the inmates, a tall and heftily built fellow bit the hand of his attendant and made a dash for the door, providentially the door was open and he was through it in flash followed by the attendants and also the woman who had herded me into the room. In the melee I took my chance and quietly slipped away and made my way discreetly towards the Iron Gate and hid behind a small bush which gave a clear view of the gate. I watched the gate with blurred vision because of the tears which were still streaming down my eyes. After some time the gate opened to let in a car and the security guard who was manning the gate turned his back to me to close it and as he did so, I sprinted for the gate and was through it before he realized what was happening.

I heard the shouts behind me as I ran like never before.

I was tired, out of breath and still I heard the shouts and sound of running feet behind me as they came in hot pursuit, I coaxed my tired legs to run faster and faster but still my pursuers were behind me and I was not able to shake them off. Now I was too tired and my feet were refusing to move further and my new shoes were hurting like hell. I did not see the big stone lying on the ground in front of me and I tripped and fell over it and sank into oblivion.

I was floating in air and I could hear distant voices, slowly the voices seem to be coming from near and I saw it was THE Woman who was speaking: it happens sometimes especially on the first day, but do not worry, we will take care!

I was now fully conscious and with waves of joy realized that I was enveloped in the all familiar warmth of my mother’s arms, I looked up at her worried eyes and said, Mama, I do not want to come to this school ever again!