A is for Ayan (bxb)

2 - Escape

Someone had been following me.

I stood at the edge of the town with baited breath, my arms brushing the leaves behind me.

I had yet to take the final step that would take me out of the forest completely, but I had felt eyes watching my every movement and so I had concealed myself behind a tree.

The forest had opened out into some kind of farm town. Ahead of me were multiple fields, filled with sheep and cows that seemed to stretch on for miles into the distance.

There were a few shops dotted around and I noticed a small plastic-y looking hut selling what looked like shortbread biscuits. I watched for a while, observing the hustle and bustle of the townspeople as they went about their business; entering and leaving various shops, exchanging smiles and general pleasantries.

Feeling brave and comforted by the fact that no one had noticed me, I crept out from behind the tree and inhaled a great gulp of air.

The freshness made me feel strong and weak at the same time. I wobbled on my feet a little as a rush of excitement swept through me.

The prospect of freedom and adventure made me giddy but I reeled it back in when I remembered that my father would be back home by sun down. I had to be back home by then or all hell would break loose. I had a couple of hours to explore and then I would run back through the forest as fast I could...no one would have to know. What's the worst that could happen?

Looking round at my surroundings I realised that I had no idea where I was. I noticed that most of the people walking around the town square were completely avoiding a huge wooden building that sat right in the middle of a long row of shops.

It stuck out partly due to the fact that it looked a thousand years older than the buildings on either side of it and also because it was hard to ignore the wild shouts and screams coming from it.

For some reason I felt a sudden desire to walk closer to it, like it was pulling and pushing me towards it at the same time. I found myself taking small steps in its direction, fully abandoning my forest cover.

It was almost as if I was in a trance-like state. Like mouse being tempted out of its hiding space by a bit of cheese.

Not looking where I was going I smacked straight into a woman carrying a walkie-talkie and a clipboard. I fell to the floor with a thump and found myself face down in the dirt for the second time that day.

"Oh I'm so sorry laddie I did'nae even see you there!" she exclaimed, reaching down to offer a hand to me. I blinked and stared at her for a couple of seconds before I registered I was being rude.

What had I been doing again? She helped me up and I attempted to dust off my clothes until I realised It was pointless; I was even muddier than before.

"Did you want somewhere to ah clean up? What were you doing lurking round that forest an'way? It's off limits to non-park rangers yannoe," she scolded.

I continued to stare at her in bewilderment, the way she pronounced her words made it hard for me to understand what she was saying. I was mostly used to the Nigerian accent I spoke with and heard all my life. This woman spoke completely different, like the news reporters on TV. And her skin...I'd seen people on TV that looked like her. Fair skin and light eyes. I'd even seen pictures and illustrations of creatures like her in my books, but never in real life.

My father had told me that our family was from Nigeria and had moved to Scotland before I was born. Guessing from this woman's voice and skin tone she was not from Nigeria as well. Scottish born concluded. This was exciting! My heart started racing.