UALIA. || Ongoing ||

Fragments Of My Childhood

In the dim light of the heating sun, I found myself huddled in the corner of a darkened cage, the metallic bars cold against my skin as I fought back tears of confusion and fear. It had been hours since I was torn from the safety of my family's embrace, hours since I was thrown into this prison on wheels by shadowy figures whose faces I could barely recall.

At first, I had clung to the hope that my family would come for me, that they would find a way to rescue me from the clutches of my captors. But as the hours dragged on and the caravan rumbled ever onward, leaving behind the only home I had ever known, that hope began to wither and die like a wilted flower in the desert sun.

I was alone, utterly and completely alone, surrounded by strangers whose language I did not understand and whose intentions I could only guess at. And as the reality of my situation sank in, a cold dread settled in the pit of my stomach, gnawing away at me like a hungry beast.

But just when I thought I could bear the silence no longer, a low rumble echoed through the desert night, growing louder and more insistent with each passing moment. And then, without warning, the heavens opened up, unleashing a fury of wind and sand that battered against the sides of the caravan with the force of a thousand angry gods.

In the chaos that followed, I was thrown from my cage like a rag doll, the world spinning around me as I tumbled head over heels through the swirling tempest. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the storm abated, leaving behind a trail of destruction and chaos in its wake.

I lay there in the sand, battered and bruised but miraculously alive, the realization of my newfound freedom slowly dawning on me like the first light of dawn. I was alone once more, but this time, it was by choice, not by force—a realization that filled me with a sense of both dread and exhilaration.

I was only six, no mind of what was going on. It had been hours since I've last seen a city, which was my home where my family once laid peacefully. And I didn't even know where they were at this time. The only thing I could think of was to call out to my mother. But after a few minutes, I realized this was a sandstorm. Nobody's coming for me no matter how much I yell for my mother to come and save me.

I was lost.

Just as the world went dark as those last few minutes of realization kicked in, a voice, so beautiful and strong that it lifted the chaos near me to a new destination. This voice sounded so familiar, but maybe it was just the lullaby. The only thing I could think of about that age, was to crawl to it without any thought. Staying close to the ground and not getting lifted up into the sky by the sandstorm was a better option.

I crawled with confidence as I didn't think where this lullaby would be coming from. It could've been my mother, it could've been a woman I've never met, I didn't care that few moments. I was crawling, like my life did depend on it.

I believed I was going back home.

The voice grew stronger the more I crawled. And before I knew it, I could stand up and run to the lullaby without worrying about the sandstorm behind me. Was this person a God? A demigod of which had saved my poor innocent, six-year-old life? I hoped.

The lullaby fainted once I grew closer to which led me into a large spacious cave that I'd call home. My little spot of which could nothing come and harm me. Because I had my voice. it helped me, and I hope I can help it.

"Mom!" my younger self yelled as I smiled. But nobody was there. It was just me. My smile faded, although the scenery was beautiful from the outside world. The organism life that lives beyond this point was extraordinary. The plants greenery awed little me, but I was focused on the water. I crouched down on my knees as I put my little innocent six-year-old hands in the water that surrounded half of the cave. I drank it with a very grateful sip. The song came back though, and I followed after I finished my drinking.